Sustainable development:
partnering, not providing
When people trapped in the cycle of poverty describe their experience, they often focus on how they feel. Words like shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness are common.
If E3 were to enter these communities with handouts and a predetermined development agenda, it would only reinforce those feelings – stripping people of dignity rather than empowering them. While direct aid is crucial in emergencies like floods, droughts, and earthquakes, sustainable development requires a different approach.
That’s why E3 pursues “development with the people”.
We recognise that local communities have their own strengths, abilities, and resources, and they understand their needs better than anyone. They are the best architects of their own development, and E3 comes alongside local partners to offer support – whether through training, funding, mentoring, prayer, or friendship. Our role is not to save people but to empower them.
When a community owns a project, it is far more likely to succeed in the long term. Sustainable transformation happens from within, bringing dignity, hope, and real empowerment. No outsider can fully understand what a community needs or what will work best.
Participation in the process is just as important as the outcome. E3 works closely with its partners to help them assess local needs, create responsive plans, and refine strategies. Equipping and training partners is a key part of this process. Additionally, E3 encourages partners to review activities regularly and apply for E3 grants annually, ensuring consistent monitoring and lasting impact.
Materially poor, but spiritually rich
Although they may be materially poor, many of the people we meet in E3 partner communities are spiritually rich. Unlike those in the West, who often take material comforts for granted, these communities rely on God for everything – literally their daily bread. Their faith is deeply rooted in trust, resting in God’s sovereignty to sustain them each day.
While we can support and empower communities to break the cycle of poverty, we also have much to learn from their unshakable faith and resilience. True community transformation happens through partnership, not charity, and addresses practical, emotional, and spiritual needs. The local churches and faith-based organisations we work with are uniquely positioned to provide this holistic support, as we work together to create lasting change and bring eternal hope.