Umoja

The word Umoja means “togetherness” in the Swahili language of East Africa. 

Umoja helps church leaders and their congregations work together with the community to bring about positive changes for the whole community. It is a process that brings hope, self-esteem and transformation to churches and communities, and is based on over twenty years of experience of working throughout Africa and Asia. 

Umoja is about bringing energy and excitement to churches and communities concerning the positive changes they can make for themselves. It seeks to build on the resources they have and encourages the discovery of new skills and expertise within a community. Far too often, development projects are dependent on injections of outside aid and often leave individuals and communities worse off. Umoja seeks to do the opposite: inspiring and equipping local people with a vision for determining their own future with their own resources. 

The Umoja Facilitator’s Guide covers the following areas: 

• An overview of Umoja – its purpose, benefits, the role of the facilitator
• Envisioning the church – Bible studies and activities to help churches gain a  vision for community involvement
• Envisioning the community – activities and ideas to help communities assess  their needs and resources, with accompanying Bible studies where appropriate Dreaming dreams and planning for action – activities and ideas to help communities develop a vision for the future and plan for it, with accompanying Bible studies where appropriate
• Taking action – activities and advice to help communities ensure that the plans  are carried out and positive change happens
• Evaluation - a review of how the church and the community have worked together  to plan and run projects to improve the lives of individuals and the community.