Too often community development is seen purely to be about programs, five-year plans, sets of activities, which can be quantified and reported; school buildings, boreholes, food for relief etc. Village level workers therefore often find themselves under pressure to achieve certain sets of goals within given time periods which forces them to employ less democratic methods to speed up programs. Ujamaa takes a different approach. For us community development is a crusade, a cause to which one must be deeply committed. Community development is not neutral it carries an emotional charge. It is dedicated to progress as a philosophy not science. We view progress with reference to certain values and goals within a given political and social system. Community development is thus a movement institutionalized through organizational structure and accepted procedure. Participation is active and driven by the community almost spontaneously. In the Coast of Kenya many agree that it is time to take on this understanding.

Our approach is to make the voices from the micro sphere reach the macro policy-making world. This will be done through mobilizing and organizing opinion against an economic framework that is antithetical to the interests of the poor. The Center has launched a capacity building programme that aims to build awareness and strengthen local village leadership around the common cause of a new resource exploitation framework. This process should spur the emergence of networks led by committed local men and women that can articulate the aspirations of the deprived and the dispossessed and offer a united voice to the fragmented struggle for livelihood rights, land redistribution, access to forestland and implementation of social legislation at state level in order to effect long term change. Collective action for us is central to challenging irresponsible and selfish capital.

We believe that…
…if we raise the socio-political consciousness of individuals and the grassroots communities through training, skill enhancement, accompaniment and solidarity, we enhance the individuals and communities’ commitment to transcend psychological  oppression/dependency and support their resolve to take proactive action to transform their lives, communities and governance systems.
…when we support entrepreneurship and mobilization of local resources, we restore individual and community pride and dignity thus enhancing the capacity for homegrown solutions to problems and challenges.
…when we model a lifestyle and organizational culture that encourages critical attitude, spirituality, respect for religious affiliations/backgrounds and ideological orientation, gender equality, and commitment to reflection and social action, we enhance the transformation of ourselves, constituency communities, partner organizations, funding partners and above all, the global unequal  relationships, into more just and egalitarian relationships.
…when we constantly critique the dominant structures and systems and tax our imagination to evolve alternative structures and systems we connect to, and mobilize a critical mass to believe that an alternative world is possible and locally act towards a world where just and egalitarian relationships and systems are envisaged.
…when we root our work with the culture and political reality of the people then genuine political and social transformation can take place particularly when indigenous resources and youth creativity are tapped to respond to context specific problems and challenges including localized global conflicts.

(i)       Agro-industry alternatives for poverty reduction project that has given the communities of Tsunza, Tiwi and Bayamose beehives and commercial farm forestry ideas for their incomes.

(ii)     Natural Resource Control/Rights Project that provides skills and capacity to communities of Kwale and Kilifi Districts to improve their terms of trade, protect their natural resources and access state funds devolved to them for development.

(iii)    Briquette Project that has enabled the community of Bayamose utilize their agricultural waste and forestry residues to fuel briquettes in order to conserve coastal forests and woodlands.

Ujamaa is governed by a Board of Directors that articulates the policy principles, sets direction and institutional and program focus. The Board is also responsible for ensuring generative learning from the institution. The Board has put in place a strong secretariat manned by five staff and a further 32 employees who work in the field as community mobilisers and volunteers. The Center continues to develop its institutional capacity; long-term community building (training, organising, advocacy and lobbying); and work organisation. Allavida, UNDP and HBF have supported some of these projects.

if we raise the socio-political consciousness of individuals and the grassroots communities through training, skill enhancement, accompaniment and solidarity, we enhance the individuals and communities’ commitment to transcend psychological  oppression/dependency and support their resolve to take proactive action to transform their lives, communities and governance systems.…when we support entrepreneurship and mobilization of local resources, we restore individual and community pride and dignity thus enhancing the capacity for homegrown solutions to problems and challenges. …when we model a lifestyle and organizational culture that encourages critical attitude, spirituality, respect for religious affiliations/backgrounds and ideological orientation, gender equality, and commitment to reflection and social action, we enhance the transformation of ourselves, constituency communities, partner organizations, funding partners and above all, the global unequal  relationships, into more just and egalitarian relationships.…when we constantly critique the dominant structures and systems and tax our imagination to evolve alternative structures and systems we connect to, and mobilize a critical mass to believe that an alternative world is possible and locally act towards a world where just and egalitarian relationships and systems are envisaged. …when we root our work with the culture and political reality of the people then genuine political and social transformation can take place particularly when indigenous resources and youth creativity are tapped to respond to context specific problems and challenges including localized global conflicts.