Concept and Process of "Community Empowerment and Networking Program

Abstract

Abstract: Community Empowerment and Networking Program is an innovative approach to community development that seeks to optimize utilization of local resources and opportunities, without restriction to any specific sectors. The program was developed to effectively produce positive socioeconomic impact within target communities by maximizing synergistic effects from appropriate coordination of three functions of African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD), namely Research and Development, Training and Extension, Information Network and Documentation. During the process of program development, exhaustive reference was made to experiences from various community development programs around the world. The program targets community groups which have common interest with regard to community development, poverty reduction, and improvement of livelihoods. The purpose of the program is “to empower target communities to take an initiative in community-driven development activities towards poverty reduction”. The overall goal is “to improve the social and economic livelihoods of the target communities”. If successful, the model will be expanded to embrace more regions in East Africa and elsewhere. The program was initiated in selected regions in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in March 2006. These are referred to as “Model Regions”. The east side of Mt. Kenya including Embu, Mbeere and Tharaka districts is the model region in Kenya, while the model regions in Tanzania and Uganda are Kibaha and Mityana districts, respectively. The areas of intervention and target community groups will be identified on the basis of results of field reconnaissance in the model regions. In order to benefit the target communities, appropriate approaches for intervenention in the target community groups will be identified through participatory methods. The basic approaches include “community mobilization and participation”, “transfer of appropriate knowledge and technologies to the communities”, “addressing problems which hinder the communities from development”, “generating ideas for community development”, “planning and implementation of community development activities by communities”, “networking the participating communities for information sharing”. Other approaches could also be considered when and where required. In order to keep abreast with the needs of the communities, mechanisms for receiving inquiries and inputs from the communities will be established. The data accumulated through this program such as needs, problems and opportunities within the communities, as well as the ways of coping with them, will be stored in a database, regardless of their perceived success or failure. The information will be utilized in future when dealing with other similar cases. Specific activities in the program such as participatory community surveys, needs analysis, research implementation, training, extension, and community development, will be implemented and facilitated with the help of AICAD’s partners. These include universities, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), national and international research/training institutes, central and local governments, and private organizations/enterprises. AICAD will take the role of coordination and management of the whole program. Community coordinators will be identified from local human resources in the model regions as a channel of communication between communities and AICAD. In order to ensure the sustainability of the community development activities, local human resources such as extension workers and active farmers will be fully utilized.