Selected African universities community engagement work for poverty reduction

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss two projects that typify community service and engagement for poverty reduction. First is the experience of Ba Isago University College training project in partnership with Kellogg Foundation in the implementation of the Community Based Planning Programme that was based on the Zooming Approach in the DKAR Community and its surrounding resettlement areas, which are occupied by the minority San Tribe. The Zooming Approach is a participatory and interactive engagement approach to local development, developed and refined by the WKKF’s Africa Programme on the basis of lessons and experience from its work in the region. Another project given as an example of best practice is the ITMUA project which studied two cases of community engagement. The main argument posed in this chapter, using the two university projects mentioned above, is that community service is, compared to teaching and research, (first and second missions) expected of university academics. However, this third mission of universities and their engagement with communities is usually underdeveloped because of the growing attention paid to teaching and research in promotion applications. To revitalize this mission the project built on and adapted the framework so it more effectively addressed the MDGs and African contexts. The ITMUA project was the brainchild of a desire to understand how selected African Universities were engaging with communities, with the ultimate motive of illuminating and promoting best practice in community service and engagement. The ITMUA regional collaborative project consisted of an African partnership network of four universities.