One of the main tenants of PICO Rwanda, the community
organization that is in charge of facilitating grassroots Rwandan development
projects (including the school at Bwera), is the engagement of local religious
authorities. While this may seem like it limits the functionability of the
organization, in reality, the majority of Rwandans, particularly those in less
developed regions, are very religious. Two Sundays ago during a church service
at Bwera, I was given the pleasure of seeing how religious images and themes
fit into and ultimately enhance the mission and methodology of the Bwera Model.
During an arduous, five hour-long church service followed by
a three hour-long meeting, I sat in one of the half-finished rooms of the
school, underneath a series of tarps that composed our chapel. I swatted away
hordes of houseflies as I struggled to follow along with the Kinyarwanda
liturgy. Luckily, Sylius, a prominent member of the Bwera congregation, was
able to help translate most of the service for me. At the time, I was unaware
of how important this church service was to the methodology of the Bwera Model.
However, I have since come to realize
the role that religious themes and imagery play in the efficacy of this model
of development.
While the singing and dancing of the choir was undoubtedly
the most entertaining part of the service, the sermon was the most informative
and revealing. The Gospel came from Mark 12:41-44, which is the Parable of the
Widow’s Penny. In this short reading, Jesus tells his disciples how a women who
gave just 2 pennies gave more than anyone else, because those were all she had
to sustain herself. Using this verse as a starting point, Pastor George, who is
facilitating the Bwera School Project, preached about how imperative it is that
Christians give money to the church and, in this case, the school project. He
cited even more scripture, including the story of Ananias and Sapphira,[1]
a married couple who withheld some money that they were supposed to have
pledged to the church. When confronted in the temple, they died immediately.
Through the use of these passages, and a few more that elude my memory, Pastor
George sent a clear message to his congregation: although the sum is great, you
must give money to this project.
The ethical issues presented by this approach are worth
considering, however, it is worth noting that Pastor George is no televangelist
whose service more closely resembles a special offer on QVC. The money he’s
requesting is going entirely to the project, not into his pockets (I hope to be
able to speak on the accountability methods further, but not in this post). And
ultimately, this school will benefit the community, as students currently have
to travel large distances to attend school. Considering that these are primary
school students and therefore incredibly young, adding a school will vastly
improve their access to education, which according to Duflo and Bannerjee, is
one of the two most important factors to improving social status and human
security.[2]
Interestingly enough, the other factor is childhood health, which could be
improved when the people of Bwera begin to construct a health center, their
next project after the completion of the school.
And while religious themes were clearly evident in the
sermon, it is also worth noting that this school is an interfaith project, and
that Pastor George is the regional president for interfaith groups. Religion is
an important aspect of life in Rwanda, and religious authorities wield a good
deal of power. Using these power structures and local authorities to promote
development and societal progress is not only morally acceptable, it’s
effective and functionally brilliant.
