DEC’ PROGRAMME ON COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION, EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.
The unit in her community mobilization, participation, empowerment and development programme carried out the following activities:
Preliminary visits to stakeholders in five (5) new communities
Held meetings with 25 member delegates selected from each of the five (5) new communities.
Monitoring visits to on-going community Development projects.
Formation of Project Implementation Committee members in the five (5) new communities
The programme officer in charge of community Development carried preliminary visits to the five new communities. This visit was aimed at intimating stake holders on community Development programme of DEC Enugu. The Stake holders include the Igwe, Town union members, women leaders, church and youth leaders.
Awareness on modalities from the programme through self-help initiatives were created.
At the end, the communities were notified on the next plan of action, which includes having meeting with the 25 delegates selected from Igwe’s cabinet, town union, women leaders, youths and church groups (5 representatives from each of this group).
As a follow-up, the Programme officer was able to organize this meeting in each of these five (5) communities successfully. During the meeting, the 25 member delegates selected were all present and the programme officer explained what DEC Assisted Community Development programme is all about, its modalities and strategies and how they can participate in such a programme where individual communities are sensitized and empowered into initiating a viable community Development project to enable them have a positive change in their standard of living.
All the stake holders welcomed this idea and thanked DEC Enugu for reaching out to them with such a rare programme for their communities.
They also promised to follow-up all the strategies and format required of them to make sure that they do not loose the opportunity given to them. The Programme officer also uses the opportunity to get a baseline information on each of the community developmental status-using questionnaire as a tool. At the end, the next meeting on formation of Project Implementation Committee (PIC) was scheduled.
The five communities however, had formed their PIC members, which the Programme Officer in charge attended during the event. During the event, community members were there especially women leaders, church leaders, and youth leaders etc. Each village were represented during the formation and the formation was based on people who are transparent, committed, hardworking, sincere, trustworthy, enlightened and educated and above all must be community based. At the end, 20 – 25 Project Implementation Committee members were formed in each of these communities who will work towards the execution of each identified project. Each of the members accepted to do the work for their community.
Nonetheless, needs priotization and identification were also conducted during the meetings, their needs were listed and priotized by the community members and the most needed project was identified. Some key factors were considered before finally identifying the need such as their strength, weakness opportunities and threats towards the execution of the identified need. At last, the following communities identified the following needs; - Umuavulu Abor - Maternity / Health culture Affa - Seasonal grading of Access road to their Community Ogboli-Awgu - Rehabilitation of water borehole Owo - Construction of classroom Block
Later, a one-day capacity building workshop was organized for project taskforce members at DEC headquarters’ in Enugu. The workshop which was on group dynamics and community mobilization strategies was meant for 5 project task force members each from the 5 selected communities. The aim was to educate these leaders on how to mobilize their communities effectively, manage conflicts in their communities when such arises encourage equal participation in community project. They were taught on key elements of project monitoring the Project Implementation Committee members of each community discussed their bill of quantities with DEC officer. The participants were happy because they have realized that with training and education, they can make a positive change in their lives and the lives of the community in general.
As a follow-up, the Umuavulu Abor (D&G) women has started on their own identified project Health Centre and had completed the Flooring stage and had reached the window level in their construction (see picture attached).
The Chidera (D&G) women group, Affa had been able to raise funds through levies and fines and are ready to take off with their identified project.
However, DEC has realized her ambition in Affa community, this is because the women has succeeded in pressurizing the Chairman of their local government Area into starting off the grading of the access road they had earlier planned to embark upon. This is a big achievement on DEC side and DEC will continue to act as the unseen motivator that enhances the women or any community based organization to demand for their rights through serious negotiations and series of visits, reminders and memos to authorities concerned.
The women can now use their limited funds for other felt need of the women in their community and not access road for the meantime.
On the Ede-Oballa on-going health centre project, they have completed the second stage of the project, which includes, electricity wiring, plumbing, construction of metals for windows and doors. These works had been done and completed (see picture attached below).
The, Umunna Ogene Civic Centre project is still in progress. The women had finished plastering and are putting windows and doors. They plan to commission the project.
(See picture attached below).
