Four Steps to an Unbeatable Rural Development Action Plan

There is a recognisable need for rural development in South Africa. The public and private sectors agree. We need to see sustainable economic growth in our rural communities. You don’t have to be a qualified economist to see that when our rural areas prosper, so do our urban areas, and vice versa. It will take decisive steps to realise this ideal. Rural development requires an action plan.

Developing a rural development action plan is a process which can take years of trial and error. All the while, methods need to be checked and revisited to ensure they are still effective and relevant.

Umsizi has walked with many communities in rural areas. We have seen great breakthroughs in the development of rural communities. Based on our experience, here are four components of a dynamite rural development action plan.

1. Goals which are measurable

The goals for a rural development action plan are clear. We want to ensure food security across the board. We want to see that all households have enough food to subsist through highs and lows in our economy. We want to see our agricultural sector move from strength to strength because we all benefit. We want to see a satisfactory quality of life and working opportunities in rural areas. This will offset the problems of urbanisation. It will provide attractive alternatives for people in rural areas. The action plan for rural development should move us closer to these goals, thereby bringing us into a brighter future.

The way to move toward that future is to break down these goals into smaller steps which are measurable. Through constant monitoring and feedback, we can track the success of each of the goals in our action plan. We do this by measuring how far the community has come, and how many households have benefited from the action plan.

2. A scope which is realistic

There are many complex factors involved in developing rural communities. The rural development action plan should also make provision for these. There are cultural, religious, social, economic, technological, and environmental factors to consider. Some action plans may look good on paper but fall flat in the real world because they do not cater for the complexity of the challenges.

Umsizi maintains a principle of continuing to meet with community leaders and representatives. This enables us to address challenges as they arise. It has been said that “by many counsellors, a war is won”. Perhaps this is why Umisizi has assisted so many in rural areas to get ahead.

3. Projects which are practical

As part of the rural development action plan, we provide training, support and infrastructure around several key community development projects. These projects have a verified success rate. The projects include:

•  Household agricultural livelihood development. This is open to all members of the rural community. Community members get basic training and equipping in the areas of nutrition, soil fertility and cultivation of household agriculture. In this way, we empower households to supplement their own food security. We even see households growing enough crops to sell a surplus and supplement their income.
• Community–run indigenous nurseries. Here we focus on skills development. We develop startup enterprises run by the community, and for the benefit of the community.
• Agricultural crop production infrastructure. Umisizi has pioneered new technology and techniques for sustainable agriculture. We put these in place to the benefit of select hardworking and committed households. These households now have new options on low-cost micro-greenhouse tunnels and irrigation.
• Basic services and infrastructure. This project deals with some of the most basic and widespread issues facing our rural communities. Chief among these is the need for a potable and usable water supply which is available throughout our rural areas.
• Livestock and poultry improvement projects. With these, we work towards uplifting rural communities. We mentor and provide the basic tools for increasing subsistence and wholesale farming.

4. Benefits which help both communities and companies

One of the great things about the way we tackle the rural development action plan is that it is a win-win situation. Not only are rural areas uplifted but corporate partners benefit too. Mining companies need a working Social and Labour Plan to receive their mining rights. Corporates enjoy improved BBBEE rankings when taking on the right Enterprise Development Initiatives. Our rural development programs are perfectly suited for working with government, mining companies and other corporates.

All our objectives line up with government’s published objectives for rural development in South Africa. We can assist you with the setup of your Social and Labour Plan to ensure it meets all the necessary requirements. Our constant feedback and monitoring processes assure peace of mind. We s make sure that real, positive, measurable change is taking place within the target communities.

5. Results which are sustainable

The rural development action plan needs to be sustainable in at least two ways. First, projects need to be community-sustainable. That is, if funding or hands-on mentoring stops for whatever reason, we need to ensure that the community can continue to self-develop. Besides this, we need to ensure that the environment is not exploited. The factors of production must remain as renewable as is realistic.

We would love to partner with you in the rural development action plan. Join us as we work towards poverty eradication and community upliftment in our rural areas. We all benefit in the long run.[/fusion_text][/one_full]