Author(s)

Niilonga N. T. Shetunyenga

Faculty of Strategic Management & Business Administration, The International University of Management, Windhoek, Namibia.

Rural development continues to be a pressing challenge that demands substantial improvement in order to bridge the gap in living standards between rural and urban areas. One crucial element in addressing these challenges is active community participation. Active involvement from the community is essential for effective rural development planning. However, there is a lack of community participation among the inhabitants of Namibia. It is considered important to engage community members in a joint analysis and development of priorities for their own development. A qualitative study reveals that community participation can be seen through decision-making, planning, implementation, empowerment, mobilisation and evaluation. Community participation has many benefits as opposed to impacts, as community participation is valued through empowerment, democracy, social transformation, sustainable decisions, sustainable development and strengthening community capacity. Hence, it is crucial to recognise the significance of community engagement in rural regions to discover potential strategies for achieving rural development in Namibia. Therefore, there is a need to identify the importance of community’s participation within rural areas in order to find possible solutions to attain rural development in Namibia. Citizens must be involved and empowered in rural programmes in order to have the potential to boost their livelihoods and foster development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of community participation in rural development. Therefore, the paper reflects on the importance of community participation, which is not being recognised nor valued. Additionally, the concept of community participation, its characteristics, and the necessity of community engagement in development are clarified.

Community Participation, Development, Namibia, Rural Development

Shetunyenga, N. (2024) The Value of Community Participation in Rural Development. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 12, 520-533. doi: 10.4236/jss.2024.128031.