Abstract:
Community Action Plans have been introduced by the Directorate of Extension and
Engineering as a tool for implementing the Farming Systems Research and Extension
approach in the Caprivi Region of Namibia. Although Community Action Plans
(CAP) is a useful tool for implementing the FSRE approach in rural communities, not
all stakeholders perceive it as useful. This study was designed to ascertain the
usefulness of Community Action Plans as a strategy to support a bottom up extension
approach. The following respondents were selected to determine their knowledge and
perception of CAP: Extension staff, Mubiza Community with CAP and Bukalo
Community without CAP. Two structured questionnaires were administered to a total
of 95 respondents. According to the findings the Mubiza respondents (91%) indicated
that they planned their development activities using CAP while 75% of Bukalo
respondents indicated they have no plans. Mubiza community are significantly more
satisfied (p= < 0.0001) with support received from Agricultural Extension
Technicians than Bukalo community. The study reveals that Mubiza community are
involved and participate more in community development activities. The majority
(92%) of Mubiza respondents indicated quite clearly that they received appropriate
support from community leaders, while only 42% of Bukalo respondents indicated
receiving such appropriate support. Both, Extension staff and Mubiza Community,
perceived CAP as an effective tool for implementing FSRE approach and improving
the livelihood of communities.
