Mary, Thomas, Ben, Michael and I climbed into the PAP vehicle and hit the dusty roads to visit Kembe Dole community in Yei, Sudan. ACROSS started the “Participatory Awakening Process” (PAP) with the local churches in Kembe Dole in 2003. The community embraced the PAP Bible-studies which emphasize the ability of churches to coordinate development efforts in their communities. After analyzing their own resources and needs, the people developed an action plan and selected a committee of leaders to oversee its implementation. They started constructing a bridge to access markets for selling their produce, and the bridge is now nearly complete. Today, Thomas (PAP facilitator) wants to ask the committee about the next steps in their action plan. 
We were greeted outside the church with smiles and eager handshakes. The meeting began with introductions, followed by some words of encouragement from Mary, the PAP manager. “The bridge has taught us to dream big and believe that God will take us there… When the bridge construction began, we estimated that the labor and materials the community would contribute to the project would total $6,000 but in the end it was actually $12,000…This community can do things that will amaze…if you believe you are rich and not poor you will go far…and thank God for the challenges, because when challenges come you know that you are really doing something – you are moving…” After every sentence Mary paused and Ben translated into Kakwa, one of the languages of the community.
Kembe Dole Community's New Bridge
A church group from the UK visited the area while the people in Kembe Dole were constructing the bridge, and the group decided to contribute resources towards the building effort. I could tell the partnership was deepening as I watched the committee members pass around a letter with photos from the UK church. “I thank God for bringing people together from different areas to work as friends,” commented one committee member.
Another member went on to say, “We have three things planned next: finishing the bridge, having an official opening, and then making bricks to build a primary school.”
While the leaders were discussing future plans, Mary asked them an important question, “Who is your boss?” Many different answers were given, “the chairman,” “the sub-chief,” “the headman.” Unsatisfied with their answers, Mary reminded them: “Your boss as a committee is the community. You should always talk with the community about what happens in these meetings. There should be transparency in the community about where money is coming from and how it is spent. Be sure to plan how many times the entire community will gather to meet during the year…” 
Towards the end of the gathering, people shared testimonies about the ways the PAP trainings impact their lives. One woman explained, “The teaching started with love. Then about how you are able to help yourself. The training helped my family to cultivate a harvest, to buy sheep, and to be able to pay school fees for my three children. Initially my family did not do many things together, now we do our family budget together, and there is more love in the family….” (pictured above in blue shirt)
Another member of the committee added, “Thank you for the teaching. As a community we used to work individually, but now we share and plan together. Because of the PAP training, I am able to know the types of crops to cultivate to get a better harvest. The teaching gets me to plan for the future and has brought unity within my family. Men and women are no longer using their money separately, now they can use it together. The training has awakened me from a sleep; now I know women can talk and have a voice in the meetings. Before, the women were not able to express themselves. It has given me a picture of how to educate our children. The training has given us a way of seeing the future as a group, now we have savings; it has given us a way forward…” 
One leader said with enthusiasm, “When Jesus was passing through Galilee, he passed a blind man. The man shouted to Jesus. Jesus heard and asked the man what he wanted. ‘I want to see,’ said the blind man, ‘I want to see.’ Jesus performed a miracle and opened the man’s eyes. And now, for our community, our eyes have been opened to see that we are able to do things for ourselves.”
Since it was my first visit to Kembe Dole, a committee member presented me with a pineapple from his harvest as a gift. The energy in the group remained high as we left the church grounds. The people were confident in their ability to organize themselves to find solutions for local problems. They were motivated to continue developing their community and bettering the lives of their neighbors.