Chapter 6 Church and small business: building the community economy
6.4 Church sets up its own project: boosting the local economy
Rules that will govern the club will be agreed upon by all members and decisions made jointly. The group would decide jointly how money would be brought to the meeting, although some groups usually allow a representation if a particular member is held up and unable to come. Money will counted in everyone’s presence to encourage accountability, where all members can also view collection books, and do reconciliation of the bank statements. The number of signatures in the bank account will be determined by members.
Members may opt to have training sessions on various topics like basic financial management or life skills.
6.4.1Building on existing community strengths
This was described when explaining the asset based approach and its benefits. It would therefore be necessary that resources, skills, and capacities (resources) of communities be looked at and mapped. The church would have to ask itself several questions in keeping with an asset based approach. Firstly, what churches are there in Tswaing, and what resources do they have? Secondly how can resources available to the church be utilized for building Tswaing community economy? Thirdly, how can these resources be pulled together for community development? The church would then work through its own local Council of Churches. These resources would be pulled together in a church resources map. Other community resources would be mapped out.
When this is done the following picture emerges: available for use by churches as own property is space in church yards and facilities like sanctuaries and church halls; equipment like computers, photocopiers, fax machines, musical instruments, furniture; expertise as was mentioned in previous chapters of having been involved in building church schools, hospitals, and others. Lastly, the church has economic power to raise funds from their national and international partners.
6.4.2 Participation
The role of participation cannot be overemphasized. The question of power and how it works itself out in communities cannot be ignored if maximum participation is required. It must be remembered that because we live in a patriarchal society, participation can easily be hijacked by the powerful: men, the educated or the elite, and chiefs to the marginalization of women, youth and children. Participation works well with consultation, making sure that we do not only involve those who are seen to be powerful but afford space for everyone to be an active participant. We have noted that the chance afforded to communities to participate in their
own development is a spiritual act. Therefore, to address the question of asymmetrical power relations which often exist in communities, it is recommended that existing community structures like village committees, church boards, women’s groups, youth groups and other associations be invited to effectively participate. Considering that usually power relations within communities in terms of gender are never adequately addressed a simple design and effective participatory monitoring system could be put in place. In terms of social sustainability there would be a need for community members to also assess one another as to who is or not participating. This is not a new phenomenon but is a basic expectation when dealing with group dynamics.
Importantly, community members must be actors in determining their own future.
Sometimes development practitioners come with huge amounts of money completely disregarding the aspirations and integrity of communities, threatening not to help them if they ask questions.
6.4.3 Formation of partnerships
One of the principles undergirding good development practice is the formation of partnerships. Botes and Abrahams argue that partnerships are about mutuality and reciprocity, that is, “similar agendas through identification of shared experiences and responsibilities for mutual benefit”. (2008:121). The above authors go on to note that “the notion of partnerships for development could therefore be viewed as little streams that converge to form a river”. (2008:117).
We noted earlier on in this chapter that there could be partnerships at various levels; the rural church and city churches; with business owners; between small scale/emergent farmers and established farmers; between lessees and lesser of land; between the Churches initiated
development agency and the three tiers of government. Here we wish to mention that a partnership could be forged between the construction company, Group Five and the Local Municipality. Frameworks of operations, expectations
Partnerships with other associations, institutions and individuals are important for uniting the resources of all beneficiaries. Effective partnerships are also critical for sustainability. This means that community development can never be successful when done by one person or one because of its complexity. This was captured well by the Department of Trade and Indusrty (2005:1) in its illustration on co-operatives. A woman was drawn in front of a vegetable stall, with three other members of her co-operative. Just above her stall was an inscription that read, ‘ORGANIC VEGGIE CO-OPERATIVE’ as well as baskets depicting the various types of vegetables which were on sale. She said, ‘I could never have done this alone’.
Partnerships acknowledge that individuals will make different contributions, time, finance, skills, space, knowledge, facilities and presence.
6.4.4 Sustainability
The intention of developing SMMEs should be wealth creation that would be sustainable. As we noted in chapter two with reference to the Brundtland Commission (see 2.8) sustainability involves not just meeting the needs of the present generation but consideration should be made for forthcoming generations. In other words, when we develop SMMEs, much as we focus on economic growth, we need to espouse values that show an intentional consideration to the protection of the environment. As an example, if the community decides to establish a construction company to build houses for the rural poor as a business venture, it would use timber for roofs. It would then be important that when trees had been chopped down to make trusses, the community plant new trees.
The impact of development should be able to be replicated and have strategies for replication.
Sustainability also depends on many other factors including some of those discussed above as well as paying attention to the process of how development is done. In other words focus should not just be at the end result but also on how we got there. How that process was maintained, monitored and evaluated becomes crucial.