At E4 Project, we see community development as a Bible-based approach to poverty alleviation. Our goal is to see poor people empowered within their communities to make decisions and have ownership over the success and challenges of their own initiatives.
Christian Community development is a process that aims to empower people in a community to take charge of their own social and economic development while focusing on the transformational and restorative message of Jesus Christ.
“...an approach that seeks to facilitate an action-reflection cycle in which poor people participate in all aspects of the project: proposing the best course of action, implementing the chosen strategy, evaluating how well things are working, and determining the appropriate modifications. The role of the outsider in this approach is not to do something to or for the economically poor individual or community but to seek solutions together with them…poor people are more likely to have a sense of enthusiasm for and ownership of a project if they have been full participants in it from the very beginning. When the project is “theirs,” they are more likely to sacrifice to make it work well and to sustain it over the long haul.” - Brian Fikkert
Our development approach to poverty alleviation seeks to address important community issues through a Biblical, holistic, and participatory process. This process involves working closely with community members to identify their strengths and assets, as well as the challenges they face, and to develop solutions tailored to their specific needs and contexts. We also believe in Community Health Evangelism (CHE) principles and the training of trainers. We have had over 80 participants (including doctors, nurses, pastors, community leaders, and non-profit founders) go through the global CHE training programs in Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We believe effective poverty alleviation strategies require the participation and engagement of a range of stakeholders, including local churches, community leaders, locally-led NGOs, and international development partners. By fostering collaboration among these different actors, community development approaches to poverty alleviation can create synergies and maximize the impact of interventions.
Examples of Programs:
