Community Health Volunteer's Training Manual - Population Council

Module 2 Community Mobilisation and Tools
Challenges to Community Mobilisation
Working with people can have its good and bad sides. It’s the same with working alone. These
problems and difficulties are the challenges you face when you organise and work with people.
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Volunteerism versus paid work
There is a limit to how long somebody will do voluntary work. After working as volunteers
for sometime without any incentives the interest declines. So, during the initial stages of
mobilisation, communities should agree on some practical, achievable ways of rewarding
volunteers to sustain their interest. However, we should take care not to make this a paid
work because it cannot be sustained.
Exercise 2.3.7
Objective
1. To share experiences on challenges to
volunteerism
Time: 10min
Questions
1. What challenge have you faced
mobilising communities?
2. How did you overcome them?
Time and energy consuming
Instruction to the Facilitator
1. Ask participants to share their
experiences.
2. Write responses on a flip chart and
discuss.
Agree on practical ways on sustaining interest
Community mobilisation for health action can take a lot of energy and time. We need to put
in a lot of resources – time, energy, money, and people - to meet a health need.
Community burn out
When communities are overwhelmed with repeated programmes, they become bored and
lose interest.
Sustaining mobilisation efforts
Communal interest decreases gradually over time unless mechanisms are put in place to
maintain it. Formation of health committees may help. Communities also need to celebrate
their achievements. In addition we have to appreciate and acknowledge all who contributed.
Recognition such as awards, for exceptional performance encourages people to continue to
give of their best. This makes others strive to do better.