PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING VOICES: THE CASE OF AN EDUCARE CENTRE IN BOKSBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

This article examines the process of collecting voices from a participatory community development perspective and the theoretical framework from which the process was facilitated. The focus of the study was on building a viable and good organization that is responsive to the needs of its primary stakeholders. This is the operationalization of the principle of empowerment of men and women alike – aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the envisaged project beyond the time of the research-facilitator’s departure. Through this participatory community development process participants were enabled to start a Stokvel project, the aim of which was to help augment the members’ financial resources so as to sustain payment of their children’s day care fees and to also materialize the spirit of Ubuntu (humaneness) among themselves as local community members. Given the lessons learnt this article concludes that after engaging people in capacity building as facilitators of participatory community development, it is important to give people a voice at grassroots level, allowing them to make informed decisions and choices about their situations. This in turn helps them take control of their lives in a meaningful way. Besides this, the researcher is also intrigued by the task of documenting the process of collecting the latter voices and the attendant lessons learnt.