After being in the community for almost seven months, it is now time to focus on the project implementation phase. This is a crucial moment for any CorpsAfrica Volunteer as it requires all your effort together with the community to make informed decisions on how you can go about it. This stage involves gathering community contributions, which is not a job for the faint-hearted. At first, the community was already bringing in-kind contributions during my integration phase as they thought that my presence in this community meant that the project would commence as soon as possible. It took a lot of understanding that we were finally on the same page with the community members. Reaching this stage I have gained much-needed experience that will propel all my future endeavors as experience is the best teacher. I have had my ups and downs but that does not outrule my contribution to the community.
As already stated, together with the community we are now about to gather funds for the waiting shelter that we are about to construct. The community is very dedicated as we have been working hand in hand to make our plans a success. The office has also supported us through the training that was being offered to us simply to gain knowledge on how we can go about it in the community. So far the community has concluded its pledge to provide 10% of our total budget in cash with an addition of 15% in kind so that we can make our dream of having a waiting shelter a reality. This structure is very important to the community members and to me as well as it has set my career on the right path, as a development enthusiast, I have great passion for the work that I am doing together with my community and I am hopeful that upon its completion this project will have a great impact on the lives of the people in my community.
One point I am glad about is how the people organized themselves to make contributions so that this project could be approved. Another this you can notice is that for this project to be approved the community has to fulfill their contribution, since this is community-led development the community has to play a big role in making their dream come true. This has also given me a reflection that for community development to take shape we shouldn’t always depend on external support as people in the community can control, lead, and support their community initiatives. One thing that the community can source externally is the activation of this capacity. Utilizing community assets can be a step towards achieving community development.
In conclusion, we can say that when people are really in need of a project of higher impact, they can always come together despite other differences that can set them apart. A community goal should surpass these differences so that we can have a developed community that will in turn contribute to a developed country. A bottom-up approach is one way of achieving development in this country.
