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Community Development Project Analysis - Burundian Community Hospital Project

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Background of the Project

The Burundian Community Hospital Project is carried out in a poor African country that

is located in the eastern Africa region. The Association of Burundians Community of South

Australia Inc. (ABCSA) was incorporated in June 2005. The local people who migrated to

Australia decided to form an association that would give back to the society they were brought

up in. Currently, the ABCSA Inc. has expanded its membership to around 1000 members. Most

of these members came to Australia when they were refugees. The influx was as a result of the

economic and political war that resulted to them running away from their home country. The

ABCSA Inc. was formed with the aim of implementing community based projects in their home

country that targets all members of the society, but specifically the less privileged in Burundi

(ABCSA, 2014).

Challenges in the Healthcare Sector in Burundi

According to the World Health Organization Report (2014 ), the health care sector in the

Burindi region is precarious. According to the country’s 2008 National Cencus, the mortality rate

was estimated as 15 per 1000. In addition, the situation is worsened by the fragerity of the health

care systems in the country owing to the high prevalence rate of chrnic diseases, communicable

diseases, vulnerability of the mothers, the children and the adolescent. Also, there has been high

level of neglected tropical diseases. To this regard, it is ideitified that the high population growth

rate as shown in the data prsented which stated that the country has more more than 310

individuals in every square kilometre. Furthermore, the country has high rate of acute and also

malnutrition of 6% and 58% respictively among the children below the age of five.

Community Development Projects and Analysis

Through the argument raised by Ferguson and Dickens (1999, p. 5) where they stated that

“community development is asset building that improves the quality of life among residents”

when they are experiencing societal challenges in accessing basic human requirements such as

food, shelter and healthcare. In the community setting, the term asset is used to represent five

fundamental forms. These forms are the physical capital that is presented inform of buildings and

tools, the intellectual and human capital that relates to the skills, knowlegdge and confidence, the

social capital that include the norms, shared understandings, and trust that affect members of the

society (Fischer, 1971, p. 441).

According to Robinson (1997), there is a link between social cohesion and social captial.

Through Robinson, the financial empowerment in the society results to chesion in the society.

This shows that by the formultion of better healthcare facility in the society through the

community projects results to cohesion in that society. Through Robinson’s argument, it is

identified that collective efforts by members of the community towards community based

projects is a process that leads to social cohesion. Community development projects are aimed at

lifting the living standards of a given community though the social ,inclusion paradigm (Ife &

Fiske, 2006, p. 306). When the society is made to contibute and assess the projects in their

locality, they tend to embrace the benefits of that given project. The burundian could also impact

the life of the locals by using the project to improve their healthcare systems. This involvementm

of the target communty in the project allows the locals to embrace the project and hence, its

survival even after implementation (Jacobson, 2001, p. 53).

The report by the World Bank (19940 indicated that participation is a crucial determinant

of the success of the community projects. It involves the process of the stakeholders may

influence and make decisions regarding the resources that influence their life. Through
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improvement of the healthcare sector in Burundi, the knowledge presented here may influence

the general functions of the given society. The participation theory by the members of the society

influences the sustainability and acceptance of the project to the target community. According to

Sirpal (2010), the project beneficiaries (society) should always be allowed to make decisions on

the project that influences their life.

Burundian Hospital Project Analysis

The Burundian Hospital Project is a community based project targets the poor people

who are in the rural areas in Burundi. It was proposed and planned by the Burundian Community

that lives in Australia. The project was formulated with the target of providing health care needs

to the vulnerable people in Burundi a poor country that is located in the East Africa region.

Burundi is a region that is affected by high level of poverty due to civil war and political and

economic challenges that has inflicted the people in the rural areas with high poverty levels.

According to the World Health Organization Report (2014), the people in the rural areas in

Burundi suffer challenges relating to access of fundamental human needs such as food, shelter,

healthcare and security. Poor healthcare facilities in the region contributes to high mortality rate

among children under the age of five years.

In addition, the poor facilities in the Burundi healthcare contributes to high death rate of

women during delivery. These health challenges has hindered the community growth financially

and in productivity. A healthy society is able to work productively towards improving their

economic status (York, 1984, p. 242). Furthermore, healthcare sector plays a major role in the

development of the society by saving the amount of money that is spent in seeking expensive

health care needs (Schiele, 2005, p. 22). This money can be distributed to other sectors of human

society like better nutrition, good and decent housing and improved relations among the
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residents. According to Ife & Fiske (2006), the community development theory cites that there is

need for active involvement of the people benefiting from community based healthcare. Such as

improves the life of the project by making such projects productive and sustainability.

