Community Development and Leadership

The African Renaissance starts with Community Development!

Do you want to be a community leader?

Do you want to…

· make a contribution to a humane and integrated society; focus on strengths?

· help eradicate poverty, development problems and inequality?

· enhance the well-being, self-empowerment and capacity building communities?

· manage community development with the aim to establish self-reliant, empowered sustainable communities?

·increase your own marketability, employability and entrepreneurial skills in the broad community facilitation field?

· open access routes to further education and training?

The answer:

To these and many more questions, the answer is the following specialised programme from UJ.

UJ offers two programmes in Community Development and Leadership. A one year part-time Certificate and a three year full time Degree.

CERTIFICATE IN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

The programme has been offered since 1990 under the guidance of the Department of Social Work.

This programme is aimed at equipping students with the competence in the acquisition and application of methods and principles in the field of people-centred participatory development facilitation, with focus on the asset-based community development (ABCD) approach. Government, faith-based, non-profit organisations, community-based organisations etc. have shifted to a more holistic development approach, with emphasis on the initiating of sustainable and even profitable community projects or programmes. Within today’s developing communities there are also schools and corporate groups who either are, or wanting to become involved in community development. Most service providers are, however, not equipped to meet these demands.

Social workers who complete this course will receive 20 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points.

Admission Requirements

Students who would like to enroll must have a matric or a post-matric qualification and relevant experience in community work. Students need to be able to negotiate permission from an agency in their community or at their workplace to facilitate a small scale community project over three months with a group of community members.

Personal requirements entail that prospective applicants must have a general responsiveness towards people, especially deprived people, and a willingness to strive towards the empowering of people within the communities.

Programme Objectives

The programme is aimed at enabling participants to:

· identify and analyse poverty, developmental problems and inequalities;

· become personally empowered, cultural-sensitive and principle-centred leaders;

· initiate, establish and manage community groups;

· coordinate community actions and networks with relevant role-players;

· understand and effectively facilitate the people-centred participatory process of community development, making use of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach;

· manage self-sustainable community projects in a cost-effective way; and

· understand and effectively apply social business leadership skills within context of community development;

· enable communities to take control of their own destiny, geared towards African Renaissance.

Course Content

The programme comprises the following five modules:

Module 1 – Personal and professional leadership

Module 2 – Management in community development

Module 3 – Community development process

Module 4 – Elements for sustainable community development projects

Module 5 – Social business entrepreneurial skills

Course Format

Each module will be presented in a two/three full day workshop every month or second month starting in March, by means of participatory action and experiential learning techniques. Students are required to do field work and present a portfolio of evidence of their practice. After each workshop students are required to complete an assignment. Students will be evaluated in the middle of the programme and in October/November. A time table and final arrangements will be provided prior to registration.

On-site Training

If there are fifteen or more people from the same region interested in the programme, a tailor-made programme could take place on site. Time structures will be negotiated with the organisation involved. A quotation will be given, depending on the location, which will include some or all of the following: Course fees, transport (flights and/or hire of vehicle, toll gates, accommodation and meals).

Registration

If successful, you will need to come into the Department of Social Work at D-Ring 710 when you register and fill in an application form before registration can take place. You may register by the middle of February 2013.

Contact the following for further information:

Auckland Park Campus (APK) – Enquiries and Registrations

Ms Pat Silvey

‘ (011) 559-4547

E-mail address: swjournal@uj.ac.za

Fax: (011) 559 2800

DEGREE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP

Contact the following for further information:

Soweto Campus (SWC) – Enquiries and Registrations

Mrs Kafilwe Ditlhake

‘ (011) 559-5225

Email: kditlhake@uj.ac.za​