The first few months and years of marriage can feel like hard work, it’s often said. Once the festivities have died down you have to learn to work as a team and accommodate each other’s wishes and foibles. It was no different for Samuel and Marie* from Makeni in Sierra Leone. Thankfully, they had a helping hand...
The newlyweds rented a small, single room in the village. However, it was clear all was not well in their world; they were soon being described as argumentative by their neighbours. It was a tough time for the couple. They struggled to make ends meet and their relationship became more and more strained.
‘Life was tough and we had a poor relationship,’ says Samuel. ‘We never used to plan together.’
The pair regularly attended the local church, and it was there that they received help to turn things around. Tearfund and local partner organisation, NEHADO, helped to launch the process known as Church and Community Transformation (CCT) in their church. As part of this, the church ran a series of participatory bible studies that enable churches to unlock their God-given power and potential.
