Short Abstract

Faith-based community-led evaluation in rural Rwanda shows how spiritual leadership and participatory methods bridge the gap between data and action, empowering families and fostering sustainable development.

Description

Title: Bridging Faith and Evaluation: A Community-Led Approach to Action in Rural Rwanda

This presentation shares a practical model of how faith and evaluation can work hand-in-hand to drive real action in rural communities. In Rwanda, many people deeply trust faith leaders. As both a pastor and a trained evaluator, I led a community-based evaluation project that used this trust to create lasting change.

Our focus was on key development areas: family well-being, youth engagement, household income, and gender equality. We used participatory methods like focus groups, storytelling, and community mapping to collect insights. These tools respected local culture and spiritual values, making people feel safe and involved.What made this approach different is how we turned results into action. Instead of just writing reports, we shared findings in churches and community meetings. People were inspired to act. Some started savings groups, others began small businesses, and parents began peer-learning sessions to support one another. This faith-integrated evaluation model shows that involving trusted community leaders makes evaluation more impactful. It encourages ownership and faster response to challenges. It also reminds us that evaluation doesn't have to be technical or distant—it can be simple, people-centered, and transformative

We’ll share lessons, successes, and challenges, offering insights for others working in faith-based or rural contexts