Community – Based Development Organization (A case study of Greo / Gpsdo in Sebat - Bet Gurage)
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Date
2001-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Potenti als exist in a community for undertaking local development. The study therefore aims
at exploring the existence of this community potential with a view to base the findings as a
rationale to promote part icipatory community local development initiati ves and sell~reliance
or cOlllmunities in var ious regions of Ethiopia.
Many times than not the fate of development of developing countries is decided by the
·'good wi ll" of the "west". These countries, either being a colony or ot herwise attached and
entangled by ideo logical cables have their development agenda decided for them by the
ciclcloped cou ntrie s. Hence. it can be argued that the political (ideological) climate of the
··center" decides the ri se and fall of the development process in the ·'peripheri es".
Development theories propagated from the "center" to the peripheries since the 1960·s.
Experience shnwp ,> "' -.:. the successive theories presc ribed proved infertile and at some
instance completely went astray to the expected goal: where equity collided with
modernization and vice versa, the role of the state and the free market. and now the
globalization formula of unequal competition (survival of the fittest). Each development
prescription did not meet the intended purpose. It rather aggravated the development process
from worse to worst.
Considering the period 1960 - 2000, the four decades in connection with development
endeavor were yea rs of rather growing poverty, hunger. pestilence and war to developing
countries in genera l and Ethiopia in particular. The developing countries becollle price takers
as producers and sellers (of co urse agricultural products). It is still obsen-cd that the
problems are gett ing aggravated and ramified day by day. For instance. the fertilizer debt
burden in driving farmers crazy and even forces them to commit su icide.rh~ prubkm "'aus to various questions on what is "to be done?" Th is study tries to come
out with possible local measures to with stand age- old problems. fight dependency and
es tabli sh se lt~ re lian ce. Comminutes in different parts of the country can be taken as l'ocus 01'
atte nt ion to at least alleviate local development problems. The success in trying to up root the
hard pegged problems calls for an approach where by potentials of a community are pooled
together to address fe lt needs.
The conceptual frame works are designed to reflect these issues and conce rn s. Part icipation
and se lf - reliance are the two theoreti cal frame works of the study. A case st udy of an
organi zation GRCO (Gurage Roads Construction Organization) and its off shoot GPSDO
(Gu rage People Self help Development OrganizationO) is undertaken to explore cOlllmunity
potentials. The organi zations operate in SNNPR(Southern Nati ons Nationalities and peoples
rL'gion)Guragc zone.
The concept of part icipation depends on the nature, the extent. the means and the ends of
different issues or disciplines. Participatory democracy. industrial democracy. managerial
and administrative participation are issues of partic ipation forming diffe rent di sc iplines.
Part icipation can also be viewed as a process and means or each independent 01' the other.
Whatever be the implication, participation exists in an institution and structure.
This study considers an insti tution 111 a community. As such it specifically refe rs to
partici pation as {fu~. ~ttlf.-. lv./(/. (:oJ(e~(il!e. pr{i(}I.I .of (ll.tljvJ!IYf}(s. ill. {t. CJ)-'~lIP.uJ1i(y .. (0. Y!I {if!/:lq/fi!. !q(:t11.((l!y~(OjJ!I!e.I1J
l'!·(!if!~·/:\.bY.I!(!(~/{IIR ~/U!jl: f}!fl..n:IJU!f! !'~~P!/tf.;e.JJpgl}t-'l.et· Participation in my research does not negate the
explanation, as a normative concept, a statement of intent and bod ies of prescriptions
(Yeraswork Admassie. 1995:44). Indeed. intentions and prescri ptions can be understood as
processcs and actions or activ it ies to so lve community problems. The out come of the
research is a participatory community local development approach to promote se lf-reliance
~Ind chalknge dependcncy.
Self-re li ance is a co ncept. whi ch can take different perceptions tar ditlclc'nt issues 01'
disciplines In thi s study self-reliance. does not necessarily mean se lf-suffi cient. Se lf-reli ance is undl'rslO(ld :IS Ihc fcc ling of dcpcndencc on ones own self and nol on (llhers. II is
understood as a measure of achievement (local development) and creation of sel fcontidence
of a community in a participatory development initiative.
The organization of the paper is chapter I, introduction. Here I tried to ex plain the paradox of
poverty (underdevelopment) amidst plenty in Ethiopia and the causes of underd eve lopment
perta ining to developing co untries. The concept of "Community" and communit), based
dCYelopmcnts and their institutions are highli ghted. Chapter I also include the background
which tries to address development theories in general and community development in
particular. Statement of the problem, objective and scope of the study are also included
un der thi s chapter. Chapter II deal s with the conceptual frame works of th e study. whi ch is
(i) participati on (ii) Self- reliance.
Chapter III ex plains research design and methodology of the study. Primary data was
coll ected from survey( questionnaire), interviews and focus-group disscuss ions .Secondary
data was coll ected from available documents of the two organi zations considered for the
case studv. I al so rcferred other relevant documents on community and development. The
survey was conducted in Guragc zone. By multi -stage random sampling procedure IWO of
the seven woredas in "Sebat-bet Gurage" were selected. Areket and Emdeber are the twoworeda
towns of Gomar and Cheha respectively. The survey was fin ally ad mini ste red to fo ur
kebeles randomly se lected two from each woreda . Purposive sampling procedu re was
lulluwcd during interviews .
In chapter IV the rcscmch area Sebt-bet Gurage is described from economic. political and
cultural aspects. Chapter V describes the two community development organi zat ions se lected
fo r thi s study. The most important part of this study is dealt in chapter VI .Findings of the
research are di scussed in detail.lmpact assessment findings used as a measure of potenti al
(ac hi c\'cment) is also included here. Chapter VII includes summary and conclu sion includes
potential (achievement) is also included here. Chapter VII includes summary. conclusion and
recommendation.
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Keywords
Community – Based, Development Organization