UEM in Africa
The UEM African Region Team is made up of the Regional Coordination in Dar es Salaam and the two Africa Secretaries in Wuppertal.
The task of the Regional Coordination in Dar is to support and strengthen cooperation between the UEM member churches within the African Region. The Coordination keeps in contact with the various churches in the Region, the Councils of Churches and other church organisations and cooperation partners there, and organises the joint programmes of the UEM in the African Region.
The Regional Coordination in Dar consists of the Regional Coordinator, the Programme Secretary, a Youth Worker and two other members of staff.
The joint programmes of the region
The thematic priorities for joint programmes of the churches in Africa reflect the political, social, economic and spiritual challenges facing the churches there. The priorities are suggested by the elected Council members of the African Region of the UEM and decided upon by the UEM Council.
The main subjects of the joint programmes are in the fields of “Diakonie” church social work, HIV and Aids, human rights work and reconciliation, church management and theological training.
The programmatic work includes:
- developing new concepts for the diaconal work of the churches,
organising further training courses and an exchange of information about the way the churches are dealing with HIV/AIDS, - awareness building on questions of human rights and justice and reconciliation,
- furthering leadership competence for those in positions of leadership, in order to improve the effectiveness of the churches in management and organisation,
- standing up for the special concerns of women in the churches,
finding methods to increase the income of individual church members, so that foreign financial aid can be reduced (income-generating projects), - furthering cooperation between Anglophone and Francophone churches through language-learning programmes,
- supporting cooperation and exchange between theological training institutions in various African countries.
Two examples of our work in Africa
Seminars and programmes for young people in Africa
- Young people studying the Bible.
In the programme guidelines and resolutions of the General Assemblies of the UEM member churches it is emphasised that young people should be given opportunities to take an active part in the governing bodies of the member churches and of the UEM itself. A first step on the way to realising this is that since 2004 a young person from each Region has been elected as a Member of the Council. In order to prepare young people for this work and to prepare them to take on leadership tasks in the UEM and in the African member churches, it is necessary to offer seminars that teach them leadership qualities. Furthermore funds from this budget can be used for young people to acquire further qualifications, which enable them to participate in other activities and bring these activities into the youth work of their churches.
Small projects and start capital for income-generating projects
- Income generating project in Botswana
photo: Heiner Heine/UEM
In many African countries women are responsible for maintaining the family and the education of the children. However they are often not in a position to do so on account of social and economic circumstances. Income-generating projects and micro-credit cooperatives can provide the necessary financial aid and start capital and know-how for developing their own small businesses. Many African young people are also unable to complete their education for financial reasons. In special courses they can acquire practical skills and a basic knowledge of finance management and marketing, which can enable them later to earn their own living.
The Desk for Women, Youth and Children for example, is working together with the African Regional Office to develop a project to train farming women in methods of processing and preserving foodstuffs. Many of the women cultivate fruits such as bananas or pineapples. On account of the weather conditions and changing demand for their products at the market, it is helpful for the women to learn how they can preserve their products better. The Desk will support the training course in food processing financially and make start capital for material and production available.
