What is CHE?
CHE (Community Health Empowerment) is a ministry model for equipping churches to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. The CHE model was pioneered in southern Uganda during the mid-1980s and has spread to over 90 countries. In other countries, it is sometimes known under different names, such as Community Health Evangelism or Christian Health Ambassadors.
The CHE model utilizes an effective adult education method that is discussion-based and catered to learners who may not know how to read. This method is taught to community/church volunteers who become Trainers of others in their communities. The key principles of the ministry are:
By teaching church volunteers how to teach others, and helping them lead their communities through their own local needs assessments, communities receive teaching based on their own perceived learning needs. The CHE Trainers are connected by the ministry coordinators to a database of over 5,000 lessons, on physical topics such as hygiene, nutrition, malaria prevention, improved agricultural techniques, microbusiness, and spiritual topics such as the core gospel message, living a Spirit-filled life, love and forgiveness, strategy for marital faithfulness, parenting youth, and more.
In CHE, we do not teach physical lessons simply to make people open to hearing about Jesus. We truly believe that communities will remain pulled down into poverty unless all of the destructive physical and spiritual roots are addressed - from lack of knowledge about disease theory, to bondage in shame and fear. We believe that good health is rooted in restoration of healthy relationships between people, with the environment, within oneself, and with God.
Because of the multiplication structure of the CHE model, CHE can continue indefinitely for years after the initial training phase is completed, with very little outside inputs. It is a truly sustainable and locally owned ministry.
The CHE model utilizes an effective adult education method that is discussion-based and catered to learners who may not know how to read. This method is taught to community/church volunteers who become Trainers of others in their communities. The key principles of the ministry are:
- Multiplication through the training of Trainers
- Integration of physical and spiritual teaching
- Local needs assessment and decision-making
- Formation of mentorship structures that facilitate discipleship
By teaching church volunteers how to teach others, and helping them lead their communities through their own local needs assessments, communities receive teaching based on their own perceived learning needs. The CHE Trainers are connected by the ministry coordinators to a database of over 5,000 lessons, on physical topics such as hygiene, nutrition, malaria prevention, improved agricultural techniques, microbusiness, and spiritual topics such as the core gospel message, living a Spirit-filled life, love and forgiveness, strategy for marital faithfulness, parenting youth, and more.
In CHE, we do not teach physical lessons simply to make people open to hearing about Jesus. We truly believe that communities will remain pulled down into poverty unless all of the destructive physical and spiritual roots are addressed - from lack of knowledge about disease theory, to bondage in shame and fear. We believe that good health is rooted in restoration of healthy relationships between people, with the environment, within oneself, and with God.
Because of the multiplication structure of the CHE model, CHE can continue indefinitely for years after the initial training phase is completed, with very little outside inputs. It is a truly sustainable and locally owned ministry.
CHE in Northern Uganda
Emmanuel International has partnered with the Kitgum Diocese (Anglican church partner) in Northern Uganda.
Originally, a 5-year agreement, which began in January 2012, was signed to train a core of CHE Trainers in each of the 9 administrative areas of the Kitgum Diocese, an area of Northern Uganda that has a total population of just over 900,000 people. The Kitgum Diocese is the largest Diocese Uganda, and covers 4 government districts; namely Kitgum, Lamwo, Agago, and Pader.
In 2015, the leadership of the ministry was handed over to the Diocese of Kitgum. Since that time, it has been overseen by Venerable Reverend Canon Patrick Gerishom Labanya, who is also serving as the Parish Priest of Mucwini Parish. In 2017, the office of the CHE Coordinator was moved from Pader Town to the Diocesan Headquarters in Kitgum. This has increased the level of autonomy of the ministry.
It became evident as the training progressed that more than 5 years would be needed to achieved the intended target. Currently, 6 of the 9 administrative areas have been fully trained, and training is ongoing in the seventh area. The work is led by the Diocese and funded by Emmanuel International, however financial support of the ministry will be phased over to the Diocese in the coming years.
Originally, a 5-year agreement, which began in January 2012, was signed to train a core of CHE Trainers in each of the 9 administrative areas of the Kitgum Diocese, an area of Northern Uganda that has a total population of just over 900,000 people. The Kitgum Diocese is the largest Diocese Uganda, and covers 4 government districts; namely Kitgum, Lamwo, Agago, and Pader.
In 2015, the leadership of the ministry was handed over to the Diocese of Kitgum. Since that time, it has been overseen by Venerable Reverend Canon Patrick Gerishom Labanya, who is also serving as the Parish Priest of Mucwini Parish. In 2017, the office of the CHE Coordinator was moved from Pader Town to the Diocesan Headquarters in Kitgum. This has increased the level of autonomy of the ministry.
It became evident as the training progressed that more than 5 years would be needed to achieved the intended target. Currently, 6 of the 9 administrative areas have been fully trained, and training is ongoing in the seventh area. The work is led by the Diocese and funded by Emmanuel International, however financial support of the ministry will be phased over to the Diocese in the coming years.