Volunteers as Enablers or Disablers of Community Development in Chegutu District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper analyses the potential contributions of volunteers to community development. Little is known about the contribution of volunteers to community development although almost every non-governmental organisation in Zimbabwe relies on volunteers. This research used a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions to collect data from community volunteers, officials of non-governmental organisations, and government officials. Community volunteers play an important role in driving and sustaining community development. The researcher established that volunteers act as an intermediary between the community and non-governmental organisations. Moreover, activities like the targeting of beneficiaries and the implementation of activities are unthinkable without the involvement of volunteers. Despite volunteers’ importance, there are serious drawbacks that influence the effective contribution of volunteers to community development. Volunteers disable community development through corruption, polarisation, falsifying reports and a lethargic approach to work. These drawbacks contradict the ubuntu value system that underlines the concept of volunteerism. Some of the drawbacks can be rectified by incentivising community volunteers, and by recruiting volunteers with acceptable levels of literacy.

Challenges Faced by Community Volunteers in Community Development: Voices from Volunteers in Chegutu District, Zimbabwe

“…This view is peddled by those who are oblivious to Christian ethics and Ubuntu which motivate the majority of volunteers in Zimbabwe in general and the CD in particular. Ubuntu is a philosophical orientation that captures African belief in good deeds and acceptable behaviour (Kabonga, 2020b). Our findings concur with Bhiri et al’s (2014) conclusion that the lack of appreciation of the work of volunteers is a barrier to volunteerism.…”

“…In welfare-oriented projects run by NGOs, volunteers' responsibilities include preparation, distribution and maintenance of equipment and materials. Recently, Kabonga's (2020b) study showed that in structured NGO programmes, volunteers also assume low-level monitoring and evaluation of community development projects. For home-based care programmes in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Akintola (2008) and Rodlach (2009) respectively submit that volunteers provide spiritual support, psychosocial support, nursing care and other logistical support.…”

“…Formal volunteerism is mostly done through a formal organisation usually embedded in NGO programmes; therefore, our Chegutu study focuses on this type of volunteerism. Informal volunteerism reflects mutual aid to community members in need of help (Govo, 2015; Kabonga, 2020b). Before the emergence of the modern state and modern organisations of development, it is important to note that Africans had always voluntarily organised themselves to help some of their fellows in need.…”

Surviving on the margins: Volunteers’ agency to survive poverty and vulnerability in Zimbabwe

“…Volunteer roles resonate with the desired outcomes of interventions by social workers implementing rural development interventions which envisage greater access to social development services for under-serviced populations in remote rural locations. In earlier findings in the Chegutu district, Kabonga (2020) established that volunteers are indeed enablers of social development. Elsewhere in East Africa, Brown and Green (2015) concur that volunteers act as the intermediary between NGOs and the community.…”

“…Thus, with this problem, volunteers work in NGOs' Sexual Reproductive Programmes (SRHs) to reduce the spread of HIV and STIs. Community problems prevalent in the district include a high HIV and AIDS rate (estimated to be 15%), teenage pregnancies, child marriages, poverty, school dropouts and sexual abuse of minors (Kabonga, 2015(Kabonga, , 2020. Volunteers are active in programmes that seek to address these problems.…”