On Friday July 8th 2011 at Heritage Hotel in Nyanza District Southern Province took place a meeting on Community Development Strategy; a meeting that was organized by the Ministry of Local Government in conjunction with the Southern Province and it was about the measures that need to be taken in order to promote peoples’ development.

This meeting had brought together all the District Councilors, the Vice Mayors in charge of Social Welfare, the Vice Mayors in charge of Finance and Economical Development from all the Districts of the Southern Province, the Representatives of Civil Society in every District, the Representatives of Private Sector Federation, the Representative of Youth Forum on the District level and the Representative of Women council on the District level.

In her introduction speech, the Executive Secretary of the Southern Province Madam Jeanne IZABILIZA thank all the participants in the meeting and exalted every body to implement in their respective Districts the outcomes of this meeting.

In his presentation, Mr. KALISA MBANDA consultant in Ministry of Local Government told the audience that even though there are economical growth strategies which are fruitful, there must be well defined strategies of developing the community because“Economical Growth is different from Community Development”

Mr. MBANDA also underlined that even if the Economical Growth of our country gives hope for a good future there is still a long way to go in terms of development because “the key objective is to see the population changing their mindset and get more involved in the programs than just to sit and wait everything to be done by the Government for them”.

Still on this point, Mr. MBANDA highlighted that everybody must compete for a development that belongs to the community because “A good leadership is the one that leads to a sustainable development, so we must teach our population how to fish for themselves instead of waiting others to fish for them.”

The same person also encouraged the leaders that were in the meeting to use different means that will help them to reach the population and contribute in their development like the Decentralized Accountability days that can eve reach the village level where the public will have time to ask questions and get direct feedbacks instead of walking long distances to go to the District office.

Mr. MBANDA advised also the leaders in the meeting to promote proximity media like Radio Callings where the population will have access to information easily, the use of billpostings at the offices of the decentralized organs like cells and villages.

The Executive Secretary of the Southern Province Madam Jeanne IZABILIZA focused on the fact that everybody must take responsibility in insuring the development of the population, to promote communication and Customer Care on all the levels and she highlighted that everyone must keep he/his heart on the work and everything that will help our country and population to develop.

By Jean Paul BYIRINGIRO

Public Relations & Communication Southern Province