FAITH BASED OGANIZATIONS AND THE
THEOLOGY OF POVERTY AND DEATH IN VIHIGA
COUNTY, KENYA
Dr. Hezekiah Obwoge, Prof. O.M.J. Nandi
European Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religious Studies
ISSN 2520-4696(Online)
Vol.1, Issue 1 No.1, pp1-15, 2017
www.ajpojournals.org
FAITH BASED OGANIZATIONS AND THE THEOLOGY OF
POVERTY AND DEATH IN VIHIGA COUNTY, KENYA
1*
Dr. Hezekiah Obwoge
Lecturer, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology
*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: obwogezek@gmail.com
2
Prof. O.M.J. Nandi
Professor, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the role of the Faith Based Organizations in
alleviating poverty in Western Kenya.
Methodology: This study is a cross-sectional research that sought to give an examining and
descriptive scrutiny of the death beliefs surrounding FBO’s activities in Emuhaya District.
This study targeted Emuhaya District which has a population of 180,000 people who are
members of the FBO’s. To obtain data for analysis, qualitative methods of data collection,
which include in-depth oral interviews, focus group discussion, observation and documentary
analysis, were employed. Questionnaires were prepared and administered according to the
information required from the specific groups of respondents. This study utilized secondary
sources, which were derived from published books, minutes of developmental meetings in the
FBO, reports of the development projects of the church, articles and records from Kenya
National Archives. Data collected through the questionnaires and personal interviews, was
synthesized systematically and logically compiled to determine the role of FBO in alleviating
poverty in Emuhaya District. Data was coded manually and organized under different themes.
The researcher then investigated the concepts of liberation and reconstruction in improving
the well-being of the poor through an analysis and interpretation of the theological methods
of induction (TMI).
Results: Based on the findings the study concluded that the CoG-K’s teachings are largely
pertinent in the development of FBO members and their participation in activities that are
designed along people’s development needs. Also, the CoG-K has a role to play through her
programs like Sisi kwa Sisi and Child Development Centres.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This research recommends that if
Emuhaya District is to develop, it has to place the FBO teachings and theology of option for
the poor at the top of the agenda and to consider it as is so often the case, as adjunct to the
real core of the work that is, development. The study proposes that for the FBO to improve
her input in social concerns of the people, it should reshape its theology of development so
that it can fully address the plight of the poor.
Keywords: Faith Based Organizations, poverty alleviation, Western Kenya
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The present economic situation of Africa in general and Kenya in particular appears to be
characterized by poverty and suffering which form relatively high levels of material
deprivation. Poverty is a state of human deprivation with regard to personal income, clothing,
housing, health care, education, sanitary facilities and human rights (World Bank, 2001).
Poverty or being poor in the church’s understanding commonly means a state of or lack of
what ought to be (Myers, 2000). In both the Bible’s Old and New Testament, the poor are the
oppressed by both socio-cultural and economic conditions. They are the deprived and the
needy beggars. Thus, the theological basis for the option for the poor in the church is that the
poor possess a sacramental function in the society (Ibid.).
In Kenya, the 2007 Human Development (HD) Survey showed that the people living in
abject poverty constituted 56.3% of the Kenyan population, and that the situation was
deteriorating further as it has continued to rise from 30% in early 1990's to 56% by 2007
(MDG Centre, 2009). Over 65% of the people living in Vihiga County where FBOs are the
most dominant denomination, live below the poverty line and are food poor (ESDP, 2008).
This means that more than a half of the population in Vihiga County is in some state of
poverty. Whereas poverty, religion and corruption may account for some of this plight, many
of the poor are victims of natural disasters, famine or drought. Farmers on the other hand,
often cannot make an adequate living from their small and infertile land. In addition to
suffering, sheer lack of income, the poor are often uneducated and afflicted with physical
sickness (Ibid.).
Furthermore, the Kenyan situation could rightly be cited as the best example of glaring
disparity between the economically empowered on one side and the marginalized masses on
the other. The wealthy have access and control of the market, whereas the poor remain at the
mercy of the market dictates even where their own produce is concerned. A report by the
Society for International Development (2004) revealed that only a tenth of the 30 million
Kenyan controlled the nation’s resources and income and that 42 percent of the total wealth
of the country is concentrated in the hands of the 10 percent of the population (Galgalo,
2005). This implies that a tenth of the population is gobbling nearly half of the available
resources.
