Methodological choice and application in participatory community organizing for rural development: frame work for rural development practitioners in developing countries

Nana Adu-Pipim Boaduo

Senior Lecturer: Walter Sisulu University, Faculty of Education – School of Continuing Professional Teacher Development and Associate Researcher: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Centre for Development Support (Bloemfontein Campus) and Lecturer: Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum Studies (Qwaqwa Campus) University of the Free State: South Africa

Email: pipimboaduo@live.co.za

Accepted 24 September, 2012

Abstract

Rural community development has become one of the most important preoccupations of African governments. This is because most of the people in African countries live in rural areas. In most of the literature on rural community development consulted the discussions focus on theories, macro-strategies and paradigms that have not been practically tried and tested in a selected rural setting in Africa. The micro-strategies, which respond to the exact needs of the rural communities, are left unattended to. Governments in Botswana, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have structured policies that can help to usher in successful rural community development projects. Unfortunately, the bases of the success of rural community development and community organizing have not been given prominent attention in the policy documentations of these governments. This oversight makes it impossible to achieve the set objectives for rural community development. This paper sketches the basis for effective community organizing and provides a list of characteristics of rural community development initiatives in an attempt to provide a methodological framework which will enable rural community development practitioners to identify, make informed development project choices and add some progressive initiatives in rural community development in Africa to raise the aspirations of rural communities.

Keywords: methodological choice, framework, participatory community organizing, rural development, developing countries, community development projects, rural community.