Community-driven development in rural Malawi
A study co-authored by Anirudh Krishna offers insights into how rural Malawi communities view community-driven development.
As part of a collaborative research effort, Anirudh Krishna, the Edgar T. Thompson Distinguished Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy, worked with grassroots leaders in nine rural Malawi communities to understand their perspectives on community-driven development (CDD).
The study, "What do communities feel about community-driven development? Learning from investigations in rural Malawi," published in World Development Perspectives, found that local leaders have a clear and realistic grasp of what CDD entails. Considering it as the only viable path to development, community leaders desire to build stronger local institutions and commonly ask for outside assistance to help with capacity building for evaluation and self-assessment.
The Maravi Post highlighted the study in the article "Malawians champion community-led development over foreign aid."
"With foreign aid to Malawi dwindling, the study’s findings are particularly timely," wrote Jones Gadama in the June 10 article. "By harnessing local capacity and expertise, communities can implement their own development priorities, ensuring sustainable progress."
The research study is co-authored by Krishna, Daimon Kambewa, Frank Tchuwa, Frank Kasonga, and Patrick Higdon.