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Local Participation within Water Projects: Empowering the Rural Poor?

Schubert, Cecilia LU (2010) STVM01 20101
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The current development approach to reduce poverty is through participation which is thought to lead to empowerment. Empowerment is a state where people actively make informed choices that benefits them. The Kenya Water for Heath Organization (KWAHO) has been working extensively with participatory water management projects together with capacity building in Kenya, with the aim of
empowering its participants. After investigating the KWAHO Kombewa project,
it is evident that empowerment is a visible effect. The results have been compared
with investigations in Kampi ya Moto, an area where no mobilization or capacity
building have taken place. This implies that non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) can have a positive impact and change... (More)
The current development approach to reduce poverty is through participation which is thought to lead to empowerment. Empowerment is a state where people actively make informed choices that benefits them. The Kenya Water for Heath Organization (KWAHO) has been working extensively with participatory water management projects together with capacity building in Kenya, with the aim of
empowering its participants. After investigating the KWAHO Kombewa project,
it is evident that empowerment is a visible effect. The results have been compared
with investigations in Kampi ya Moto, an area where no mobilization or capacity
building have taken place. This implies that non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) can have a positive impact and change the poverty landscape and that
empowerment can be a real outcome from participatory development
interventions, which has been debated and questioned from several directions.
However, it is not participation per se that empowers people, instead it has been
the long-term capacity building and awareness creation that has helped the
members of the KWAHO women groups become empowered, which is the result
of this thesis. This realization is important since capacity building is not
prominent in the current development literature which, based on these results,
needs to change in order to create empowerment and sustainable development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Schubert, Cecilia LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
- A Minor Field Study of the Kenya Water for Health Organisation -
course
STVM01 20101
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Empowerment, Water Management Project, Capacity Building, Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO), Participation
language
English
id
1608120
date added to LUP
2010-06-29 15:51:43
date last changed
2010-06-29 15:51:43
@misc{1608120,
  abstract     = {{The current development approach to reduce poverty is through participation which is thought to lead to empowerment. Empowerment is a state where people actively make informed choices that benefits them. The Kenya Water for Heath Organization (KWAHO) has been working extensively with participatory water management projects together with capacity building in Kenya, with the aim of
empowering its participants. After investigating the KWAHO Kombewa project,
it is evident that empowerment is a visible effect. The results have been compared
with investigations in Kampi ya Moto, an area where no mobilization or capacity
building have taken place. This implies that non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) can have a positive impact and change the poverty landscape and that
empowerment can be a real outcome from participatory development
interventions, which has been debated and questioned from several directions.
However, it is not participation per se that empowers people, instead it has been
the long-term capacity building and awareness creation that has helped the
members of the KWAHO women groups become empowered, which is the result
of this thesis. This realization is important since capacity building is not
prominent in the current development literature which, based on these results,
needs to change in order to create empowerment and sustainable development.}},
  author       = {{Schubert, Cecilia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Local Participation within Water Projects: Empowering the Rural Poor?}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}