Communication for Development
Effective communication and public participation key to sustainable development: Case of Mamaila Village, Limpopo, South Africa.
Originally published in my blog www.ditshego.blogspot.com
For the past few months my life was very hectic, I did not get a chance to start writing about my views since I introduced the topic to you. If you read the Tiyani Letter you will understand what kept me busy, meeting assignments deadlines, taking care of the kids etc. Most importantly, I went away for a week to Malawi as part of the LEAD International capacity building programme, which is aimed at training future leaders for sustainable development.
The setup in Malawi, especially the Mangochi village looked familiar to me as it had characteristics of what my village (Mamaila) used to look like when I was growing up. This was the period between 1980-1995. Since then, so much has changed in my village. As a young girl I use to collect wood, water, wash my clothes in Mokgolotli river. Those were the times when the main activities in the village revolved around subsistence farming.
Today, the community setup looks like a peri-urban area. Young girls are no longer exposed to the brunt of walking long distances to collect water, wood, wash their clothes in Mokgolotli river, and guess what! there is a tar road which links the former Gazankulu and Venda home lands. I think if one looks at the changes in my community and assess them according to the Human Development Index, one can safely conclude that the community has developed. At this point I think I need to applaud the local councilors in my village for the job well done.
One can point the success of the development taking place in my community to the ability of the local councilors in engaging the community.During the 1990's there was only one primary school, situated in Setasene (section in the community were educated and middle class are mostly found in the village) , which was used by community leaders for holding mass meetings. I used to see members of the community both men and women, young and old flocking to the school. I will also know about these meetings because my uncle was a member of the committee. According to Robert Chambers in his book on rural development, putting the last first, in that kind of a setup, you will not see a poor person as they often reside towards the end of the village.
He argues that the houses next to the road are strategically located and often people staying there are educated. I agree with him as this was and still is the situation in my village. Almost all the houses in the main street have standpipes and a sewerage system in their yards, their kids have post matric qualifications; parents are employed as educators, clerks, health workers, extension officers etc. In actual fact I am one of them. I was the first girl to buy a car and within my age group, I am still the only girl owning a car.
I must also state that in my village, the councilors are able to supplement their communication strategy with the indigenous methods. This is done by targeting events such as funerals, were progress about development is given to the mass, meetings and upcoming activities involving the community are also announced. The beauty of this strategy is that information is not limited to people staying next to the main road and the educated. This is seen as an innovative way of information dissemination by the local councilors. The chief’s kraal in the village is a strategic place which is used by the councilors to disseminate information.
I hope councilors and communication practitioners in local authorities in other parts of the country will realize the value of communicating and engaging communities. This will require communicators to go back to the basics of communications, e.g. use of oral communications as opposed to print. Use of community resources as opposed to TV and internet.
The issues that I am raising here moves beyond the ability of my local councilors in engaging their constituents. Their efforts are appreciated, but one wonders as to what development entails. The fact that the village looks like a peri-urban does it mean that it is developed? If it is developed, why I'm I still the only girl owning a car? Why does the majority of girls don't have post matric qualifications? If it is developed, why do I still go to bury my peers due to HIV/AIDS. Why does the majority of households depend on pensioners for their livelihoods. What is going to happen to that family when the grandmother/father is no more?
For the past few months my life was very hectic, I did not get a chance to start writing about my views since I introduced the topic to you. If you read the Tiyani Letter you will understand what kept me busy, meeting assignments deadlines, taking care of the kids etc. Most importantly, I went away for a week to Malawi as part of the LEAD International capacity building programme, which is aimed at training future leaders for sustainable development.
The setup in Malawi, especially the Mangochi village looked familiar to me as it had characteristics of what my village (Mamaila) used to look like when I was growing up. This was the period between 1980-1995. Since then, so much has changed in my village. As a young girl I use to collect wood, water, wash my clothes in Mokgolotli river. Those were the times when the main activities in the village revolved around subsistence farming.
Today, the community setup looks like a peri-urban area. Young girls are no longer exposed to the brunt of walking long distances to collect water, wood, wash their clothes in Mokgolotli river, and guess what! there is a tar road which links the former Gazankulu and Venda home lands. I think if one looks at the changes in my community and assess them according to the Human Development Index, one can safely conclude that the community has developed. At this point I think I need to applaud the local councilors in my village for the job well done.
One can point the success of the development taking place in my community to the ability of the local councilors in engaging the community.During the 1990's there was only one primary school, situated in Setasene (section in the community were educated and middle class are mostly found in the village) , which was used by community leaders for holding mass meetings. I used to see members of the community both men and women, young and old flocking to the school. I will also know about these meetings because my uncle was a member of the committee. According to Robert Chambers in his book on rural development, putting the last first, in that kind of a setup, you will not see a poor person as they often reside towards the end of the village.
He argues that the houses next to the road are strategically located and often people staying there are educated. I agree with him as this was and still is the situation in my village. Almost all the houses in the main street have standpipes and a sewerage system in their yards, their kids have post matric qualifications; parents are employed as educators, clerks, health workers, extension officers etc. In actual fact I am one of them. I was the first girl to buy a car and within my age group, I am still the only girl owning a car.
I must also state that in my village, the councilors are able to supplement their communication strategy with the indigenous methods. This is done by targeting events such as funerals, were progress about development is given to the mass, meetings and upcoming activities involving the community are also announced. The beauty of this strategy is that information is not limited to people staying next to the main road and the educated. This is seen as an innovative way of information dissemination by the local councilors. The chief’s kraal in the village is a strategic place which is used by the councilors to disseminate information.
I hope councilors and communication practitioners in local authorities in other parts of the country will realize the value of communicating and engaging communities. This will require communicators to go back to the basics of communications, e.g. use of oral communications as opposed to print. Use of community resources as opposed to TV and internet.
The issues that I am raising here moves beyond the ability of my local councilors in engaging their constituents. Their efforts are appreciated, but one wonders as to what development entails. The fact that the village looks like a peri-urban does it mean that it is developed? If it is developed, why I'm I still the only girl owning a car? Why does the majority of girls don't have post matric qualifications? If it is developed, why do I still go to bury my peers due to HIV/AIDS. Why does the majority of households depend on pensioners for their livelihoods. What is going to happen to that family when the grandmother/father is no more?
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