Community Participation in One Year Internship as a Strategy of Strengthening Rural Transformation in Rugarambiro and Buhumuriro Villages, Rusekere Parish, Kabamba Sub County, Kagadi District

Abstract

This report shows what transpired during the one-year Internship which was carried out in accordance with ARU’s 2022/2023 One- year Internship Objectives; namely: (i) ARU interns have capacity to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of systems and structures in service delivery of ten lower local governments in the greater Kibaale. (ii) ARU interns as potential Epicenter Managers demonstrate an understanding of the role of Epicenter Strategy in the implementation of the Parish Development Model and realization of the Uganda Vision 2040. (iii) ARU interns have the capacity to conduct Community Action Planning as a democratic bottom-up process to cause Rural Transformation. (iv) ARU interns have the capacity to conduct PAR and develop plans to create change in the community. The Internship started on the 1st June 2023 and ended on the 31st October 2023. It was carried out in Rugarambiro and Buhumuriro Villages, Rusekere Parish, Kabamba Sub County, Kagadi District, mid-western Uganda. The intern worked closely with the, Technical and political staff of Kabamba Sub- County, Epicentre Manager, community members and the host family during the one-year Internship. The methodology used was; visionary approach, based on the methods of Community Action Planning, Participatory Action Research and Structural Tension Chart planning framework. The key results created by the intern included; action for the research carried out "The Impact of access to clean water on the health of the people on Kabamba Sub-County, Rugarambiro Village", improved health by establishing kitchen gardens and facilitated the process of making people key to their own development through mobilizing the community members to slash 5 access roads, engagement in Government Initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and economic empowerment by teaching the people how to use locally available resources to earn a living and also have a healthy life.