Community Health Volunteer's Training Manual - Population Council

Module 2 Community Mobilisation and Tools
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Box 2.1.2: A typical community profile should contain the following:
• Name of community
• Name of sub-district in which community/zone is located
• Name of district
• Name of CHPS zone under which it is
• Name of communities/ villages or settlements making up the community
• Brief description of landscape and vegetation
• Population of community or member villages
• Main customs and beliefs of the people
• Ethnic groupings
• Economic activities – sources of income
• Economic facilities – markets, shops, etc
• Predominant religious groupings
• Housing; nature and pattern of housing
• Health facilities – clinics, health posts, chemical shops, etc.
• Disease patterns, sickness and health behaviour
• Schools and other educational facilities
• Forms of transportation and communication
• Water and sanitation facilities.
Topic 2 Community mapping
In our classrooms, we may find the map of Ghana or Africa, and sometimes our district
maps. A map is a drawing of an area or a structure showing the important features. We use it
to know what is situated where and what to build where. For example, we may have a map of
a house, a community, a country or other places. Often a map is drawn on a sheet of paper.
Just looking at the sheet you can identify most of the things in the area or the structure.
As volunteers you will find maps useful in many ways. For example, you will be able to locate
the refuse dump, school, health facility, ponds and water ways. What other ways are maps
useful? How are they drawn? You will draw maps and these will help you in your work. Let’s
do an exercise and use it to answer our questions. Exercise 2.1.2
Mapping may also be a process for showing interrelationships such as shown in Figure 2.1.1
Figure 2.1.1: A group sketch showing the various
factors that influence health workers. Asketch
produced by a group