Community empowerment through Civil Society organizations

Introduction

Community empowerment refers to the process of enabling communities to

increase control over their lives. "Communities" are groups of people that may or
may not be spatially connected, but who share common interests, concerns or
identities. 'Empowerment' refers to the process by which people gain control over
the factors and decisions that shape their lives. It is the process by which they
increase their assets and attributes and build capacities to gain access, partners,
networks and/or a voice, in order to gain control. "Enabling" implies that people
cannot "be empowered" by others; they can only empower themselves by acquiring
more of power's different forms (Laverack, 2008). It assumes that people are their
own assets, and the role of the external agent is to catalyse, facilitate or
"accompany" the community in acquiring power.

Empowerment is the process which enables individuals or groups to fully access personal or
collective power, authority and influence, and to employ that strength when engaging with other
people, institutions or society.

In other words, “Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power,
in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define
empowerment as letting this power out (Blanchard, K)." It encourages people to gain the skills
and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or work environment and
ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.

Empowerment includes the following, or similar, capabilities:-

• The ability to make decisions about personal or collective circumstances

• The ability to access information and resources for decision-making
• Ability to consider a range of options from which to choose (not just yes/no, either/or.)
• Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making
• Having positive-thinking about the ability to make change
• Ability to learn and access skills for improving personal or collective circumstance.
• Ability to inform others’ perceptions though exchange, education and engagement.
• Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated
• Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
• Increasing one's ability in discreet thinking to sort out right and wrong

Community empowerment, therefore, is more than the involvement, participation or engagement of

communities. It implies community ownership and action that explicitly aims at social and political change.
Community empowerment is a process of re-negotiating power in order to gain more control. It recognizes
that if some people are going to be empowered, then others will be sharing their existing power and giving
some of it up (Baum, 2008).
This article will focus on a successful story in building empowered communities. Through examples and case
studies it will analyse how successful partnerships with communities can be forged by implementing some
agriculture projects with civil society organizations. It will further examine how empowerment oriented
agriculture projects can be practiced in well sustainable manner.

What does it take to strengthen a community or to

increase its capacity?

1. The balance of power (opinion makers and leaders, not merely the demographic majority)
must desire the community to become more self reliant and willing to make efforts and sacrifices
to become so. (Leaders and opinion makers may be formal or informal, officially recognized or
unrecognized). Without this, the mobilizer would be wasting time and better employed in
another community;

2. An experienced or trained agent must be available to intervene to stimulate and guide the
community to organize and take action to overcome poverty and become more self reliant. The
mobilizer may be one with natural talents and skills, training must be provided which aimed at
developing and sharpening those skills and talents;

3. While assistance can be offered, it should not be charity assistance which promotes
dependency and weakness, but partnership, assistance and training that promotes self reliance
and increased capacity;

4. Recipient organizations or communities should not be controlled or forced into change, but
professionals trained as activists or mobilizers should intervene with stimulation, information
and guidance. Social engineering must be avoided. Persuasion and facilitation are needed;

5. Organisms become stronger by exercising, struggling, and facing adversity. Empowerment

methodology incorporates this principle for social organizations. Sports coaches use the slogan,
"No pain; no gain." We do not promote pain, but do promote struggle and effort;

6. Hands on participation, especially in decision making, by the recipients, is essential for their
increase in capacity. Decisions cannot be made for or on behalf of the community;

7. A substantial proportion (it varies) of the resources needed for a community project (ie the
action) must be provided by the community members themselves;

8. We need to aim at the participants from the beginning taking full control, exercising full
decision making, and accepting full responsibility for the actions which will lead to their
increased strength.

Defining Civil Society

 U ntil 1993, UNDP used the term non-governmental organization

(NGO) to describe all the non-state/non-business organizations

it worked with. The term civil society organization (CSO) is
now the term of choice, as it encompasses a wider variety of organizations
engaged in development work. CSOs comprise the full range of formal
and informal organizations within civil society: NGOs, community based
organizations (CBOs), indigenous peoples’ organizations (IPOs),
academia, journalist associations, faith-based organizations, trade unions,
and trade associations, for example.

UNDP defines civil society organizations in

its policy of engagement with CSOs (2001) as:

CSOs are non-state actors whose aims are neither

to generate
profits nor to seek governing power. CSOs unite
people to
advance shared goals and interests. UNDP
collaborates with
CSOs whose goals, values and development
What is philosophies
Civil Society?

