Digging Deeper

After several weeks of canvasing the community and mobilizing vulnerable refugee woman, the Iftin Self Help Group (SHG) Team hosted a community mapping gathering with almost 150 prospective SHG members at the Eastleigh Community Centre.

"Unless you dig into the earth

you will not have food"

African Proverb

As we gathered, the women trickled into the community centre over an hour long period. While we waited for the program to start, we talked informally about Self Help groups and shared proverbs. One of the elder women became an enthusiastic voice for the program urging on the younger woman to take this opportunity seriously. Gathering up a handful of earth she shared a proverb about the need for working together and working hard: "Unless you dig into the earth you will not have food" she told them. Throughout our formal presentation, she cheered us on and was one of the first to join the mapping exercises.

Among the gathering were many of the eldest women of the community. It was remarkable to see the older generation calling the younger to change.



Aaron and the community facilitators discussing with the women about purpose and way forward for the Iftin Self Help Initiative.


Because of the size of the gathering the women divided up according to the part of Eastleigh where they are living

As the woman divided up into smaller groups, the community facilitators lead them through an exercise of drawing a community map: first in the sand and then on paper. Each of the team members did a fantastic job as they helped the participants capture the details of their community and discuss the dynamics of life in Eastleigh.

Each woman put her mark on the map, as the women described their parts of Eastleigh. At the close of the gathering, three self help groups were formed. Please pray for these woman as each of the three new self help groups will be meeting within the community on Monday.