ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study represents an analysis of the role of civil society organisations/non‐governmental
organisations (CSOs/NGOs) in building human capabilities through knowledge construction. It assesses
the effectiveness of community publishing in building human capabilities under challenges they face in
the environment they are operating in. The complex environment CSOs/NGOs are operating in is dealt
with. It will be demonstrated that CSOs/NGOs give marginalised communities, especially women,
children and the disabled, a platform where they can organise themselves and give them an
opportunity to influence policy and development of their community.
Community development has many interpretations. This study focuses on communities as central
agents responsible for their own development. When communities participate in their own
development, they are engaging in an educational process which is both formal and informal in nature.
The education process helps them to understand their situations better. This type of education called
‘popular education’, is based on the belief that people involved in the process have important
knowledge that they have acquired from their experiences in life and the education they receive
mainly consists of dialogue between different knowledge sets that they possess. In the process, when
people participate actively in the development of their communities, a sense of ownership is
developed.
For the purpose of designing the study, observation of the direct involvement of staff from local
government, Africa Community Publishing Development Trust and partner organisations as well as
working with communities from Shamva, Umzingwane and Buhera provided the basis. It is noted that
party politics affects the development of a CSO/NGO sector that is capable of building human
capabilities. It is, therefore, clear that government should create an enabling environment that is free
from violence and rule of law should be respected as this helps CSOs/ NGOs to implement capability
building programmes conducive for all communities to participate in the development of their areas.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie ontleed die rol van burgerlike organisasies/nie‐regeringsorganisasies (BOs/NRO's) in die bou
van menslike vermoëns deur middel van kennis konstruksie. Die studie beoordeel die effektiwiteit van
die gemeenskap uitgewery in die bou van die menslike vermoëns en die uitdagings wat hulle in die
gesig staar in die omgewing waar hulle hul bevind. Die komplekse omgewing waarin BOs / NRO’s hul
bevind word inmiddels behandel. BOs/NRO's gee gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe veral vroue,
kinders en gestremdes 'n platform waar hulle hul self kan organiseer en gee hulle ' n geleentheid om
beleid te beïnvloed en hul gemeenskap te ontwikkel.
Ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap het baie interpretasies. Die studie fokus op die gemeenskappe as
sentrale agente wat verantwoordelik is vir hul eie ontwikkeling. Wanneer gemeenskappe betrokke is in
hul eie ontwikkelings proses, neem hulled deel aan ’ n opvoedkundige proses wat van nature beide
formeel en informeel is. Die opvoedkundige proses help hulle om hul situasies beter te verstaan.
Hierdie tipe van Onderwys genaamd "gewilde onderwys", is gebaseer op die oortuiging dat mense wat
betrokke is in ‘n proses belangrike kennis besit as gevolg van persoonlike lewenservaringe, die
opvoeding wat hulle ontvang bestaan hoofsaaklik uit dialoog tussen die verskillende kennis stel dat
hulle besit. Wanneer mense aktief deelneem in die ontwikkeling van hul gemeenskappe, word 'n
gevoel van eienaarskap ontwikkel.
In terme van die ontwikkeling van die studie het die direkte betrokkenheid van die personeel van
plaaslike regering, ACPDT en vennoot organisasies asook die werk met die gemeenskappe van Shamva,
Umzingwane en Buhera die basis gevorm van die studie. Politieke partye beinvloed die ontwikkeling
van die BO/NRO‐sektor en dit stel hulle in staat om menslike vermoëns op te bou. Die regering moet 'n
instaatstellende omgewing skep wat vry is van geweld en waar die oppergesag van die reg
gerespekteer word. Dit sal BO’s/NRO's help om vermoëns bouende programme te implementeer
wat gemeenskappe die geleentheid sal gee om deel te hê aan die ontwikkeling van hul gemeenskap.
