Community Development,Social Welfare and Youth

Mr.Douglas Ruambo-DCDO

Introduction

 Community development department involves grassroots process by which communities become more responsible, organize and plan together, develop healthy lifestyle options, empower themselves, reduce poverty and suffering, create employment and economic opportunities, achieve social, economic, cultural and environmental goals

Community development seeks to improve quality of life. Effective community development results in mutual benefit and shared responsibility among community members. Such development recognizes: the connection between social, cultural, environmental and economic matters the diversity of interests within a community its relationship to building capacity Community development work seeks to actively engage communities in making sense of the issues which affect their lives, setting goals for improvement and responding to problems and needs through empowerment and active participation.

A good deal of the work is project based, which means that community development workers usually have a specific geographical community or social group on which to focus.

Government circular No. 11 of 2003 stipulates functions and duties of Community Development Department as follows:

1. To enable the communities to identify, plan and assess the development plans and  initiatives
2. To motivate the communities  to do away with the outdated norms which hinder the overall aimed socio-economic development
3. To sensitize the communities  to change their outlook towards poverty reduction initiatives
4. Encouraging participation in activities; Increase the attitude towards self-help  initiatives
5. To assist groups and individuals engaged in production endeavors.
6. To sensitize the communities  on   Community  Development and Social welfare  issues,   women   and children, youths, the disabled, old  aged, capacity  building  to  communities,  self-help  initiatives,  the  use  of appropriate  and  affordable  technologies, economic groups  formation  and  development  and  the  issues  of  the  Most  Vulnerable  Children (MVC) as  well as on  the establishment and  development  of  rural building brigades groups
7. To  implement, coordinate, monitor  and supervise the Department  activities  in  collaboration  with all  development  partners  at  District,  Regional, National  and  International  levels
8. To collaborate with  NGOs,  CBOs  and  FBOs  and all stakeholders  on  Development  and Social Welfare issues so as to  raise the standard  of  living  and for better  life
9. To oversee  the implementation of  FDC  activities and duties  and  provide technical  support  to  the  same
10. To  enhance  on  the social  functions,  employment  opportunities  to  youths  and  poverty  reduction  processes
11. Overall  supervision  of  the sector  roles   in  the  District   through  Community  Development   Staff
12. Preparing reports and policies; Planning, attending and coordinating meetings and events; Attend   District  Council  meetings  and  give   recommendations with advisory  services  to   DED
13. To  collect  relevant  data  on  basic  information:  Orphans,  disabled,  widows, PLHAs,  Old   Aged  people,  OVC,  youths  and  women  in   development
14. To  facilitate  the  Folk  Development  College,   NGOs,  CBOs  and  FBOs  in  the  development   endeavors  in  the   District
15. To  sensitize  the   communities   on   gender  mainstreaming  and  other development   issues   with much  concern  on  gender   sensitivity, self  help  initiatives,  SACCOS   formation  and   promotion/development  in  collaboration  with  all  development  partners   and  stakeholders
16. To  sensitize  the  communities  on  the  fight  against   HIV/AIDS   and  corruption  in  collaboration  with  all  development  partners
17. To  continuously  sensitize   and   involve  the  communities  in   the  issues  concerned  with  Child   Survival,   Protection   and   Development  (CSPD)
18. To   enhance   community  participation  and  involvement   in  development  issues   for  the  total  development  of   all 
19. Identifying community skills, assets, issues and needs;
20. Ensuring that local people have their say; Developing new resources in dialogue with the community and evaluating existing programmes;
21. Building links with other groups and agencies; Helping to raise public awareness on issues relevant to the community; Raising and managing funds;
22. Developing and implementing strategies; Liaising with interested groups and individuals to set up new services;
23. Mediating in matters of conflict;
24. Recruiting and training paid and voluntary staff;
25. Overseeing the management of a limited budget;
26. Challenging inappropriate behavior.