Civil Society refers to all groups outside government such as

community groups, non-governmental organizations, labour
unions, Indigenous Peoples' organizations, charitable
organizations, faith-based organizations, professional
associations and foundations. Civil society expresses the
interests of social groups and raises awareness of key issues
in order to influence policy and decision-making. In recent
decades, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been
successful in shaping global policy through advocacy
campaigns and mobilization of people and resources.

STRONG PLACES and SCOPE involvement

Sustaining Tsunami Recovery by Organizations Networking at the Grassroots Level

through Promoting Local Accountability & Capacity Enhancement Systems (STRONG
PLACES) project is a civil society capacity building project where the focus is to build
the capacity of small NGOs and CBOs in 8 tsunami affected districts including
Hambanthota in southern province. STRONG PLACES project is funded by
Government of Germany and jointly implemented by UNDP Tsunami recovery unit
and External Resource Department of Ministry of Finance and Planning.

The objective of the project is to contribute towards strengthening capacities of

community based organizations, emergent local civil society organizations and
small non government organizations to move from an ad hoc sub-contractual
relationship with development partners to a genuine partnership and access and
skills to manage additional resources that will enhance community participation and
accountability during the post-tsunami relief-to-development phase. Throughout the
process it aims to build the capacities of the target communities and ensure gender
equality and women’s empowerment.

Strengthening Community Organizations and Partnership Enhancement (SCOPE)

Project is also a civil society capacity building project which is designed to build the
capacity of small CSOs in 4 districts in Sri Lanka including Hambantota implemented
by UNDP and Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs. It is being
implemented in 3 non tsunami affected DS divisions in Hambantota district

The projects consist of two components:

1. Direct capacity development:

This arm of the project develops the institutional and human resource capacities of
selected CSOs and aims to address the urgent capacity needs of CSOs.
Organizations are provided with training on common capacity shortfalls such as
project cycle management, organizational management, good governance of CBO,
productivity, accounting, monitoring and reporting, human resource development
and proposal writing. Secondly CSOs are provided beneficiaries’ targeted training
programmes such as business idea generation and entrepreneurship development
which are significantly important after implementing some livelihood projects.
Training topics are identified after conducting a training need assessment which is
finalized after getting opinions from all stakeholders including CSO officials
2. Small Grant Facility:
The SGF provides grants to CSOs toward direct institutional strengthening and also
support livelihood activities which are identified by CSOs.

In district level project is steered by district advisory committee (DAC) which

comprises representatives from local NGOs, civic and community institutions, and government. DAC is
responsible for selection of CSOs, allocations of funds for CSOs and selection of training topics etc. The
project is also supported by Intermediary Organizations (IOs) which is responsible for the
implementation of DCB component of the project. The project is supported by Social Mobilizers, who
are working closely with CSOs and marginalized communities. Social mobilizers are selected from the
communities itself, thereby it is anticipated that this tier of human resources will remain mobilized
beyond the project’s lifespan and serve as a catalyst for local development.

STRONG PLACES Project has supported 78 CSOs through small grant funds in tsunami
affected divisions of Hambanthota district during 2005 October to 2007 June. Those 78 CSOs
received small grant fund from the project ranged from Rs. 39,000.00 to Rs.220,000.00 for
institutional capacity building as well as for small scale project implementation in the villages.
Chamber of Commerce – Hambantota and Hamabantota NGO consortium had been working as
implementing partner during this period. District Advisory Committee, consists of GA’s
representative, NGO consortium, small and larger NGOs of the district, and civil leaders who
work as a team to guide the project and enhance effective implementation of the project in the
Hambantota district.

Interim phase of STRONG PLACES was implemented during 2007 December to August 2008
by UNDP and Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs and it has supported 11 CSOs
through small grant funds to implement small scale livelihood projects designed by CSOs.
Those CSOs received grants ranged from Rs.200, 000.00 to Rs.250, 000.00. YES foundation,
Tissamaharama and Hamabantota NGO consortium had been working as implementing partner
during this period. District Advisory Committee, consists of GA, INGOs , some local NGOs of
the district, and civil leaders contributed as a decision making body of the district.

SCOPE project is being implemented from August 2008 has given assistance to 14 CSO
through small grant fund for implementing small scale livelihood projects which are proposed by
CSOs. Those CSOs received grants ranged from Rs.100, 000.00 to Rs.200, 000.00 YES
foundation, Tissamaharama has been working as the implementing partner. District advisory
committee is consisting of District secretary, divisional secretaries in respective divisions,
INGOs and local NGOs in the district.

