An assessment of the extent of empowerment through community participation : a Kwazulu-Natal rural development comparison

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The aim of this study was to assess the extent of the relevance and success of theempowerment model in facilitating and promoting rural development in SouthAfrica. The assumption was that through active participation communities are ableto gain control over their lives and are empowered to promote developmentsuccessfully.In undertaking this study, the researcher initially reviewed literature on ruraldevelopment, and thereafter presented and discussed various developmentmethodologies used for realising community development, participation andempowerment.Three case studies selected for an indepth study were distinguishable as follows:the first case that could be regarded as finished and unsuccessful, the second onethat could be classified as finished and successful, and the third one that couldbe labelled as new and ongoing with respect to rural development projects in therespective communities. A comparative analysis of the three case studies wasundertaken with the purpose of establishing the success and failure in theprojects designed to enhance community development and participation.The study shows quite clearly that development projects do not operate in avacuum but are components of national, social and economic development policies, strategies and programmes for which governments often bear somedegree of final responsibility. The success of development projects depends to alarge extent on a number of issues, of which community participation andempowerment are the most important. Unless the community actively identifiesitself with the project or at the least is involved from day one, in the decisionmakingprocess of the proposed project, it will be very difficult, if not impossibleto achieve the project's developmental objectives.On the basis of the empirical findings, it was revealed that the prerequisites for asuccessful community development project depend on:a) the encouragement of active involvement, community participationand empowerment of communities for the purpose of enabling them tomeet their needs, problems and aspirations;b) the completion in full of the cycle of the development methodology;c) the identification and handling of obstacles in the development cycleas the project unfolds to successful completion;d) the promotion of a facilitative role with regard to capacity buildingand skills transfer by development personnel; ande) the development of capacity for communities to take control overevents influencing their lives (e.g. knowledge, skills, information,networks and support structures to mention a few).In conclusion, it is stressed that the development of people as individuals and ascollective groups was central to community development. In doing so, a shiftwhich placed heavy emphasis on resource management and service delivery tocapacity building and skills transfer has to take place in order to promotedevelopment and social change, making communities progressively minded,desirous of improving their living conditions and capable of doing so throughadopting a co-operative way of life for promoting group interests of thecommunity as a whole.From the lessons learned in this study it was shown that the process of ruraldevelopment can be promoted in a successful manner through the empowermentmodel which stresses community involvement and participation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University