Browsing by Author "Katani, Jacob"
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- ItemTowards sustainable rural living : a theological critique on periphery-centre relations in Malawi(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Katani, Jacob; August, Karel Th.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation presents the conscientization of the people in the rural areas, on how the church in Malawi as a community-based organisation can be an effective vehicle in bringing change in their livelihoods. It is an endeavour to answer the question: How can the Church as a community-based organization respond to community challenges in order to be an effective vehicle for community development and sustainable rural living in the light of the problem of urbanization? The researcher argues that, if the Church can take a deliberate part, in helping people in self-development and bringing a positive impact on their lives in responding to community challenges, livelihoods can be positively changed. Chapter one: The first chapter is an introduction of this dissertation and it presents the goals of undertaking this study. It emphasises the fact that urbanization has become a big challenge in developing countries such as Malawi, leading people to flock to the cities, hoping to find an easy life, where they instead find life very difficult. Many people, who have migrated to the cities, find it difficult to meet their daily basic needs, due to lack of access to income. The church as a community-based organisation has a role to play in helping to bring a positive impact, on the people for the betterment of their own life. If the church can play an active role in unlocking awareness in people in the rural areas to not migrate to squalid urban settings, the desire to move to the cities can be minimized. Chapter two: The second chapter briefly describes the context of this research. It presents a brief discussion of the historical background of the church of Nkhoma Synod CCAP. It also gives a brief explanation of the country of Malawi and its geographical location. Along with this general historical background, the chapter draws an exclusive attention to the major contributions of the church to the community, and the unique role that it played in bringing change in the developing countries like Malawi. Through its holistic approach the church reached many people in the communities, and also its emphasis on community development made a major contribution to civic life in the rural as well as urban areas. Chapter three: The third chapter discusses the poverty situation and the Malawian church existence in this context. It further presents the problems that are caused by poverty in the communities, including the challenges posed by the prevalence of HIV/AIDS which Malawi as one of the developing countries is facing due to urbanisation. The church has a huge role to play to the community in regards to community development. Chapter four: Chapter four deals with the specific role of the Church in sustainable development, and it explores the importance of rural sustainability in sustainable development. The church by nature is missional and has been called to serve the triune God, and it needs to participate in sustainable development which reflects God‟s reign in the world, for it has the nature of serving God. It has been given the task to take care of the community, and its role is to place itself with the poor in taking the responsibility of identifying and dealing with the forces that are destroying the communities, in order to bring change. The chapter also deals with how the church can sensitize people living in rural areas, and the importance of staying in the rural areas rather than migrating to urban areas. The terms like "Sustainable development", "Community development" have been defined in order to appreciate on how the church as a community-based organization can indeed be an effective vehicle in community development, and help to create a sustainable rural living. The church has a unique role to play in community development. Chapter five: This chapter gives a careful contextual analysis of rural-urban areas, the challenges that the people in those communities are facing and what should be done in a sustainable rural living. It also discusses and explores on how the church as a community-based organization can be an effective vehicle to Community Development and sustainable rural living. In order to help raise the level of awareness of rural sustainability in human beings, especially those living in rural areas, this chapter has also carefully investigated the factors which attract people to migrate to urban areas and find out the solutions to these challenges. Lastly in order to understand how the church in Malawi as a community-based organization can be an effective vehicle in community development, the chapter has developed a theory of the four steps. These four steps are: Conscientization, Empowerment, Participation and Sustainability. In this chapter it has been emphasized as to how the church could/should engage with the people in order to be an effective vehicle to a sustainable rural living and help people in self-development and bringing a positive impact on their lives. Chapter six: The final chapter summarizes the whole discussion on this study. The study emphasizes the fact that, if the Church can take a deliberate part, in helping people in self-development and bringing a positive impact on their lives, livelihoods can be positively changed. If the church in Malawi, Nkhoma Synod, can take part in conscientizing the people in the rural areas to the importance and advantages of living in the rural, the number of the people migrating to cities can be reduced.