© 2021 All rights reserved heartbeat for africa
Heartbeat for Africa has a vision to see people in rural West Africa physically, economically and spiritually healthy as they are empowered to bring lasting change to their communities under the influence of God
HBA’s first step in that vision is to focus on a strategy of development instead of relief.
Relief can be defined as urgent and short-term aid given to reduce immediate suffering from a crisis. Situations where relief is appropriate are natural disasters or man-made catastrophes, things like an Ebola epidemic, a hurricane or a community ravaged by warfare. Development, on the other hand, is a long-term strategy that focuses on helping people in a community to use their local resources to move forward and overcome the problems they identify. Typical scenarios for development might be improving the health of children in a community, improving farming techniques or developing other sources of income in the community, or creating systems to ensure clean drinking water. HBA employs Community Health Evangelism as our development strategy.
We do not focus on what people lack but on what they can do to overcome the hardships of life, including terrible poverty. We offer culturally-appropriate practical training that enhances the God-given abilities of people and builds their capacity for effective individual and collective action. CHE works because the community identifies their problems and devise solutions to those problems using their resources. This process uses CHE trainers to guide in this process and serve as catalysts for change. CHE concentrates efforts on long-term solutions that break the cycle of poverty and disease.
Through CHE we train, equip and empower people to do for themselves.
If you are interested in more information on the CHE strategy, please watch the following video produced by the Global CHE Network, an HBA partner:
The community sees a better future and has hope that it can be achieved.
Godly leaders are positioned and equipped to lead the community toward the accomplishment of its vision.
People are united and working together for the common good.
People take responsibility for their own health and well-being.
People have recovered their identity as made in the image of God and their vocation as stewards of creation. Instead of being controlled or victimized by their environment, they are stewards of it.
Significant numbers of people in a community are taking intiative and acting sacrificially to meet the legitimate needs of others.
People are equipped to identify their needs and resources, put together a plan and mobilize volunteers to accomplish their vision. People are continually reflecting on what is happening in order to learn how to be more effective.
© 2021 All rights reserved heartbeat for africa