The Human Side of Community Development

You’d think that by now, with all my experience, I’d have an easy answer to the question: “What do you do?” But honestly, it still sometimes gives me pause.

There are those professions everyone recognizes instantly – doctors, engineers, teachers. It’s no wonder that, as a child, I aspired to be a lawyer. But deep down, what I really wanted was to run a children’s home and care for children in need. Back then, I had no idea that career paths could be so diverse, or that passion could guide a profession.

As I approached the end of high school and had to choose a course for university, I was still uncertain. Luckily, my aunt, who is still my mentor today, stepped in. I admire her deeply. All I knew was that she worked in the humanitarian world, helping people. That was all I needed to know: I wanted to help people, too. With her guidance, I pursued a degree in Community Development, and everything clicked.

I have found such purpose in my work. It is fulfilling in a way that’s hard to put into words – knowing that my efforts help someone out there sleep with hope, drink clean water, or live in dignity. That’s priceless.

Still, the dilemma remains: How do you explain what a Community Development Officer does to a student in a way that sparks their imagination and maybe inspires them to follow the same path?

So, let me try.

What is Community Development?

Community development is the process where people come together to take collective action and find solutions to issues affecting their lives. It focuses on empowering individuals and groups within communities to improve their social, economic, and environmental well-being. It’s about participation, equity, and sustainability. It’s about making sure everyone, especially women, youth, and other marginalized voices, has a say in their future.

A Community Development Officer is like a bridge – connecting people to resources, linking grassroots voices to policymakers, and guiding community-led initiatives from start to finish. We listen. We mobilize. We act. We empower.

That, in a nutshell, is the career I’ve devoted my life to.

Community Development at Well Aware

I’m so fortunate to do this work with Well Aware as their Community Associate. It’s truly a perfect match. I am 74% extroverted (yes, I checked), and connecting with our partner communities gives me life!

Here are just a few things I do at Well Aware:

• I engage with communities to understand their unique needs by conducting needs assessments and impact measurement surveys. This helps us tailor water solutions that are sustainable and context-specific.
• I conduct WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) trainings for both adults and children. A fun fact? I LOVE working with kids! I even developed a new way to make hygiene trainings interactive and fun – with experiments! This helps instill lifelong habits and empowers the next generation to lead healthy lives.
• I facilitate the formation of community water committees, which are essential for local ownership and the sustainability of our projects.
• I serve as the critical link between Well Aware and our partner communities – mobilizing people, building trust, and supporting them to take ownership of their water solutions.

Now, for the exciting part!

Well Aware’s New Fee-for-Service Program

Well Aware is launching a Fee-for-Service Program! That means individuals, communities, NGOs, schools, or local governments can hire us to provide expert services in implementing water solutions. This includes everything I mentioned above, and much more.

If you’re planning a water project and need:

• Community assessments
• Training and community mobilization
• Governance support
• Sustainability planning
• Technical water expertise

You can hire us. You can hire me.

Our team includes engineers, hydrogeologists, and community engagement professionals who have worked on over 140 successful projects across East Africa. We bring passion, professionalism, and proven methods.

Let us be your trusted partner in bringing lasting change through clean water. Engage us. We’re here. We’re ready.

It may be hard to define what a Community Development Officer does in one sentence, but one thing is certain: our work changes lives. As part of Well Aware’s new Fee-for-Service Program, I am proud to bring the human-centered aspect of our water solutions to more communities. Through empathy, innovation, and action, we don’t just deliver water, we deliver dignity, health, and hope.

So if you’re looking to create real, lasting impact in a community, look no further. Partner with us. We’ll walk the journey together.