Sustainability ensures that even after the funding stops or is diverted from the donors, the

community has the ability to run it through training and active engagement in the society. Many

of the funded projects are implemented successfully (United Nations, 1963, p. 2).

However, due to lack of better structures in the management and community

involvement, they fail due to lack of participation by the stakeholders after the handing over is

done (Pizzi, 2006, p. 397). Through active engagement of the society in Burundi, the project may

achieve the desired sustainability that ensures that the project can run smoothly even after the

handing over exercise. The benefits of this project and community involvement can be

summarized by analyzing the Community Development Theory by approaching the framework

created by Joel Fischer who observes the value of the theoretical understanding of the

community work involvement of the society (Perkins, 1982, p. 3). It is notable that the

community development theory is highly applicable to the within the social communal setting.

From this case analysis, it is true that the project will work effectively in this community

in combating the illnesses affecting the active involvement and productivity of the people in the

targeted community (Pandey, 1981, p. 34). Poverty and degraded healthcare sector has hindered

the community in Burundi from untying themselves from the yolk of poverty. In accessibility of

modern healthcare sector has been a challenge for development as the productive members of

this society are either suffering from the illnesses, spend much of their productive time in

seeking treatment and taking care of the sick members of the society (Mullaly, 2002, p. 5).

However, through this program, much can be achieved in ensuring the community has access to
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affordable and quality healthcare needs. Furthermore, improved healthcare system is important

in the development of a country (Payne, 1997, p. 113). By improving the healthcare sector

through the project, the country is able to struggle for its economic growth to hit a middle

income country (Alinksy, 1971). In this regard, the community work for the society would be regarded

as a development process where the main idea would be development of “more responsive to a role for

social work that is about organizing self-help, rather than providing direct care” (Payne, 2005, 212).

Through this form of societal empowerment in education, health and training for the community

members, the development of the societal needs matures to higher levels since the community is involved

in every process therein (Alinsky, 1971, p. 16).

Weaknesses in the Community Based Projects in Burundi and other Developing Countries

The community based project proposed by the Burundians may experience a number of

challenges from the planning, implementation and during the operation stages. The greatest challenge is

related to the funding of the project. The project in the health care sector is normally capital and labor

intensive. It requires also the knowledge and skills which makes it more expensive to construct and

implement. After critical analysis of the project, the project requires high investment of financial and

human capital. However, the community may approach other local and international donors who may

offer grants to reduce the financial burden set on the society. However, even after the completion of the

project; the community has to ensure that the project runs without financial challenges to achieve the

desired will. This requires strategic approach to issues related to sustainability and effectiveness of the

system (Ife & Fiske, 2006, p. 307).

Secondly, the other challenge that may arise is the human resource to work in the healthcare

sector. With poor condition in the health care in Burundi, the hospital staff requires knowledge and

experience in the application of services to the patients. Normally, the healthcare sector is expensive to

train professionals in the areas relating to nursing, clinical officers, and doctors. With poor payment of
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health workers in the less developed countries, most educated people opt to seek employment

opportunities to developed countries where their mother country suffers brain drain. For the success of

this project, the committee must ensure that they can obtain well-trained medical and healthcare team to

cater for the needs of the community. In addition, the Burundian community undertaking the project must

also ensure that they are able to monitor and assess the possible risks that are associated with the project.

Risk assessment is critical in that it allows these groups to identify the best strategies to use in the

application of the recommended implementation paths. Furthermore, the involvement of the community

members in the key decision making process ensures that social cohesion and peace is promoted in the

project establishment. Good cooperation among the project team will ensure that it receives the desired

attention and increases the chances for its survival (Mullaly, 2002, p. 27).

Conclusion

From this project, it is identified that community inclusion into the community-based projects is

an important activity in the society. Community development has facilitated many poor countries to

establish growth and development in all areas of the society. Besides the proposed benefit of the Burundi

Hospital Project, care should be taken in assessing the project success is achieved and sustainability

enhanced. This is the best way in which the project may change the lives of people health wise, socially

and economically (Gordon & Frame, 1995, p. 11). Critical analysis of the underlying challenge may help

in strategically approaching the prevailing problems and addressing them in the most efficient way. This

is as agreed by Mendes (2008) who suggest that community hospital projects requires intensive planning

and strategy formulation. Through such approach, the project success and sustainability is enhanced

leading to efficiency and effectiveness in meeting the desired goals of the project.
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