My purpose in Uganda is to build the capacities of local communities by providing a holistic approach to economic empowerment using community linkages at the grassroots level.
That sounds pretty, but what am I doing exactly? Well, right now I'm planting a garden.
Buzzwords are a part of every industry, and the development industry is no exception. Appearing in mission statements, organizational goals and objectives, annual reports and funding proposals, the buzzword appears to give meaning or significant weight to an undefined concept. "Capacity building" sounds really neat, and reading over it I almost smile at the simplicity of the concept. Yes, of course, more capacity building is what the rural poor need to rise above their poverty! But ask somebody what exactly that entails, and they usually rephrase the buzzword with more ambiguity ("build their capacity to empower themselves and enable them to own their development"). For me personally, this is perhaps the most frustrating part of talking with people about what exactly is going on.
Alas, buzzwords will never go away, so perhaps we should embrace them and march forward in our quest for poverty reduction and livelihood improvement through community empowerment.
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