The following information is a process adapted from the book “ Walking with the Poor ” by Bryant Myers. It is published by World Vision – a global Christian development agency. All numbers refer to pages in his book for further details.

printable version

OUTLINE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPLORATION

  1. Overview

  2. Call to Prayer / Pray

  3. Identity / History – 179

    QUESTIONS FOR 'DISCOVERING' A COMMUNITY'S STORY:
    • Thinking back on the last one hundred years of your community, what has happened that you are proud of, that makes you feel you have been successful?
    • What are your best religious and cultural practices? Those that make you feel good about your culture? That have helped you when times were tough?
    • What do you value that makes you feel good about yourselves?
    • What gives you the energy and power to change and to cope with adversity?
    • What has helped you do things of which you are proud?
    • What skills or resources have enabled you to do things your children will remember you for having done?
    • How have your relationships, both within and without the community, worked for you and helped you do things that you believe were good for the community?

  4. Participatory Learning and Action / Appreciative Inquiry
    1. Define PLA – 174
      DEFINING A PLA:
      • Tool for describing social systems and survival strategy using their own categories.
      • Leads to analysis of capabilities and vulnerabilities.
      • Discover how much they really do know
      • See what resources they do have
      • All factors in recovering true identity in God
    2. Seasonal Map (follow an agricultural calendar)
      3. 
May         First Rain      |  November   Cotton
June        Weekly Rain     |  December   Cotton
July        All Planting    |  January    New Year
August      Peak Rain       |  February   Sickness
September   First Harvest   |  March      Max Heat
October     Finish Harvest  |  April      Max Heat

      SEASONAL MAPPING QUESTIONS:

      • Water
        • Where from? How far away?
        • How much is available? How do you save / economize with water?
        • What do you use it for at this time of year?
        • How clean is it?
      • Explore this map for Construction and Water


    3. Resource Map

      4. RESOURCE MAPPING QUESTIONS:

        • What does it take to make this happen?
        • Where does it come from?
        • Who does it?


    4. Causal Relationships

      5. CAUSAL LINKAGE QUESTIONS:

      Orphans

      • What do people say about orphans?
      • What do you think about orphans?
      • What causes someone to become an orphan?
      • Why do the parents die and the child lives?
      • How does an orphan baby eat? Wet nurse?
      • Who is supposed to care for an orphan? (in the past / today / change?)
      • Do orphans receive the same treatment as the ‘natural’ children? More favor? Less favor?
      • Are orphans blessed or cursed individuals?
      • When they are older who cares for them? Do they go to school?
      • How are the ancestors and spirits perceived to affect orphans?
      • What does God think and say about orphans?


      Water

      • Where does water come from? Pond water? Open well water? Deep wells?
      • Why does water run out?
      • When there is not enough, what / who takes priority?
      • Who owns the well / water?
      • Who decided to dig a well?
      • What is the difference between well water / surface water?
      • How are the ancestors and spirits perceived to affect the water supply?
      • What does God think and say about water?


      Buildings

      • Who decides to construct? Personal building / Community Building
      • What do you like most about a ‘Dagara’ home? Least?
      • What do you like most about a tin home? Least?
      • When did people start building tin homes? Is it Dagara? Is it less blessed?
      • Is someone less ‘Dagara’ if they live in a tin house or round hut?
      • How does a home become ‘Dagara’?
      • Why do homes fall?
      • Can a house be cursed or blessed?
      • How are the ancestors and spirits perceived to affect buildings (location, method, size)?
      • What does God think and say about construction and homes?


  5. While in Boromo

    1. Together Research

      1. Observe, Inquire, Explain

      2. Options

    2. Possibilities

      1. Estimates, Resources, Dagara-ish?



  6. Scripture Search

    7. SCRIPTURE SEARCH PRINCIPLES & STEPS:

    Principles

    • God is already at work in the community
    • Members of the community have accumulated a great deal of wisdom about all areas of life, including spiritual wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
    • Their community is responsible for following God’s leading in Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit.
    • God’s word speaks into their local situation.



    Questions

    • What are the similarities between what is happening in this text and your experience now? (encourages contextualization)
    • What light does this text and the experience of the people in it shed on your experience today? (leads to prayerful reflection)
    • What do you think you should do about these insights as a group and personally? (leads to actualization and contributing to a new plan)


    Steps

    • Invite – open in prayer
    • Read the scripture (multiple times for non-literate / low-literate discussion groups)
    • View with wonder – what is one phrase / action that stands out
    • Listen – keep silence, Attend to Abba
    • Share
    • Where does this lead?
    • Pray


    1. Do this exercise for the following two verses
    2. Acts 14:5-23
    3. John 4:1-42


  7. A Vision


    8. TRANSFORMATIONAL FRONTIERS:

    • Life Sustenance – meeting of basic human needs
    • Equity – equitable distribution of goods and opportunities
    • Justice – within all social relationships, including politics
    • Dignity & Self-Worth – feeling fully human and knowing we are made in the image of God
    • Freedom – from external control or oppression; liberated in Christ
    • Participation – in a meaningful way in our own transformation
    • Reciprocity – poor & non-poor; each have something to learn from the other
    • Cultural Fit – respects the best in local cultures and treats them as creative
    • Ecological Soundness
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