This refers to a process through which the mitigation capacities of communities are strengthened with the main focus of empowering them to take a lead role in addressing their own developmental challenges. This is done through phases using a variety of participatory tools. The PICD phases include;-
- Attitude change phase – which helps the community move away from donor dependency and become self reliant.
- Data gathering phase which helps the community to realize and explore their own potential in regard to their developmental gaps.
Drawing of a community map
- Planning phase – this helps the community to effectively get involved in planning and eventually own their projects.
- Resource Mobilization phase – This helps the community to identify other development partners within and outside their communities for collaboration and gathering resources for the identified projects.
- Implementation Phase - here the community take a lead role in implementing their already planned activities.
Empowered women taking a lead in community projects.
This entire process ensures sustainability and ownership of community development initiatives.
Community Capacity Enhancement (CCE)
This refers to a concept that uses Community Conversation as an approach for promoting dialogue amongst community members. It is as means of mitigating HIV related problems. The different levels in this process include;
- Relationship building - In this level the value for knowing each other is stressed upon. This helps the participants in a particular forum to open up and participate more freely in a given discussion. This is usually a continuous process
- Concern Identification - at this level, the participants identify and prioritise an issue of concern to be explored.
- Concern Exploration - The participants in a given forum carry on with a deeper discussion on the identified issue and given opportunity start creating linkages.
- Action - The participants come up with strategies for addressing the identified concerns and mobilize resources for implementation.
- Reflection and Review - the communities take their time to revisit their actions and assess impact it has created of which they make further recommendations on necessary adjustments.
This whole process grants the communities a great opportunity to effectively interact and further dialogue on pertinent issues on HIV/AIDS that affects them.
AKADO MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE STORY
NEW DAWN FOR COMMUNITY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Akado community has been one of the villages within Central Kolwa, Winam Division, Kisumu East District which had been forgotten in terms of development initiatives. This is mainly due to the fact that, the community members in this village were never aggressive even to participate in most development initiatives spearheaded in this location. Over the years initiatives have so far been characterized by low community participation and involvement. This had been a major factor that has enhanced underdevelopment in the community.
Akado village happened to be one of the villages identified for piloting of the PICD process. The process was then initiated though a number of major challenges were experienced including low turn out in community meetings, falling off of the village elders and their cronies among others. These challenges made it more difficult to implement PICD since the handful of people who remained were majorly women. At some point KMET considered the option of withdrawing completely from the village but the team working in that village sought a second chance. This granted KMET an opportunity to change strategy to enhance community participation and involvement.
One of the early captions depicting participation of the community in PICD process
With an increased community participation in the PICD process, the other levels/stages went on smoothly without any hitch. Some of the most significant changes which could be easily depicted were the fact that despite absence of the village elders and his cronies, through attitude change, community members realized their potential and got motivated to move on without their presence in their midst.
A section of community members during one of the PICD meetings after change of strategy team in community involvement and participation
After successful completion of the PICD process, the able committee established has been putting in efforts to implement what had been stated in the action plans. A community which used to be overlooked upon has now turned to be one that can follow-up their action plan. A community self help group has currently been legally registered with an overall mandate of pushing forward the development agenda of the community. The established Siwalo self help group has so far managed to create linkages with KMET, Anglican Development Services- Nyanza (formerly IDCCS), SCC VI Agro forestry, Osienala, Concern Worldwide among others.
In a close working relationship with KMET, Siwalo Self Help has managed to enroll its members to the Revolving Loan Fund in which a total of 20people have already benefited from loaning scheme for economic empowerment since it’s inception. This started small with the officials of the group putting a condition that those who completed the PICD process be given the first priority. This they said was to serve as a reward to such people and more so to grant them an opportunity to demonstrate to the rest best practices leant during the PICD process. This has eventually grown and the membership of Siwalo is currently growing at an alarming rate, with the members ready to share various skills learnt to the incoming members. The group has also initiated linkage with KMET SACCO in pursuit of entrepreneurial skill.
Through good leadership, Siwalo has benefited twice from Anglican Development Services - Nyanza formerly IDCCS. These have been Training of 23 community health workers and eventual formation of 4 Support Groups. The members of the various support groups were further trained on dairy goat keeping before receiving donation of dairy goats from the same. “Thanks to KMET for opening our eyes, we can now effectively explore our potentials for sustainable community development”, said Mama Siprina (member Siwalo) as she attends to the goats donated to her support group. In total, the organization has donated 6 dairy goats shared among 4 support groups within the village.
Mama Siprina attending to the dairy goats donated to her support group
. Apart from KMET Revolving Loan Fund, Siwalo Self Help also initiated community table-banking. This was initiated with a view of enhancing close interaction among community members through temporary joint savings and shares in a bid to sort out their economic challenges. This had also been well received and the number currently is overwhelming and they are looking forward to initiate them in cohorts as away of management.
“Above all, PICD process has greatly improved interactions among community members since, we currently have established common forums where we meet and share our developmental challenges. Much thanks to the KMET staffs who were not demoralized by low community participation in the early stages of PICD”. Benard Otieno, Chaiman, Siwalo Self Help Group
Benard, Siwalo Chairman attending to the donated dairy goats while Mama Siprina looks on
Conclusion
The story was rated as being one of those that express most significant changes sine it touched on the transformational change of the people of Akado community. This seemingly has been tried through a number of approaches put in place by other players which didn’t prove to work yet here it is quite evident that PID process worked miracles in this community.