Until recently, it was believed that rising poverty could be tackled by increased economic
growth that would lead to higher incomes. Growth was seen as a natural process which could
be nourished through the application of correct and timely input. Likewise, it could be
impeded through bad conditions, but once these constraints were removed the process would
continue (Verhelst, 1990:56). Development was seen essentially as a question of increasing
gross levels of savings and investment both internally and externally, private and state – until
the economy reached a take-off point into self-sustaining development.
The emerging crisis has prompted the continuing search for appropriate approach to, and
strategies for solving the problem. Poverty alleviation has been the subject of subsequent
National Development Plans, Session Papers, Presidential Commissions, Task Forces, and
studies in Kenya. The large range of contributions reflects the pressure on the Government to
find solutions to the persistence of poverty in Kenyan society. However the government of
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Kenya on its part has not sufficiently addressed these needs due to increasing national
population growth and the concurrent costs (EDSP, 2008). This inadequacy has been greatly
felt in Emuhaya District because of its high density as compared to other rural areas in Kenya
(Ibid.). It is in this process of taking initiative in development that existing churches in
Emuhaya District have played role in development.
Presently in Vihiga County are a wide range of FBos which are known to actively take part in
human development through its agencies such as Compassion International, Youth
Empowerment Programs and World Vision. These churches include the Anglican Church of
Kenya, Church of God in Kenya, Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Coptic Church, Israeli
Nineveh Church, African Interior Church, Salvation Army, Revival Church (CoG-K, 2007),
just to mention a few. While acknowledging the role played by these churches in both
spiritual and social-economic development, the present work delves its attention to the role
played by the FBOs in poverty alleviation to the populace in Vihiga County. The Vihiga
County has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants according to the 2009 population’s
projections (EDP, 2010). Currently, the birth rate is estimated at 3.5% per annum (Ibid.).
Nevertheless, poverty is a complex phenomenon that cannot be eradicated solely by politics,
economic policies and financial investments. It is a social construct that cannot be limited to
mere economic growth. In order to be authentic, it must be integral; that is, it has to promote
the good of each individual and the whole person. Material and spiritual values must be
brought together (Pope Paul VI, 1967).
Poverty is a major concern of the FBOs, and countless poverty alleviation programs and
campaigns have been developed over time, across the regions. Poverty is defined as having
numerous manifestations and characteristics that include low and unreliable income, poor
health, and low levels of education, insecurity, disempowerment and isolation from the
mainstream of the economic development (Cavanaugh, 2008). These characteristics are also
referred to as indicators of measuring poverty (Ibid.). The biblical word on the relation of the
community of faith to poverty is clear and unambiguous because God identifies himself with
the poor, so too the community of faith is called to special concern for these persons.
Evidently, the important place of spirituality in human development has been acknowledged
(Gumo-Kurgat, 2004; Bryant, 1999; Nyaundi, 2003; Vinay, 2005). Secular groups involved
in development are beginning to take seriously the religions of communities with whom they
work. Scholars are seeking for ethics and morality in development strategies. Therefore, true
development be it Christian or non-Christian, requires addressing the spiritual, because it is
not possible to alleviate poverty without the spiritual facet. It is in this regard that the church
and Christian organizations have made concerted attempts towards answering the cries of the
poor in the society. This contribution of the church in alleviating poverty is likely to be
enhanced by the fact that Christianity in Africa is growing greatly. This study aims at
assessing the role of the FBOs in alleviating poverty in Western Kenya.
1.2 Problem Statement
Poverty and beliefs surrounding death is a widespread phenomenon that is of interest to all
stakeholders of the development processes including the Faith Based Organizations (FBOs).
Documents of earlier studies have focused on the economic systems while underestimating
the power and influence of FBOs in the eradication of poverty; thus, relegating religion to a
matter of spiritual significance. Vihiga County experiences very high poverty levels that
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stand at 65% of the total population of Kenya (GoK, 2010; KNBS, 2010; ESDP, 2008).
Furthermore, 52.3% of the households in the County live below poverty levels. Thus, the
Vihigas contribution to national poverty is 3% (Ibid.). However, it is evident that economic
systems alone to date have been inadequate and the growth of poverty has not been reversed
(Speckman, 2001; Ogot, 1999; Nandy, 1998). People do not live by economics or science and
technology alone. Thus, the role of religion in poverty eradication has not been studied yet
human spirit and determination are cornerstone for poverty alleviation and wealth creation.
