My journey as a Community Builder: What challenges?
By: Jamila Dahiru
I was attending a discussion session sometime last month and a question was thrown at me that made me realize how we like to say the beautiful side of our journey, without a mention of the challenges. The reason why a lot of young people out there see successs as a simple ride until when they hoff on it, then they realize it is not as easy as they thought..
So today I would want to talk about the ‘process’ and in particular the ‘challenges’ one may have, while climbing the ladder regards our journey as community builders.. If not for anything, it will help us prepare…
The truth is that challenges are a part of life, and we have to encounter them now and then. I have faced a plethora of challenges, and what I can tell you is that, they never stop coming. Here are a few I can remember right now:
1. Lack of motivation/recognition: Gaskiya, running a community project may sound cool and easy, but trust me, it’s a whole lot of work! You have to bring dedication, very good skills, energy, time, and resources and keep that mental motivation on point. There are times when you doubt your impact, feeling like you’re not doing enough. And then there are those frustrating moments when life throws curveballs, messing with your focus and creating a communication gap with the community members. It’s a struggle, but don’t give up!
2. The issue to engage in: Hmm, it’s a crazy ride when you’re dealing with a community that’s tackling all sorts of issues. One day it’s drug abuse. The next, it’s out-of-school children, and then, a pandemic hits! Oh, and let’s not forget about corruption because that’s always lurking around. It can get overwhelming!But what I do is to have a laser focus while staying flexible. I put it at the back of my head that nothing’s set in stone. Sometimes you have to diversify to find the right solutions and so I diversified my approach and processes. Even though I focused on Health awareness at first, I immediately understood that it is just one aspect of development and it requires a lot of policies and goodwill! So I diversified the approach to include areas around access to education, accountability and transparency. I needed to be able to touch all angles. In general I create awareness through sensitization and advocacy efforts, push for change and call for actions through established frameworks. I created a sit for myself in many platforms of voices, to be able to push for good governance and that means development. Through such areas I was able to ensure that my areas of focus are impacted.
3. Understanding your team/community members: One of the keys to success is understanding and recognising the unique qualities of each member in your team. Every single one of them can make a difference in their own unique way and can create a massive impact. Building up their skills and knowledge is crucial, and you always need to carry each other along. You can’t just roll up in a community with members who do not know what your project is about. Nah, that will not work. And don’t even think about trying to change them without first understanding their perspectives and what they want to achieve. It’s all about respect. Also, if I am being honest with you, talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words. Sometimes your members might get too comfortable, and that’s when you’ve got to push them a little. But here’s the thing, sometimes you need that push too , because motivation is not always there 24/7. So, surround yourself with a team that lifts you up as well. Remember, you’re all in this together, fighting for change. Keep pushing, keep hustling, and watch the magic happen!
4. Building a sense of belonging and safety among people in your community: See, let me tell you something really important; feeling like you belong and being safe in your community is everything! And to make that happen, there are some key things you have to focus building trust, being consistent, showing empathy, bringing passion, gaining knowledge, staying professional, being transparent, and respecting the process. That’s how you create a tight-knit community where everyone feels safe and valued. I will expand these, one by one next week Insha Allah…
And because todays’ episode is more of challenges, I leave behind a smiling photo so that you know that challenges are just a part of the journey and Infact what makes it successful and interesting.. The feeling of happiness is immense when you overcome them..
Today is Friday.. Please do an act of kindness no matter little. And SMILE it’s sunnnah.
