Abstract
This article examines three community development projects initiated by university educated individuals in or near their places of birth with the aim of presenting evidence that academics can be instrumental in contributing to development in their communities. The three projects used different approaches and resources. The project in Arya Jawi Kebele was developed and managed by a church-linked family association that aimed at broadly based development of this rural district guided by the theological principles of an Ethiopian evangelical church. The project in Kersole Village was initiated and managed by six university educated brothers, four of whom are currently living in the United States. Their primary objective was to help their family and secondly to improve livelihoods in the community. The project in the small town of Azena, conceived and fostered by a professor at Addis Ababa University, focused on the construction of a bridge over a river and several schools, with financial support mainly from several international NGOs. The academics’ familiarity with the needs of and their acceptance by the communities facilitated interaction with local leaders, organizations and craftsmen during the planning and implementation processes and promoted community participation.
Highlights
Of the many agencies and agents involved in community development in Africa, least is known about the contribution of individual academics
Most development activities are being funded by members of the Buraka Family Committee and several committed family members in Ethiopia and in the diaspora
All three community development projects were successful in that they achieved their objectives by virtue of the authors having intimate knowledge of the needs, priorities, and culture of the target communities because they were born in those communities
Summary
Of the many agencies and agents involved in community development in Africa, least is known about the contribution of individual academics. Born individuals can be effective in fostering change in communities because of their familiarity with local needs, priorities, and culture, an advantage outside agents and organizations lack (Ozor & Nwakwo, 2008). NGOs, and community-based organizations failed to foster community development (Botes & van Rensburg, 2000; Ika, 2012). Widespread disillusionment and high failure rates have been attributed to the use of one-size-fits-all approaches, lack of managerial capacity und understanding of culturally based community priorities and values, inadequate evaluation of results (Botes & van Rensburg, 2000; Ika, 2012), and non-sustainability of projects after termination of donor support (Honadle & VanSant, 1985; Sabbil & Adam, 2015). Increasing evidence that poor people in developing countries are not passive subjects but primary actors and more capable of solving local problems than enrr.ccsenet.org
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