Review of community development initiatives for poverty reduction in Southern Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/ijrcs-2024.vol6.12Keywords:
Community development, food security, funded initiatives, poverty reduction, Sustainable development goalsAbstract
There is a growing global recognition that community development has the potential to enhance the socio-economic status of resource-constrained rural communities. Many countries have established community development initiatives in rural areas to reduce poverty and improve social investment. However, numerous challenges hinder the implementation of community development initiatives that contribute to poverty reduction in most of Southern Africa. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1, mandates all countries to end all forms of poverty by the year 2030. One approach to achieving this goal is to devise and implement sustainable community development initiatives. This review paper presents some best practices for how community development initiatives could reduce poverty in Southern Africa. The literature collected from government reports, accredited journal articles, and other credible scientific writings from 2000 to 2022 was reviewed to triangulate sources of information and understand the state of community development initiatives. Several challenges were found to impede progress in poverty reduction and negatively impact sustainable community development. The effectiveness and sustainability of poverty reduction strategies implemented by countries in Southern Africa vary widely from country to country and within the country itself. The study provides recommendations and best practice models implemented within rural communities in Southern Africa.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Malose Moses Tjale, Shadreck Muchaku, Grey Magaiza, Durga Dass Sharma, Gopal Krishan Sharma, Yashwant Singh Negi, Marizvikuru Mwale
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