Maddie - Update 6: Empowerment

Journal prompt: Is empowerment easy? Why or why not?

No. Empowerment is extremely difficult. It requires the element of education, and everyone can agree that education takes time.

In order to empower someone you need to have an in-person relationship, one where trust and vulnerability reign. This allows the problem to be located and education prep to begin. Once there is information compiled in a way that can be understood and taught, the education begins. There is no hardset rule of how long this will take, but there needs to be an end. Once it is complete, the educator is required to encourage the learner to implement the knowledge and then ensure they do it.

Empowerment is a really hard process, but it leaves the recipients equipped to take care of themselves. I have seen empowerment on this trip and I am so thankful for the impact I have witnessed.

I have even been a part of empowering a few East African leaders (Ruth, Jeremiah, Rita, and Simon) to lead/manage the focus group portion of a SLAM service week. It was hard and required more time and effort than if I had just handled the responsibilities myself. BUT the reward of seeing all four of them able to handle the SLAM focus group process was unmatched. Empowerment is worth it.