WELCOME TO PARTNER WITH US IN VULNERABILITY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
After realizing the role of the community and religious institutions in disaster management, BFW has trained the church on vulnerability and disaster management. This program is coordinated by Beyond Four Walls, a non-governmental organization that, as its name suggests, aims to help people GO OUTSIDE THE FOUR WALLS, that is, stopping selfishness and self-centeredness in our private homes, our houses of worship and our services and reach out to others especially the most vulnerable. The mission of this organization is to EMPOWER COMMUNITIES TO OVERCOME VULNERABILITY BY USING PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES.
There are several things that have inspired us to do this ministry and we have started building the capacity of religious institutions (see our findings from the church):
1. The community cares more about funerals and burials than the problems faced by people while they are still alive. A person may not be helped with money for medicine, treatment and nutrition, but when the same person dies, a lot of money is spent for lavish funeral. Remember that some deaths are not caused by disasters and are not emergencies, but they just happen normally for every human being. See for yourself that despite all the fame of the Lord Jesus, He was buried by only His secret disciples.
John 19:38-40 “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.”
2. We only strive to address people's problems spiritually and avoid holistic approach as designed by God. We are content to pray for people without considering their material needs which we are able to support and at the same time we do not see tangible answers to our prayers for them. Although it is obvious that the person we are praying for is not getting well, we don’t strive to know the basic needs we can support like food, medication etc. Jas 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?”
3. Most of the church offerings and donations
are only spent for religious purposes with little consideration for the poor. We
have forgotten that the Bible said that the pure and undefiled religion is the
one that cares for the helpless, vulnerable and marginalized. James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before
God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and
to keep oneself unspotted from the world." The apostle Peter was
giving alms to a person with disability at the door of the temple. One day he
had nothing to give him. So, he asked for divine intervention. As a result, a
miracle happened to heal him so he could go and work for a living. This doesn’t
mean that we should not pray for people's healing until we run out of money to
give them! Nope. We have to do what we can as God’s agents until we get the
inspiration or revelation that God wants to answer in a different way. (Acts
3:1-9)
4. We will continue to live a cursed life and in the future we may miss heaven because we only care about spiritual needs but we are not ready to be God's hand to meet the physical needs. Mt 25:41-46 "Then he will say to those on his left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, which has been prepared by the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, give me no food; I was thirsty, don't give me a drink; I was a stranger, do not welcome me; I was naked, don't dress me; I was sick, and in prison, do not come to see me. Then they will also answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, should we not serve you? And he will answer them, saying, Amen, I say to you, As you did not treat one of the least of these, you did not treat me. And those will go to enter eternal punishment; but the righteous will go into eternal life."
5. We do not have strategies to respond to disasters in a human way even when God speaks to us. When the prophet Agabus prophesied about famine, people did not fast and pray to stop the situation. Instead they collected gifts from the brethren to support their brothers and sisters in need. The apostles did not go around with Bibles alone but they also mobilized giving and sent aid to the needy. (Acts 11:28-30). But also when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream of 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine, he did not say that people should fast, but strategies were put in place to deal with hunger. (Gen 41:32-37). Joseph's suggestion was accepted that someone with intelligence and wisdom should be found to manage the plan. We lack intelligence and wisdom that is why we often fail in life even when God has been revealing His secrets to us.
6. Sometimes we only have emergency plans to support the needy that make people dependent on aid instead of building their capacity to be self-reliant. For instance, a needy is given money or food from time to time but there is no monitoring as to why he does not lead his own life and if he does not have a farm, who can lend him one. 2 The 3:10 "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
7. We think prayers will end all people's problems while forgetting that the Scriptures show that other needs are met by obeying instructions. Prayer is the beginning of everything but it does not do everything. For example, when a woman with unpayable debts consulted a servant of God was required to use the little she had as capital, find storage containers and go to the market to sell (2 Kings 4:1-6). When the wedding in Cana lacked drinks, Lord Jesus did not pray but gave instructions that were accompanied by a miracle when they acted upon (John 2:4-10). At the moment most of us do not distinguish between God’s part and ours. As a result, we suffer in life while proclaiming the greatness of God. We may pray for a person frequently suffering from typhoid but we don’t help him examine the safety of his environment to ensure the problem does not recur. Since the Bible time God ordered to have toilets. Deuteronomy 23:12, 13 "Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; "and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse.”
8. We depend on external support even
for the things we have the ability to do and at the same time we donate a lot
of money for celebrations. This behavior contribute to abject poverty in the
life of some kingdom people. If we trust God only to help us in this present life
without investing for our eternity, WE ARE THE POOREST OF ALL PEOPLE. Jesus
came for our present and eternal security. 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”
9. We demand support and care from people and forget that we don't care about others too. Luke 6:31 "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” When you are sick, you want the whole neighborhood to visit you and you blame those who don't visit you. How many people have you visited when they were sick? You want to be commended and helped but you can't even encourage others. E.g. Many Gospel singers post songs in social media groups and ask for support but I don't think they have ever given any feedback or appreciated services provided in those groups. I don't think they read any article they find there. We need to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves (Mat 10:16).
I have seen the importance of collaborating with the community based on various criteria such as knowledge, availability, readiness, burden in the heart, compassion, material support, money etc.
Do you know that you also have a role to play?
David escaped to the cave for his own safety but about 400 people followed him asking for his support. The characteristics of those people were IN DISTRESS, IN DEBT AND DISCONTENTED. Imagine if it were you, would you receive them or would you expel them considering that you fled the assassination plot?
1 Sam 22:1-2 “David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”
WE WILL NO LONGER BE SELF-CENTERED BUT WE WILL CARE FOR OTHERS AS GOD STRENGTHENS US.
If you are convinced, I welcome you to co-operate with us in this ministry provided without any discrimination.
Let us know if you are willing to VOLUNTEER in any area. I assure you that God will remember you and you will enjoy the fruit of your labour.
Examples of how you can participate
(wherever you are):
1. I have experience in providing
training on how to respond to disasters such as fire, floods, earthquakes, etc
2. I have experience in rescuing people
from disasters (how and for how long)
3. I have experience in providing first
aid to disaster victims (how and for how long)
4. I like to volunteer to temporarily lend
my belongings during disasters (eg, car, motorcycle, house, compound, tent,
canvas, chairs, speakers, canoe, mattress, rescue equipment, etc.)
5. I like to provide education to warn the
community in disaster management (how) e.g. Using loudspeakers, my radio, my
TV, social media etc
6. I like to donate money for disaster
relief work
7. I have experience in conducting
research, monitoring and evaluation in disasters
8. I like to volunteer my skills in
disasters Example, Technical, expertise etc. (specify)
9. We would like this program to be implemented in our organization
Remember you can partner with us even when you are far away because of the current technological development. We will coordinate this response as we work with various stakeholders.
Contact me now to be part of this valuable work. You may also submit your personal relevant information.
Dr Lawi Mshana (Executive Director), Box 554, Korogwe,Tanga, Tanzania, East Africa
+255712-924234 (Phone & Whatsapp); mshanalawi@gmail.com; beyond4wallstanzania@gmail.com
Beyond Four Walls, Account number
0133621816400 at CRDB Bank Korogwe branch
