CONNECTED CHURCH ICC

LOVE AND LONG-TERM TRANSFORMATION Spring 2017

Can you name one of the biggest issues facing your local community Can you name one of the biggest issues facing your local community? Now think about what the root causes of those issues are. Notes to leader: Use this question as a way to get people engaged in the update. Ask people to talk to the person next to them, and then feedback to you. For more information about the root causes of poverty you might want to watch this short film - https://lifestyle.tearfund.org/article/what-is-poverty/

As a new addition to the Preu Kram Village Umoja group, Nov is already making a big difference in his community. Nov Heam lives in Preu Kram Village with his wife and four children. He is village chief and a member of the community Umoja group. Nov is a new addition to the Umoja group. Two years ago he was invited to join our Umoja celebration day, a big event we hold each Christmas season as a way of getting the community involved in the programme. Whilst here Nov met village chiefs from some other communities that are doing Umoja, and heard many stories of how it had transformed people’s lives. He was so inspired he decided to get involved himself. Nov has always cared about making the world a better place, but before Umoja he only thought he could make a difference to his family. But talking with ICC was a light to his eyes, opening up a whole new way of living. He realised that he had the potential within him to mobilise the whole community to work together to make it a better place for everyone, not just his family. When people work together and pool their resources there is a stronger foundation to make long-term change.

‘There is nothing better that this love between people ‘There is nothing better that this love between people. It is what will transform our community long-term’ Nov Heam As village chief Nov has been using his position to lead the community through a season of renewal. He is working with the Umoja facilitator in his village Mr. Noeurn, to run Umoja meetings twice a month. He uses the sessions to encourage villagers to work together and identify their top needs, and then gets them to think about how things they already have in the community can meet those needs. “ICC have helped me understand how important working together is for my community. We had gotted out of the habit of doing things communally a long time ago, and so rebuilding trust and friendship is an important first step. The more people work together, the closer they become!” says Nov. “There is nothing better that this love between people. It is what will transform our community long-term”.

Now the people of Preu Kram village are working together to tackle the root causes of their poverty! Umoja has already brought practical changes. Before the process began people had thought the uneven road leading to the village was their main issue. But after talking together perspectives began to change. Yes, the road was a symptom of poverty in the village, but Nov helped them realise they needed to go deeper and address the root causes of this poverty. Now the village are raising chickens together so they can sell them at market! Nov’s focus for the next year is to work on drug problems in his community using the Umoja approach.

PRAYER Please pray for Nov and his community. Particularly for the chicken raising project to be a success and for relationships to keep growing!