The Role of Community Based Institutions in Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development The Experience of Agri-Service Ethiopia, Laomama Medir Wereda, North Showa
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Date
2007-06
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Addis Abeba university
Abstract
This study was conducted in lalomama medir wereda, north shoa zone, Amhara National
Regional State. The study was undertaken to investigate the role of local community based
institutions in enhancing sustainable rural development with special emphasis on lalomama
medir wereda community based institution.
Through focus discussion, key informant interview, semi structured interview and survey
methods, data were collected from the sample kebele representatives and government sector
offices and analyzed.
The findings of this research reveal that Lalomama medir wereda community based in stitution is
a not-far-profit peasant's institution. It is exclusively peasants' membership organization that was
established to maintain the problems solved and to solve the unsolved problems with new
initiatives thereby forming vanguard for the efforts to sustain. It was initiated by Agri-service
Ethiopia (ASE), and established in 2004 by the peasants who were program targets. It got legal
personality from zonal justice office, an authorized government institution to register a not-for
profit organizations.
The study results indicate that the action groups that were arranged to carry out different project
activities were organizational foundation of the Lalomama medir wereda community based
institution. Evidences indicate that the action groups vanished with the formation of Kebele
institutions which later established wereda institution. The institution has three levels of
governance structures. The highest governance level is the general assembly. This is the body
that decides on policy issues, elects the board of management and audit and control
committees. The board of management is the second higher body. The lower level is led by
executive committee members. The study reveals that places in the leadership position are held
by democratic election on the basis of one vote one man principle. However, women are not
equally represented with men in the leadership positions of kebele executive committees.
Absence of rural craftsmen-potters, blacksmiths, carpenters etc., from the positions of leadership
at all levels seems also to constrain equal representation of the leadership.
Many valuable things that are of impinging impact on the lives of the community are intended by
the institution in the area. Enhancing agricultural productivity thereby providing improved seeds,
diversification of livelihood portfolio-vegetable, chicken, sheep and creating enabling
environment for members to earn additional income are viable agricultural economic activities
that are undertaken. Empirical evidence shows that 5894 members of the institution were served
with different agricultural inputs of which 494 quintals of wheat were provided to 2276
households. 200 women were provided with pullets and cockerels. The women who were
provided with chickens responded that they are able to cover their daily expenditure for petty
household consumptions and in effect ewnomically empowered. They also indicated that it has
in addition raised their negotiation power as a result of which their role of decision on household
issues is recognized by their husbands. Moreover, maintenance of schools, taking care of both
human and livestock health, endeavors to curb the spread and effect of HI VIA IDS, creation of
employment opportunity, offering of capacity enhancement training to members and other
stakeholders, and rehabilitation of natural resources seem vital contribution of the institution to
development of the wereda.
The institution however, appears to face many challenges. Firstly, it appears to have a marked
budget shortage. Members' contribution is absolutely meager and seems unreliable. This may
presuppose that the institution is not financially viable from the view point of members'
contribution. Members' commitment appears also very low. The study indicates that the works
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and viability of the institution is entirely dependent on the funds that are obtained from external
(donor) agencies. The dependency syndrome could partly be attributed to uninformed
membership composition and hinged limited capabilities that are critical factors to success. The
institution was also organized and legally certified in such a way that it cannot employ income
generating activities. Ego-centric incentive motive towards which members implicitly or explicitly
incline to trawl daily income also seems to amplify their low commitment.
Moreover, the Lalomama medir wereda community based institution is a fledgling institution-only
two years old, which supposedly puts its institutional vigor under pressure. Enormousity of the
tasks, lack of knowledgeable development promoters at grass root level, externally expected
fund, low education level and lack of compatible managerial skills and varied commitment of
members appear to provide the institution challenges of maintaining services with undiminished
momentum.
Nevertheless, the social, economic, environmental and political role it plays indicate that local
community based institutions are important stimuli of development and their involvement is a
necessary condition to bring about rapid development and ensure its sustainability. Despite its
infancy, the multifaceted attempts that Lalomama medir wereda community based institution is
making to enhance development of the area appears to substantially contribute to food security,
poverty reduction, betterment of members and populace at large. Indeed it magnifies the
phenomenal role that local institutions can play in fomenting and forming base rock foundation
for sustain ability of development of the wereda.
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Keywords
Community Based Institutions