Rolling out Participatory Development in Murewa
" It is the hope of SEED that together with the community we will be able to build their resilience so that they are able to absorb various shocks that they may experience"
— Dadirayi Madzima ,
SEED Programme Manager
SEED has always worked with communities, providing the tools with which people can build their own future. This year, we are extending our work further into Murewa district looking at more ways to inspire grassroots development by following the principals of participatory development.
What is Participatory Development (PD)?
PD aims to involve local actors in project planning and implementation with "the hopes that development projects will be more sustainable and successful if local populations are engaged in the development process"
How is SEED using PD in 2022?
PD remains our guiding principal as we embark on an exciting new community development project to build resilience in the Murewa district. For this latest project, we are asking the community to take the lead. Importantly, SEED is working in a new area of Murewa, (having spent 13 years in the previous district!) providing us the opportunity to measure outcomes in a relatively untouched area.
The project is underway, with the community already heavily involved in the initial steps of assessing the current capacity and capabilities of the local population. Through focus groups, participants have shared their stories, ideas and challenges. SEED has worked to ensure the focus groups are representative of the area's diverse population.
The first groups (involving around 50 people in total) highlighted concerns regarding long dry spells where there are limited water resources, changes in seasons, cattle diseases and depleting natural resources.
The participants have also been tasked with coming up with possible solutions to the issues they have identified. The groups are required to listen, learn and collaborate. Our team has facilitated the sessions to ensure everyone's voice is heard.
The team is focused on fostering equality amongst the community members by using the focus groups to create a safe space for all. Moreover, SEED is well aware that community participation is key to sustainable development. We will continue to provide further updates on this project as it progresses so watch this space!