Consequently, this study seeks to examine the role of religion in addressing the phenomenon
of poverty. In particular the study seeks to assess the role of FBOs in addressing the problem
of poverty in Vihiga County with special reference to Emuhaya District, Western Kenya. At
the moment, FBOs have gained a wide acceptance among the people of Emuhaya District of
Western Kenya and also influenced their way of life. The study seeks therefore to determine
the contributions of the FBOs teachings to people’s participation in poverty alleviation and
further to examine to what extent the said projects have been successful in achieving their
goals in the midst of the challenge of death.
1.3 Objectives of the Research
To assess the role of the Faith Based Organizations in alleviating poverty in Western Kenya
2.0 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
The study is justifiable base on the facts that poverty reduction is a national challenge.
Experience with the post-independence anti-poverty policies reveals that Kenya has not
achieved much progress during the last 40 years (Saitoti, 2002). At the outset, Kenya hoped
to eliminate poverty through trade and industrial growth. It was seen as a short-term hardship,
which would disappear as the nation developed and grew in monetary terms. Poverty is now
recognized as a major threat to every significant section of Kenya. It is also increasingly
recognized that economic growth alone will not be sufficient to reduce poverty (Ogot, 1999).
Furthermore, poverty is a problem encompassing boundaries beyond physical aspects thus
poverty reduction needs to be supported by a combination of measures. In this regard, there is
a growing recognition of the role of the church in poverty alleviation and hence improving
the quality of life (Vinay, 2005). Even though secular programs meant to alleviate poverty
have ignored or underestimated the importance of the church in alleviating poverty and even
sustaining relief and development, church programs and its gospel has continued to be a force
for social change (Ibid.). Galgalo, captures the essence of the situation when he says:
The deep economic problems of today do in fact, have spiritual roots and are related to forms
of unbelief - for which a solution is present. And to make the answer more apparent we
urgently need personal Christian reflection on economic life - in our schools as well as in
universities (Galgalo, 2004:23).
In this context, Africa must welcome a serious examination of its record to identify
approaches that go beyond economics; religion and culture has been the missing dimension in
this experience (Ogot, 1999). Experience has shown that the consequences of development
are deeply rooted in the cultural, value and psychological systems. They cannot be simply
evicted by economics and political intervention, reduction as they may be (Ibid.). In view of
the fact that religion is not lived in a vacuum and that spiritual progress and worldly
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development is necessarily interrelated (Tarino, 2005), the human soul that is truly seeking to
save itself is fully social. The progress of religion in this world brings with it an
immeasurable improvement in the conditions of human social life. This however raises
questions with regard to the communication of the whole of the gospel in relation to the
existing social-economic situation.
Consequently, FBOs is subject to this assessment as a way of challenging the approach of
excluding the impact of religion to economics and faith concerns. Accordingly, the role of
CoG-K in combating poverty is subject and justified for assessment. It is therefore important
for any analysis or recommendations to take this into account. This study is aimed, therefore,
at filling these shortcomings. The findings will provide strategies for the policy and program
development to scholars, theologians and economic planners.
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study is a cross-sectional research that sought to give an examining and descriptive
scrutiny of the death beliefs surrounding FBO’s activities in Emuhaya District. This study
was carried out in Emuhaya District of Vihiga County. The sample respondent in this study
was drawn from the population of the CoG-K adherents in Emuhaya District. This study
targeted Emuhaya District which has a population of 180,000 people who are members of the
FBO’s (CoG-K Assembly, 2007). These were represented in all the 141 FBO centers in
Emuhaya District. Other participants who were thought to have important information for the
research were the FBO leaders, directors and the church elders who were purposively
sampled as discussed under sampling procedures. Saturated sampling technique was used to
opt for the 4 administrative heads of the FBO namely the Chairman, the General Secretary,
Treasurer, trustee and the 16 heads of departments for in-depth interviews. To obtain data for
analysis, qualitative methods of data collection, which include in-depth oral interviews, focus
group discussion, observation and documentary analysis, were employed. Questionnaires
were prepared and administered according to the information required from the specific
groups of respondents. It was significant for the researcher to do in-depth oral interviews for
the church leaders in order to facilitate exhaustive probing on key question from the
formulated questionnaires. This type of interview was chosen because the researcher has a
great deal of freedom to probe and ask specific queries during the course of the interview.
This study utilized secondary sources, which were derived from published books, minutes of
developmental meetings in the FBO, reports of the development projects of the church,
articles and records from Kenya National Archives. Pertinent information was also collected
from hospital and compassion projects in the community. Other services statistics were
obtained from the ministry of Finance and Planning to explain quantitative information about
the District.Data collected through the questionnaires and personal interviews, was
synthesized systematically and logically compiled to determine the role of FBO in alleviating
poverty in Emuhaya District. Data was coded manually and organized under different themes.
