Community development is a process in which people within a community work together to take collaborative measures in order to offer solutions to their common problems.

The main goal of community development is to establish a more diversified and sustainable community; and to create and develop communities centred on justice, equality, and mutual respect.

However, since community development has risen over the last decade, the emergence of COVID-19, conflicts, and climate change has driven those who have managed to escape poverty back into it. 

In this article, we’ll give you an overview of community development and how you can help those in need.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to solving challenges within communities. Instead, we should take a community-led approach, with these principles as our guide: 

• Human rights – Families living within a community should have the right to actively participate in the development of their own communities. 
• Inclusivity – Teamwork and the exchange of knowledge are essential for successful group work.
• Empowerment – People should be able to monitor and exercise authority over their own assets and resources.
• Self-determination – People and communities have the right to make their own decisions on what is being done to their environment.
• Collective action – Putting together the voices of individuals in communities or associations. 

The goals of community development include:

• To empower individuals, families, and communities from the ground up.
• Maximize the participation of service users and community members.
• Partner with communities for volunteer help, as well as health and social care.
• Bring a sense of local ownership and control to communities so that they can collectively take action to identify and meet their needs.
• Tackle root causes of underdeveloped communities, such as poverty and inequality.

Community development is important as it offers the tools and resources that a community needs to build better livelihoods for families living within it. It builds liveable and sustainable communities capable of attracting and maintaining resources, launching and growing businesses, as well as alleviating problems that arise.

When community development is implemented efficiently, there will be less crime, less economic disparity, better employment opportunities, a thriving economy, and less social problems affecting children and ethnic minorities. 

Discover the women of Malawi, who promote their livelihood through social and economic activity by growing their own vegetables to provide for their families.

When we help communities around the world through our programming, three of the main goals we have in mind are: 

• To address social and community issues – this increases protection against crime in community neighbourhoods, increases community cohesion, reduces social alienation, and builds healthier support infrastructure for children and the elderly.

• To aid isolated communities – this helps overcome isolation by enabling social connections and improving well-being in communities going through crises.

• To help disadvantaged communities – this would effectively mitigate some of the effects of poverty for children and families by developing social capital and social inclusion.

These goals are meant to tackle common problems in the communities, which we will explore in the next section.

Indigenous populations remain over-represented among the poor, the illiterate and the unemployed. Currently, the world has between 370 and 500 million indigenous people in over 90 countries. Although they constitute just 5% of the world’s population, they represent about 15% of the world’s population living in extreme poverty. They are also one-third of the 900 million people living in extreme poverty in rural communities..

Illiteracy is also another widespread problem in isolated communities around the world. This is why long-term literacy programs are a central part of World Renew’s community development efforts. Learn how Josette from Haiti gained literacy through our programming.

Around the world, underdeveloped communities that struggle with high levels of poverty are further burdened by inadequate healthcare systems, especially in rural areas. For decades, these rural communities have struggled to ensure access to affordable health services. Many factors that lead to these issues include a dwindling population, lack of doctors and other healthcare professionals, increasing numbers of elderly, financial stagnation, disabled and under-insured citizens, and high rates of disease. 

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare becomes more important to communities than ever before. This is why we’re committed to helping families living in rural communities gain access to the healthcare that they need during this pandemic. You can learn about how we’ve partnered with the United Church of Zambia to help equip frontline workers with protective gear here.

The rates of suicide and incarceration are also higher among underdeveloped communities, where smoking and drug abuse tend to be more prevalent. These issues are more common in underdeveloped communities where people are detached and rarely recognized as equal citizens of the dominant society. 

These are hard problems to solve but, as Theodore Roosevelt said:

“Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”

Now you know what these problems are, let’s find out how you can help communities around the world.

What actions can you take to help develop communities in need around the world? Here are a few ways you can participate: 

• Volunteer to help a community abroad
• Become an advocate for community development
• Raise awareness for underdeveloped communities near you
• Donate to organizations like World Renew with extensive, ongoing community development programs

The notion of community comes from our sense of responsibility. Philippians 2:4 instructs us, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” We must note how important it is to sustain a relationship with one another and to create a culture of love through word and action.

World Renew has been a prominent activist in offering opportunities for development practitioners and community leaders through our community development programming. Our goal is to help create sustainable communities around the world, as well as educate and transform the mindset of development practitioners to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. You can find out more about our Community Development programming here.