Hambantota district

Hambantota district is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka in the Southern
Province and it falls under dry zone. Agriculture is the main livelihood of the people in the district but
farmers are suffering from lack of sufficient rainfall and irrigation facilities for the cultivation. Although
there are enough irrigation facilities for paddy cultivation, there are no such facilities for upland
cultivation. Hambantota district is getting higher rainfall from September to December. This period
known as maha (wet) season is the main cultivation season in the district. The period from March to June
is known as yala (dry) season and is characterized by low rainfall. Rain- fed Upland cultivation can only
be practiced in Maha season where seasonal crops like green gram, Maze, Sesame are cultivated. Most of
the uplands are abandoned in yala season as the rainfall is not enough for cultivation. If irrigation
facilities are provided, upland cultivation can be continued throughout the year with some economically
beneficial crops like bitter gourd, snake gourd, brinjal, chili, pumpkin. Some individual farmers use lift
irrigation method to cultivate their lands by pumping water from rivers, streams and water cannels;
however poor farmers can not practice as huge cost is involved.

CSOs in Hambantota district

CSOs are an important component of the civil society landscape in Hambantota

district and play an important role in community development. By definition these
are mutual benefit organizations established by various interest groups to promote
the following development, recreation and sports, culture, religion, welfare etc.
Some of the oldest CBOs are the Rural Development Societies and the Cooperative
Societies. In recent times there emerged Death Donation Societies, Thrift and Credit
Cooperative Societies, Youth Clubs, Women’s organizations, Farmer organizations
etc.

The general opinion that emerges from the consultations is that CBOs are generally
found to be committed but that most lack necessary skills for good governance,
systematic needs analysis, project planning, management, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation, documentation and dissemination and also necessary
infrastructure and basic equipment. Hambantota district shelters a number of low
income groups in the drier areas where agriculture without irrigation is often a
gamble. Outdated agricultural technology and the inability of most farming groups
to afford the required productive assets have been the major causes for poverty.
The district has a few strong NGOs e.g. Womens Development Federation, Social
Mobilization Foundation, Walawe Kantha Sangamaya etc with their small groups and
CBOs dispersed over a wide area of the district. Since it is agriculture based district
there are very active farmer organizations which are dispersed in whole district.

CSO selection process

 Awarene Distributio Collectio
Data ss n of n of
Collection Program Applicatio Applicati
mes ns ons

CSO
CSO
selection
assessme
for calling Training
nt
of proposals
Training
on
Proposal
Writing
Selection of Fund
Proposals Releasing

Collection of Primary data is done through divisional secretariat, agrarian service centers, Grama
Niladaris, Local NGOs and field visits by social mobilizers. Awareness programmes of the project were
organized in each DS division so that people can understand the scope of the project and the project
benefits for the CSOs. Project applications were distributed and collected through Social Mobilizers,
Grama Niladaris, Rural Development officers, Social Service officers and some local NGOs. Applied
CSOs were given training on CSO management and book keeping practices and CSO assessment was
being conducted while organizing training programmes. CSO capacity assessment tool which was
developed by UNDP is used for CSO assessment. Assessment tool has been developed so that stronger
and weaker CSOs would be getting lower marks. District advisory committee which is chaired by District
secretary is responsible to select suitable CSOs for getting proposals. All selected CSOs were given
training on proposal development before getting project proposals. Finally CSO proposals are selected by
district advisory committee by considering capacity of CSOs, feasibility of the project, benefits for the
members, sustainability of the project etc. District secretary, Mr.R.M.D.B.Meegasmulla and Additional
district secretary Mr.W.A.Dharmasiri actively participated to selection process and project monitoring.

CASE STUDY 01.

Weerahela Farmer organization
Weerahela farmer organization is formed under Lunugamwehera scheme in 1990. One of the
most active FO in Tissamaharama, member participation, involvement and transparency of the
activities are excellent. There are 153 members in the organization. Each member has been
given 2.5 acres of low land for paddy cultivation and 0.5 acre uplands. Irrigation facility is
provided only for paddy cultivation and farmers are cultivating both yala and maha seasons by
the water from Lunugamwehera reservoir, however 0.5 acre of uplands have been abandoned
due to lack of water for cultivation. Those areas water shortage for upland cultivation is the most
critical issue. In the recent past, farmers have seldom cultivated their lands. In most years
partial abandonment of lands and crop losses due to shortage of water are very common.
Therefore Weerahela FO proposed to supply irrigation water from nearby stream using UNDP
funds.

