Empowerment for Development: Taking Participatory Appraisal in Rural South Africa

This paper looks at how participatory approaches to working with impoverished communities in the former homelands of South Africa, in particular Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), can enable such profoundly disadvantaged people to participate in wider development processes from a position of greater strength. The participatory techniques and methodologies frequently need to be adapted to ensure that people are able to take ownership of the development process. The paper is based on a case study of two villages, Hertzog and Fairbairn in the middle-reaches of the Kat River in the Mpofu District of the former Ciskei Homeland in the Eastern Cape Province. The aims of the study were to identify and evaluate perceptions of interaction between people and the environment, with a view to generating community action which could lead to improvement in environmental conditions and community welfare. PRA methods were applied in workshops with both children and adults in the study area. Follow-up research established that empowerment had occurred. People-driven PRA can contribute to the process of reducing marginalization and disempowerment. In addition, focusing on the interface between people and environment stresses the need for a holistic appreciation of all factors which impinge on sustainable use of the environment. Bibliogr., sum.