The role of the churches in development: a case study of the National council of churches of Kenya and Kenya Episcopal Conference participation in Kangemi, Mathare and Mukuru areas In Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The subject of poverty and development in Third World countries has become an issue of concern in the world today. Development in Africa and indeed, in Kenya, has had a downward trend due to economic social and political crisis such as drought,famine and political instabilities such as civil wars and coups. Other problems that African countries experience are rapid population growth rates, rapid urbanization, rural-urban migration, hence, we find some people living in poverty at the fringes of major cities in Africa, what is known as "slums". For example, Nairobi has an urbanization rate of 7.5% annually. In Nairobi, these people experience problems usually associated with poverty such as lack of proper sanitation, poor and sub-standard housing, poor sewage system, unemployment, low income, lack of educational opportunities for children, lack of clean drinking water, disease, poor nutrition and health, proper medical care and overcrowding. The church has often been accused of ignoring the physical and material aspect of man and merely interested in their spiritual well-being and spreading the Gospel.But, the church has a new mission of having a preference for the poor which is usually called "option for the poor", and helping them to lead a more dignified way of life, by uplifting their standard of living through various development programmes that deal with providing education opportunities to children, providing medical care, training the youth, organizing women into self-help groups starting small-scale businesses for people by providing financial assistance and the know-how.The main objective of this study, therefore is to examine the role of the NCCK and KEC in alleviating urban poverty by participating in socio-economic activities in Mathare, Kangemi and Mukuru areas of Nairobi and in doing so, improving people's physical well-being. This shall be done by collecting data from various groups of people who are involved in particular development project and those who have benefited from them. We shall also test the hypotheses that the NCCK and KEC have always been involved in development programmes .This shall be done through interviews, questionnaire, participant observation methods of research. A lot of library research shall also be used. Chapter one is the introduction to the whole study whereby the objectives, methodology, significance of study, literature review, hypotheses and theoretical framework shall be discussed. In Chapter two, the various theories related to development as have been propounded by various schools of development debate and scholars will be examined.In Chapter three, the problems related to development will be studied. These are problems such as poverty, population growth, urbanization and migration. Chapter four is an analysis made from the data that has been collected through the various methods mentioned earlier. Chapter five will concentrate on the structures, history and most important the various development programmes that the NCCK and KEC are involved in and finally Chapter six will be an evaluation and conclusions that can be made on the role of the NCCK and KEC in alleviating urban poverty .