UDS, the Mastercard Foundation’s new project, encourages Africans to have a say in community development projects

A new project led by the University for Development Studies (UDS) and the Mastercard Foundation is pushing for Africans to have a say in the development of their communities.

The project, called ‘Made in Africa MEL Indaba’, aims to develop a concept that will ensure that Africa does not concentrate its development on ‘unfavorable’ European modules, but towards a more indigenous African module that allows full community participation in the development process guarantees.

It also aims to decolonize the monitoring and evaluation of projects in Africa, where the best of African cultures are considered.

UDS believes that the status quo in monitoring and evaluating projects is Euro-centric, with European philosophies such as capitalism, individualism and others not related to Africans defining development in African communities.

These philosophies, according to the university, make it difficult for the successful implementation of projects across the continent.

Hardi Shahadu, a lecturer at UDS and a leading member of the project, told journalists on Monday at the opening of a three-day international conference on the project in Tamale that the concept, when developed, would ensure that development projects are tailored to needs of the community.

He added that African communities can decide how their communities are developed and participate fully in the process.

“We want the voices of Africans to be central when it comes to defining development. Until now, if you have an NGO and you have money, you just go into the community and say, okay, it looks like they don’t have a clinic, so I will build a clinic for them,” Mr Hardi said.

“We want to say that if you are an NGO, donor or funder and you have resources, go to the community and ask them what they need, what matters most to them. They will now tell you what is important. of the myriad challenges they have, and then you take, they say, and build your project around that,” he noted.

Participants in the three-day conference come from more than 15 African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania and Cameroon, among others.