The researcher then investigated the concepts of liberation and reconstruction in improving
the well-being of the poor through an analysis and interpretation of the theological methods
of induction (TMI).
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4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Death and Funeral
Death, burial and mourning are an intricate part of the FBO’s beliefs and practices. Death is
part of the physical separation of a person from the church, community and provides the
individual the opportunity to join the ranks of the departed (Smith-Akubue, 1995:152).
Procedure followed and the amount of money spent when burying a FBO member showed a
number of variations according to the sex, age, and social status as well as certain
peculiarities of the deceased. According to Kageni (2008:34):
Kenyans are burying more than Sh 7 billion every year in funeral expenses and burial
ceremonies. This year, at a time when the country is trapped in a biting economic
crunch fanned by inflation and high fuel prices, more money than that allocated to
some key government ministries for development this year will go into graves. The
church is the main culprit.
Kenyans have not adjusted funeral costs downwards and invested the money productively for
bereaved kin (Anjieho: OI, 13/02/2008). Readiness by the FBO members to splash money on
the dead has given rise to a thriving funeral service industry that is visible in every market
place in Emuhaya District. For instance, the casket making workshops are numerous at
Luanda market. Statistics of death of an FBO members in Emuhaya District released by the
church (CoG-K: 2006), and the vast fortune buried annually is a contradiction to terms for
poverty-stricken members of the CoG-K. Managers of leading and upcoming funeral homes,
on the other hand, celebrate, as FBO members in Emuhaya district indicate no desire to turn
back from their ruinous way of forking out money. Yet the church hierarchy has no official
policy towards the spending of its members toward funerals (Ibid.)
Observation carried out among the FBO members in Emuhaya District show that all the
transactions for funeral services are paid in cash. No funeral home offers services on credit.
This means the hefty budgets drawn in respect of funerals have to be raised in an average
time of two weeks, between death and burial. Western Kenya stands out in lavish burials and
elaborate feasts (Obunde: OI, 11/12/2008). Transporting bodies over long distances also
contribute to the higher costs. The ‘send-off depends on the status of a person’. The living
people believe that the dead watch over them. As Anjere (OI, 11/11/2008) reports:
The funeral of a common person takes place on the day following his death, so that
there is one full night for keeping vigil by the dead and permits even those of his
relatives who live far to receive the death message and to come and see their dead
kinsman before burial. Elders of higher social status are buried on the second or
third day after death, and in the case of the clans-head the burial may even be
delayed until the fourth day. Such a delay is founded on the belief that it will please
the spirit of the deceased to remain in the company of the living as long as possible,
so that he may “see” the mourners and watch the performance of the cattle-drive and
the sham fight while he is not yet buried. Infants and small children, on the other
hand, are usually buried a few hours after they have died, a custom which is in
accordance with the prevailing notion that the spirits of children are “powerless” and
that it is therefore not necessary to take much trouble over them.
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An average funeral expense list covers the meeting venue, transfer of body (mostly from
hospital mortuary to funeral home), daily storage charges, post-mortem examination,
embalming, body make-up, advertisement and epitaph stone. Other expenses go to food
before and on the burial day, attire for close kin and even video coverage. The list below
shows, for example, the expenses of a businessman’s burial at Mumbita Village in Emuhaya
District.
(Permission was granted by the Ombima’s family to use their budget for their deceased as an
example in this study).
Table 1: Funeral Budget
ITEMS
COST
Meeting venue
@1,500
15,000
Transfer of body to
funeral home
Daily
charges
storage
ITEMS
COST
Transport
of
mourners
from
Nairobi to Luanda
50,000
3,000/=
Lowering gear
10,000
@ 1000 per day
Epitaph stone
per
day
10,000
5,000
Autopsy
10,000
Food
50,000
Embalming
15,000
Attire for close kin
20,000
Body maker
5,000
Public
system
5,000
32,000
Video
8,000
Coffin
50,000
Still photographs
5,000
Hearse from Nairobi
to Kisumu then to
Luanda
40,000
Miscellaneous
5,000
Air transport from
Wilson airport to
Kisumu
19,000
TOTAL
357,000
Advertising
days
four
address
Source: Field Data
The above budget culminates in the grave shown below, thus indicating how much money
was used during funeral and burial ceremony:
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Figure 1: Grave
Source: Field Data
The send-off depends on the status of a person. The higher the social status of the person, the
more pompous the send-off. The living believes that the dead are still watching over them in
a spiritual form. Death is transformation into another form, thus the dead continue to interact
with the living and so the dead are always handled with respect lest they return to haunt the
living. Ochola (OI, 11/11/2008) cites naming of children after the dead as proof of this belief.
