31.03.2017

Workshop on UEM partnership work in UEM Africa Region

Following the invitation of the UEM Africa Regional Office, the invitees to the forthcoming international partnership conference, which is planned to take place in Wuppertal/Germany from the 2^nd to the 8^th July 2017, attended a meeting held in Dar-es-Salaam/Tanzania to reflect and discuss on possible issues of partnership in order to prepare the forthcoming conference. Participants came from 8 African Churches: Cameroon - EEC (1), Namibia - ELCRN (1), Botswana - ELCB (1), the DRC - CDCC and CBCA (2) and Tanzania - NWD, KAD and ECD (3). They worked together with the UEM Africa Deputy Executive Secretary, the Rev. Dr Nagaju Muke and the Program Officer, Mr. David Wafo. The meeting started with a morning devotion from the letter to I Corinthians 12:12-25, during which the participants reflected on the role that each Christian can play in the church as body of Christ. The message reminded that all parts of the body are important and complement each other. Therefore, like the body, any division must be avoided in the church which is the body of Christ. Taking into account that most of the participants were new to the UEM and its partnership work, the Deputy Executive Secretary started by introducing UEM and its corporate identity. However, she emphasized that partnership is two ways relations. Partnership should not be understood in terms of money only. It is about learning and exchanging with each other, sharing what we have and who we are. Thereafter, each participant was given some time to report on partnership work in her/his church or context. In general, the reports showed that partnership work in the churches is alive and is having a good impact. However, some challenges still need to be addressed to improve partnership work. Issues were raised on the arising challenges and there have been proposed solutions for each of them. An active discussion was carried out, concrete plans and actions were taken on the following: communication, partnership ownership, involvement and transparency, strengthening partnership and networking between churches in the region, receiving and hosting volunteers & exchange visitors and meetings with partnership groups. Partnership contact people encourage UEM member churches from Africa to contribute to the partnership work and exchanges according to their possibilities. Partners from the German and Asia regions should encourage people who express the intention to contribute to visitation programs to do so and continue to open their doors for exchange of experiences. The participants further recommend to the Regional Office to include practical training and support to small income generating activities. Such projects could include small credit projects, food security, agro-business, etc. In order to preach by the example, we have to share information with our partnership groups on a regular basis. Each partnership contact person may have the possibility to organize a one day meeting with his partnership groups in order to share with them the discussion of this meeting and collect their ideas for the forthcoming international partnership conference.                                                                                                                                                                                             
The Deputy Executive Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Nagaju Muke thanked all participants for their commitment to make the meeting fruitful.