“It’s not like it used to be,” we hear our friend say, “my father tells me that 25 years ago people cared for each other in Port Au Prince. There was a sense of community. And now, everyone fends for himself.” He tells us this with nostalgia and with a desire to recover that which was lost. Our friend is the coordinator of the exciting work we are involved with: working with church leaders to come together and care for their community through a process called
Umoja.
“Umoja, which means ‘togetherness’ in the Swahili language of East Africa, is an exciting and transformational church and community initiative. It helps church leaders and their congregations work together with the local community to bring about positive change for the whole community.” Tearfund website
Recently, we had the privilege to be part of the first
Umoja workshop in a community near Port Au Prince. Going through the crowded streets of Carrefour, looking carefully to not miss the turn to Bertain, the dirt road became narrower, we crossed the river and went up and up on a bumpy road wide enough for only one lane. At the end of this road is the church, where the workshop took place. As we stood at the door we could see the hills full of houses and a ravine dividing the two hills and the turquoise blue sea in the distance. We can close our eyes and feel like we are back at the door taking in the view and all the life of the place.
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| View from the church in Carrefour Bertain |
Inside the building, any breeze that came through the open windows was a refreshing relief from the heat. It was hot, not only from the weather, but also from the intense discussions that went on throughout the week. Jokingly at first, the pastors came up with a slogan for the workshop. One person would yell “
Umoja!” and the others would follow “
Ansanm nou kapab!” which in Creole means “together we can!” By day four, it had deepened into the minds of the whole group that yes, together they can bring change little by little to their community.
We were not only observers, but were able to participate. Nate prepared one of the sessions trying hard to use his limited knowledge of Creole and with the help of our fearless, multilingual leader. We organized games and activities to energize the group. It was great fun to see the church leaders get into a game of “dog, cat, rooster” (our full-body, Haitian-adapted version of “rock, paper, scissors”). On the last day we finished strong with a celebration and were pleasantly surprised by their outpouring of gratefulness. They had prepared a fruit basket, books, a framed plaque and even a hand-made Umoja flag!
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| Receiving a plaque and fruit basket from participants on the last day |
It was so encouraging, not just because of their gratitude, but because it showed they can do great things together to care for one another. This was a step towards the church awakening to its role as a catalyst for community change. We pray God will give them strength to carry out the things they have purposed in their hearts: to pass the vision to their community and see it become an attractive place to live and raise a family.
