Who makes the first move in real community developement?
One of the great needs within under-resourced communities in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa is basic home care. This is the kind of service that would greatly burden any non-profit organization, yet the need is often too great to ignore. Zimele is well aware of the need, but they know that to take on such a task would overwhelm them. That’s okay though, that’s not how Zimele works. Zimele doesn’t exist to provide the many kinds of care that the Zulu people so desperately need, Zimele exists to empower the people to help themselves. So patience is the order of the day.
If Zimele rushes to fill the need they will be under resourced and unprepared. Furthermore this will perpetuate the mentality of many of the people that they can just wait for other people to meet there needs. However, if Zimele works at mentoring women and fostering community, the table is set for them to care for themselves. In a conversation today with Zimele founder and Director, Rosetta Stander, she predicted it won’t be long until there are women in the community who want to start a home care group. This will mean some more work for Zimele, but because the people in the community will be making the first move, the likelihood of success is far greater. Their ownership of such a project will insure that Zimele workers will not become burned out with a wave of new time-consuming work. Instead, people from the village will be the ones to run it.
I love this model! Westerners so often come into a situation and ask, “how can I fix this?” This savior-mentality may be quicker, but it can create dependency for the suffering and burn out for the care givers. Zimele chooses a different route. One that seeks to develop the people first, then watch and serve as the people themselves seek to better their own community. It is amazing!
Our Journey truly believes in Zimele and it’s approach, because of this we will fund the first trainning program in Swayimane, Kwazulu Natal. Great things are happening!
Praise God!
Maureen Ahern
Founder/Director
Our Journey, Inc
http://www.ourjourneyinc.org