Tanzania: Role of NGOs in Community Development

COMMUNITY development entails the provision of infrastructural facilities to the people. The provision of these social amenities can be attained through a number of ways and/ or organizations which includes, the government, community development associations, Non Governmental Organisations.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are non-governmental, nonprofit making and self-governing, set out to ameliorate the plight of the people in dare need of life sustaining facilities in the society. For that matter, a number of these NGOs are into various aspects of community development such as: community mobilization, environment, health and sanitation awareness creation, promotion of child’s rights law, promotion of sexuality and reproductive health education and fight against child labour and human trafficking etc.

Some of the NGOs are selffinancing that is why banks like NBC are trying to support them financially so that they reach the community with development goals. In some cases, some are Donor agencies which include: World Bank, European Union and some individuals, all with the same purpose of supporting the host government to address challenges in the community.

In general, the Non-Governmental Organization is a positive approach to rural development that is why it is suggested that they should as a matter of necessity collaborate with each other, in order to have their efforts fully appreciated by majority of those in need of their services. With community development, there can be multiple forces and sources of action to implement changes and improvements.

A community seeking to improve itself is not limited to what is directly within its reach. It is possible for the average citizen to be the primary participant in the community development process, but they often have help from larger groups within and outside of the community.

While this can include the government assistance, it also includes community-based organizations. This can bring the questionWhat Are Community-Based Organizations? Community-based organizations, or CBOs, are local non-profit groups that works to generate improvements within a community on the local level.

They are basically the community development process in the form of a formal organization. They are usually locally formed, locally staffed, and their actions are specific to the location they operate in.

Most CBOs are mainly volunteer organizations, with few paid positions as most of their funding is delegated towards completing the group’s objectives.

Their local status also means that they may be limited in what resources they have access to, depending on the geographical location of the CBO and the community it serves.

Since they are so localized, a CBO is only going to tackle issues within the community they operate in. This does not mean that CBOs only focus on minor things; large scale issues like crime and poverty are common areas of interest for CBOs.

These groups are free to look at issues that exist outside of their community that are affecting the community itself, but they will just look at how those issues impact things within that particular space. In some instances, a CBO may collaborate on an issue outside of its community with another CBO.

This usually happens when there is some overlap in regards to their areas of interest, such as shared geographic boundaries between the two communities. They may also look at how a larger issue is being handled in other communities and by other CBOs in order to find guidance or alternative solutions. Otherwise, it will remain within a specific community and not venture outside of it.

It should be noted that will most CBOs are considered to be a type of non-profit and may operate similarly, they are not the same thing. Non-profits are usually large operations that have a particular area of focus and methodology that they are addressing through multiple projects and actions.

A CBO is far more limited, usually handling a single project pertaining to an area of focus purely within the community they are present in. Aside from the collaboration exception mentioned previously, a CBO will not exist outside of the community they act in.

They can be a part of or connected to a larger organization like a regular non-profit, but they will not act as a branch of that organization outside of their geographic focus.2 This does not mean that communities going through the community development process are limited to working with either a CBO or a larger nonprofit; they can work with both if they so choose.

What role do CBOs play in community development? Within community development, CBOs tend to serve primarily as the middleman for resources and actions. Many larger groups, like non-profits, and intersecting communities use CBOs as a way of interacting with those who are already at work on issues within the community.

A CBO is often how volunteers find public service projects that they can participate in, as CBOs tend to be in the thick of things within the community. In a way, an established CBO can attract and filter resources necessary for the community development process.

CBOs also have a role in community development as the public voice of the community. One of the best features of a CBO, due to their localized focus, is that it is a wealth of information regarding the issues it is focused on within the community.

They highlight issues that need to be addressed and then include every relevant piece of data regarding those issues for those that will be working on them. This includes details about what is wrong in the community, what should be done to remedy the situation, what needs to be done, the resources available, and the effects the issue is having on the community.

For anyone who is attempting to instigate the community development process in their community, including a CBO in the process can help make things go smoothly. Universal Class

By Daily News.