ASSESSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOs) CASE STUDY IN THE CASE OF “SILLASE” DEVELOPMENTAL “IDIR”, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

“Idirs” are the prominent community based organizations in Ethiopian communities which are established primarily for helping their members at the time of loss of family and relatives. Nevertheless, through time different compelling factors urge Idirs to engage in developmental endeavors in addition to their major objectives. This is a Master of social work thesis on assessing community development interventions of community based organizations (CBOs) study: the case of “Sillase” developmental “Idir”, Addis Ababa. The general objective of this thesis is to assess communal development contribution of this developmental “Idir” to its member and the community. Further, the thesis assess the contribution of the Idir to its member to build their capacity, empower them economically, get access to basic education and health services and infrastructural development. Moreover, the thesis has discussed the major challenges that hamper its developmental interventions. In order to gain a holistic overview of developmental activities of the “Idir” eighty members from the total population of hundred members were selected and interviewed; both primary and secondary data were collected during the fieldwork and desktop review. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were also used to gain a broader understanding of the system and the activities involved, and to increase the validity of the data. This research has shown that “Sillase” developmental “Idir” has played different community development roles in capacity building, economic empowerment, educational development, infrastructural and social development. It argued that there are challenges identified like financial constraints, professional and technical limitations, members organizational related challenges. Further, the government and none governmental support limitation identified as external challenges. The thesis highlights that the developmental “Idir” has to avert the challenges identified and it is essential that the government and none governmental organization create conducive environment to similar developmental “Idirs” to engaged in more development activities.