Can DAPP be in Kapiri Forever?

Last week, over one hundred community members gathered together late in the morning forming a semi-circle sitting on the grass on a sunny day outside the Makafu Basic School. They were awaiting a donor visit from Fredrick a young representative from Humana Holland and Renee, the Country Director for DAPP, a tall, good-humored former teacher in Denmark. This was the community’s chance to show off the activities they’ve been spear-heading since DAPP began working.

I arrived by truck with Gontley, the Child Aid Project Leader for Central Province, Matimba and various government officials. We took our seats on school benches in front of the community. Following introductions, the Coordinator for a Community Agricultural Committee (CAC) stood up to announce its activities highlighting the committee’s role implementing pass-on loans of chickens and goats, as well as distributing nutritional packages to be planted (consisting of cowpeas, maize seed, soy beans and groundnuts) for vulnerable farmers.

The Community Vet rose to address the crowd to discuss his training from DAPP and his responsibility for vaccinating livestock in 20 villages. Next, the Pre-school teacher from the Child Development Committee talked about the pre-school children receiving early education. She was followed by an Out of School Youth Club leader who reported on the activities that are keeping youth active, motivated and away from drug abuse. Finally, we were entertained with a dramatic sketch on DAPP’s role in promoting access to clean water and sanitation.

With all these changes the community was deriving I started to understand what community empowerment looks like. Complimenting the people’s efforts Renee stood up to address the people: “You have already made history in your communities!” With a wide smile on his face he added, “now the future is in your hands.”

Certainly the community must actively participate in the changes that improve their well-being, but to what extent? Earlier that day in a brief meeting with Mr. Mazumba, a representative for the District Commissioner for Kapiri Mposhi he was thoroughly appreciative of the changes he’s seeing in the district. I anticipated his appreciation in the presence of a donor, but what caught my attention is that he asked for DAPP to extend its work in Kapiri. He explained that “the government doesn’t have the capacity to provide these services to the people.” Mr. Mazamba’s comment instantly brought my mind back to a stakeholders’ meeting the previous week with the district counselor for Mukonchi. The counselor rose from her seat and she said with determination that “DAPP will be here forever! I promise that!”

Leaving his office, I couldn’t help but wonder if the changes DAPP was facilitating right now with the active participation of the community will be sustainable. From all the speeches from community members working together in various committees to educate each other I can see that structures are being set-up at the grass roots level with the potential to transform people’s lives, but will they continue to operate without DAPP’s presence with fieldworkers to help organize and motivate people? Or without DAPP providing any more material inputs into the project?

At the moment there are many participating villages in the Child Aid project, but not all the villages in Mukonchi and Mpunde districts are included. Extending the benefits to them eventually seems imperative, but what can the government do if it lacks the financial resources and administrative capacity? Since non-governmental organizations don’t intend to stay permanently, the government and the community must work together hand-in-hand for a brighter future. Identifying and building the community’s and the government’s capabilities and assets (including financial, particularly with the government), and then determining what their respective roles will be seems like the big challenge ahead.