Strategies for enhancing community development: A case of Anglican development services in Kenya

Abstract

This research sought to investigate the strategies employed by ADS in enhancing Community Development (CD) in Kenya. The study targeted four Anglican Development Services (ADS) regions in Kenya, namely, Pwani, Eastern, Mount Kenya East and NAIKA (Nairobi, Kajiado and All Saints). A sample of 330 respondents drawn from a target population of 1,827 was acquired through a Descriptive Research design. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages, while thematic analysis was done on qualitative data. The findings illustrated that there were well-founded strategies for enhancing CD in Kenya employed by the ADS. In this regard, the ADS use strategies that are implementable on the ground to improve the sustainability of CD within targeted areas. The main strategies employed by the four ADS regions in enhancing CD in Kenya include mobilising for food production and security in the community, partnership and networking for community capacity building, promotion of health care, training and mobilising farmers to form groups to promote Agri-business by Farming God’s. These findings illustrated that the ADS has an array of strategies for enhancing CD in Kenya. It is recommended that for the effectiveness of ADS strategies, the target recipients should be expanded through a conscientisation process, biblical and theological interventions and a participatory transformation approach, with the most vulnerable members of the community receiving priority.