Community-driven initiatives to relieve poverty and inequality : case study of Lubisini, Elundini Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality remains one of the biggest global challenges in the 21st Century. In the last two decades the democraticg overnment of South Africa still grapple with rising levels of poverty and inequality. The aim of this research was to facilitate a roots-driven community intervention that would allow the community members from the rural village of Lubisini (Eastern Cape, South Africa) to create opportunities that will help reduce their inherent levels of poverty and inequality. In order to achieve this 132 community members were workshopped through a community asset mapping programme (CAMP) to identify their inherent human, social, environmental assets, they were then assisted to develop ideas for small businesses, their own measures of success in overcoming poverty and inequality and the improvement in their own quality of life. The CAMP process is documented, and the intervention was followed by monitoring and evaluation of challenges and successes over an 18 month period. The research concluded with various recommendations that will enable rural communities to drive their own indicators of successful sustainable development.