Beneficiaries are actors too.pdf - Southern Institute of Peace ...

esult of a community initiative, they tend to enjoy more
legitimacy in the communities which they serve. This is because
communities might feel that such initiatives are their own, and
effectively address their own needs and interests (De Beer and
Swanepoel, 2005). The projects initiated by NGOs therefore
become the property of the community, and because the
communities see the projects as their own, its members are more
likely to support them. The high degree of community
participation creates a conducive environment in which local
technology can be utilised and adapted to local development
needs. This high degree of participation allows communities to
apply knowledge and technologies which they have developed
themselves to suit their own situation.
Because of their structures, NGOs are not characterised by the
same bureaucratic nature as that of government; rather they are
very flexible and adaptive to local conditions and changes in the
environment. Their running costs are lower because of their
smaller organisational size, which is supported by its voluntary
character. This means that they can respond faster to situations.
Yet NGOs should evaluate the environment where they are
operating to assess which functions government cannot perform
effectively, and serve as an alternative in the provision of such
services. As at times NGOs in Africa waste vast resources by
assisting communities with services already covered adequately
by government or other NGOs. Hence there is duplication of effort
in communities whilst there is neglect of other areas in which they
could possibly serve.
African NGOs should encourage access by grassroots
communities to information materials, communications
methods, and popular participation in decision making whilst
enabling support to grassroots organisations and social groups
that are in a position to work out alternative policies and bring
about change through collectively defined actions which are
culturally acceptable to the communities they serve
( http://www.unsystem.org/ngls/documents/publications.en/v
oices.africa/number6/vfa6.06.htm).
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