In this project, FO selected separate sections of their village and supplying irrigation water to
33 members of that area. Their initial plan was to pump water by landmaster engine, later it was
decided to make a pump house which is operated by electricity. UNDP money was enough to
buy required irrigation pipes and the water pump only; Electricity connection, pump house
construction, pipe installation were done entirely by beneficiary’s contribution.

Farmer organization started a subcommittee named Ekamuthu home garden development

committee which is responsible to maintain the irrigation project. President, secretary treasurer
and pump operator has been appointed. Beneficiaries are charged an amount in proportion to
the number of hours they pump water, including electricity charges, maintenance cost and pump
operator allowances. Because of the successfulness of the project, this farmer organization
could get more funds through Oxfam GB, CCF and government “Gamanaguma” programme for
implementing 4 more irrigation projects so that they could supply irrigation water for whole
village. Department of agriculture and export development board has implemented a “kiri ala”
cultivation project together with Weerahela famer organization and they have distributed “kiri
ala” plants among the farmers who use irrigation water. Coconut cultivation board has
distributed coconut plants among the members of this farmer organization. After considering
the successfulness of this project, other famer organizations in the area have submitted
proposals to World Vision Lanka and few farmers in nearby villages have gathered together and
getting irrigation water using the same method.
With UNDP assistance, this organization has been able to improve its operational processes for
example, introducing improved financial management processes and training its staff as well.
As the organization has improved their proposal development skills, project management and
recordkeeping, other donor agencies have paid their attention to support them. Therefore this
farmer organization is implementing various types of projects in addition to irrigation projects.

Mr.Sirisena Ranaweera , President of Weerahela farmer organization said that UNDP is the first
donor agency which we worked together. Earlier we did not have report writing skills, project
management skills; good book keeping methods etc. UNDP training programmes helped us to
improve our capacity gradually. Because of the successfulness of our water supply project, this
farmer organization has become the most reputed organization in Lunugamwehera scheme.
District secretary Mr.R.M.D.B.Meegasmulla and former divisional secretary Mr.Mahesh
Gammanpila visited our organization and observed the successfulness of our project, that’s why
they approved two more projects through “Gamanaguma programme. Now I was appointed as
the president of Lunugamwehera left bank cannel farmer organization association. Numerous
donor agenesis have been working with us. We are always distributing our knowledge and
experience among other farmer organizations as well. It is obvious that this water supply project
will be spread to whole Lunugamwehera scheme.

Key Achievements
Mr.Somadasa is • aThe
farmer whooflives
provision in Weerahela
financial assistance has village
enabledinCSOs
Tissamaharama. He inis an
to fill capacity gaps
infrastructure and human resources and results in
active member of Weerahela farmer organization and working as the president ofa greater span of outreach.

Ekamuthu home garden development

• Membership committee which is responsible to maintain
strength has been increased as a result of resources, facilities,
upland cultivationservices
irrigation project. He
which they are provided. has Through
2.5 acre of lowprojects,
livelihood land where
members paddy
have is
been able to improve their living status.
cultivated by irrigation water from Lunugamwehera reservoir. His 0.5 acre low land
had been abandoned last few years due to unavailability of water for cultivation.
• CSO training has led to improved organizational practices in business
Soon after the implementation of water
processes such as accounting andsupply
financial project
reporting. by
StaffWeerahela
has demonstratedfarmer
increased knowledge
organization Mr.Somasiri in areas suchsnake
started successful as leadership, communication,
gourd cultivation which he could
productivity, good governance, interpersonal relationship skills and
earn Rs.70000 within 06 months.
community mobilizationHe said “now we don’t depend on rain, we can
plan our cultivation so that we will get
• As a result of UNDP interventions maximum priceoffor
a majority CSOsour harvest,
have improved my wife and
children are always helpingpractices.
governance me as my home isparticipant
For example, situatedCSOsnearhavetheadopted
cultivated land. I
stronger
constitutions, implemented more participatory decision making processes, and
spent only about established
Rs.2000 for supplying water in last 06 months though I earned a
more transparent record-keeping and reporting practices.
profit more than Rs.70000.00 .Now our
• CSOs also demonstrate familyknowledge
increased is using onour free time funding
project-based effectively
and and
do not hire labors. Since water
organizational is available
management. I have
As a result theyplanted few acoconut
now possess competitiveplants
edge as
for funding in the future.
well. This project will definitely change living status of our villagers.’
• CSOs have made close relationships with government officers, INGOs and
other CSOs in the area which enable to share knowledge, skills and resources
in a sustainable manner.