Naming children preserve the memory of the dead after them, a concept called nominal
reincarnation (Ibid.). This means the character of the dead is expected to be manifested in the
newborn. The send-off is a product of socialization. For example, People who acquire
leadership roles in society are deemed more important, thus when they die, are accorded posh
funerals compared to children or uncelebrated people. This explains the great feasts and huge
funeral expenses when the aged and leaders die.
Among our people, visitors are accorded warm welcome and food. During funerals,
host tries to create a lasting impression, lest they annoy the spirits. It is inherent in
African culture where people tend to love each other, they show that is extended when
one dies (Imbayi: OI, 08/08/2008).
That belief is strong among the FBO members. It is not the money thinking but cultural
thinking. People are not looking at the cost involved but the proper handling of the dead
(Ibid.). The more prominent and important the person, the more people are willing to
contribute to accord him/her a decent send-off.
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The FBO holds that the last very important celebration a person can receive is the last rites
performed at the funeral service. The importance of this ceremony is driving evil spirits out
and praying for God’s blessing for the dead person. Songs of joy accompanied by dancing,
jumping and limping predominates the mourning atmosphere. During the burial worship
cerebration, the preacher uses this forum to ask members to contribute generously towards
the bereaved family so as to meet other financial costs that they might have incurred.
The most important ceremony held for the person who had died where again a lot of money is
used is the memorial meeting, forty days after burial. Just as Jesus ascended to heaven forty
days after his resurrection; according to Acts (1:1-11), the dead person is thought to go to
heaven on that day if he or she had been a faithful Christian. A meeting attended by many
people, both members and non-members is held and there is much singing and joy to
celebrate the dead person’s final residence in heaven. People’s actions are remembered and
when they die, everything they had done is looked into. The judgment as such is not
described much by the members of the FBO, since they believe that God can see one and all,
and that He knows all the things that one does (Okoko: OI, 11/12/2008). Therefore, no one
can hide anything from Jesus Christ who will be the judge.
In this context, God and Jesus appear to be looked upon as judges. What is seen as important
is the belief in the judgment and as such, not the way in which it will be carried out. It may be
significant that Jesus can be described as the judge because there is no talk of mercy in
connection with the judgment. Once you have died, nothing can be done to save you; once
you have entered the grave, there is no way to be saved. Your actions while alive are the only
factor that decides whether you will be accepted in heaven or sent to the sea of fire.
The notion of life after death is not something new that was introduced into the people’s ways
of thinking by christian missionaries. Among the FBO members, the continuation of life
beyond death was taken for granted. When people died, their spirits were thought to leave
their bodies for the spirit land (Otiato: OI, 18/08/20008). As has already been seen, these
spirits were believed to retain a certain relationship with the living. They could visit living
relatives in their dreams, and had the power to influence their health and general well-being
in a positive or negative direction (Wagner; 1949: 159). But, as Mbiti pointed out, this way of
looking at life after death in the traditional African religions gave nothing for which to hope
(Mbiti; 1969:165). There was no hope of resurrection or of growing towards God. Rather,
the existence of the spirits was thought to be timeless. They were believed to gradually lose
more and more of their human nature, until eventually their individual characters were
completely forgotten and they became incorporated into the collective body of impersonal
spirits (Ibid.).
What was new in the missionaries’ teaching, therefore, was the emphasis on heaven as a
better place than the present world. They did not preach simply the immortality of the soul,
but rather its resurrection to the highest salvation in heaven. A new hope was introduced and
the reinterpretation of an expectation of a life after death had a great impact on the people
who came to form the CoG-K. As long as the traditional cultural pattern was untouched and
the life of the clan was still looked upon as an integrated whole, the old way of looking at life
after death was sufficient.
The continuation of the existence of the spirit in a spirit world was not thought to be radically
different from these traditional beliefs (Muhia: OI, 28/12/2008). But when the patterns of life
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were broken down by the introduction of colonialism with its many and radical changes, this
traditional concept of life after death became unsatisfactory. Many of the old institutions in
which the spirits of the ancestors played an important role were broken down, and it was
therefore difficult to uphold the belief in the spirit world in its old form.
