COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Assignment 1:
■ Exercise: Depending upon our backgrounds and experiences, community development may mean a
variety of things. What does it mean to you? Use the space provided to write down your definition of
community development.

 It’s a planned and organized effort to assist communities to acquire the attitude, skills,
and concepts required for them to actively participate in the solutions necessary for the
development and improvement of their lives and livelihoods. It is a concerted effort
involving the community itself, and their self-driven initiatives.
 It can also be defined as a process in which a group of people with common goals and
objectives improves their social, economic, and political environment by working
together. It involves the development of an enlightened group free from ignorance,
poverty, and disease.
■ Exercise: What are some of the unmet needs in your community?

 I come from an ASAL area that has of late suffered the devastation of climate change
specifically affecting food security and impacting negatively on health and nutrition.
Additionally, because of a lack of jobs/conducive environment for youths to work, they
have resorted to high alcohol intake and crime. For me, these are the unmet needs of my
community;
o Lack of water for domestic use
o Lack of smart farming knowledge and extension officers to empower the
community with the right skills.
o Lack of jobs for the youths leading to alcoholism and crime
o Lack of food
o Lack of infrastructure-specifically, good roads
■ Exercise: What assets do you and your group bring to the table?

 Community indigenous skills and knowledge

 Land to construct water dams
 Casual laborers.