At the same time, the missionaries came with biblical teachings about future dimension of
time in which this old world would come to an end and a new, perfect world would come into
existence (Anjere: OI, 23/12/2007). In the colonial situations, with all the insecurity it
brought to the Africans, this message was received eagerly because it created a hope that
some day the oppression, moral evils and instability they were experiencing in this world
would stop and a new harmonious life would begin. They still wait for this goal to come. This
explains why the FBO questions the relevance of the missionary teachings in the face of the
continued occurrence of death, suffering and poverty among their Christian relatives.
The question that emanates from the foregoing discussion is whether culture promotes or
retards the spiritual and economic development among the FBO members in Emuhaya
District. This has partly been answered by the respondents’ arguments by several
respondents. Cultural observation by the people according to some CoG-K leaders, to some
extent retard development. The major example that emerged was death and funeral practices.
Some CoG-K programs were also reported to retard economic growth; this includes church
programs like ordination, baptism and marriage. These were noted to exploit the already poor
people due to the expenses that accompanied such celebrations.
4.2 Social-Economic Challenges Facing the FBO’s in Poverty Alleviation in Emuhaya
District
The study has found out that the FBOs members participated in various religious, social and
economic activities that posed a challenge to its programs aimed at alleviating poverty in
Emuhaya District. There is a tendency to use huge amounts of resources for celebrations and
ceremonial functions, weddings, ordination to priesthood, and funerals. On funerals, for
example, the practice of slaughtering the livestock for celebrations has fuelled poverty within
families and local communities. From this observation, the study shows that the FBO
celebrations are often accompanied by a wasteful consumption of scarce resources, which
prevents adherents from the fruits of considerable investments that have been made over
years.
These activities were mainly influenced by the adherent’s worldview in Emuhaya District.
Consequently, poverty in Emuhaya District may persist, with people’s participation in the
social cultural and spiritual activities that impede the development. The study concludes that
material concerns of the church were as relevant as the spiritual needs of the people in
Emuhaya District. Thus, the church is expected to help her members by liberating and
reconstructing their lives by alleviating poverty amongst them.
5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusions
Based on Objective one, the study concludes that the CoG-K’s teachings are largely pertinent
in the development of FBO members and their participation in activities that are designed
along people’s development needs. They have subsequently been essential in terms of local
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people’s accessing resources for improving their livelihood. However, the paucity of
resources has aggravated a dependency syndrome in the FBO programs, which has left most
activities of the programs not self sustaining.
Based on objective two, the study proved that the CoG-K has a role to play through her
programs like Sisi kwa Sisi, Child Development Centres, Health care Units and education,
thus these institutions make a significant contribution to sustainable development in Emuhaya
District and are useful instruments for spearheading alleviation of poverty in the said district.
The FBO’s development is founded upon a spirituality of mutual sustenance and
transformation through its concern for the adherents’ struggle with poverty. This study found
out that faith activities and the related projects implicitly advance the poverty alleviation
cause, thus all development revolves around spirituality. From this perspective the FBO’s has
the responsibility to engage in all aspects of development within spirituality as the foundation
of such engagement.
Based on objective three, the study concludes that as much as the FBO has made concerted
attempts towards development in Emuhaya District by influencing the peoples thinking on
legitimacy of wealth and education, and on the moral value of saving and investing. However
some of its programs and ceremonial functions like ordination, baptism, marriage and
weddings tend to retard these efforts of alleviating poverty. Although such programs and
celebrations serve the poor at the grassroots level, they delay change in behavioural and
institutional transformation capable of sustaining economic growth.
5.2 Recommendations
This research recommends that if Emuhaya District is to develop, it has to place the FBO
teachings and theology of option for the poor at the top of the agenda and to consider it as is
so often the case, as adjunct to the real core of the work that is, development. The study
proposes that for the FBO to improve her input in social concerns of the people, it should
reshape its theology of development so that it can fully address the plight of the poor. This
study also recommends that studies be done to establish the impact of specific doctrines of
the FBO that have an effect on the economic growth.
The study submits to the fact that power lies in the FBO’s projects which, subsequently play
a positive role in alleviating poverty in Emuhaya District. As a result, these study findings
suggest that development will in future need to be considered in term of religious teachings.
The study recommends that development experts, theologians, policy makers and
practitioners should cultivate long-term relationship with the church in general and the CoGK in particular so as implement policy for development consequently alleviating poverty.
There is a need to change cultural practises that tend to retard development among the
adherents of the FBOs’s in Emuhaya District. The study posits that cultural practices
surrounding marriage and death that are repugnant and detrimental to change should be
discarded if development is to take place.
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