Effects of community capacity building on the performance of food security projects in Walungu territory, South Kivu Province – DRC

Abstract

Despite significant food security projects initiatives in South Kivu, a province in DRC, food insecurity and extremely rural poverty has continued to pose major socio-economic problems to many households in the province. According to the report WFPFP (2017), over 80% of the population in the province relies on relief food distributed by non-governmental organizations. The study sought to establish the factors influencing food security project success in the South Kivu province of the DRC with a focus on effects of community capacity building on the performance of food security projects. The study was conducted in Walungu territory in the South Kivu province of the DRC. The study was bound by the following objectives: firstly, to determine the extent to which institutional capacity influences the success of food security projects in South Kivu Province; secondly, to assess the extent to which management practices influence the success of food security projects in South Kivu Province, thirdly, to investigate the extent to which proper communication and sharing of information influence the success of food security projects in South Kivu Province and finally to determine to what extent community participation influence the success of food security projects in South Kivu Province. The study adopted a descriptive research approach to collect primary data, while the target population of this study was 10,000 community representatives involved directly in the management of the WFP-FAO Joint Resilience food security Project in South Kivu. A cluster and purposive sampling designs were used to sample the study population while a formula brought up by Taro Yamane in the year 1960 which assumes a confidence level of 95% was used to derive the sample size of 385 respondents in Walungu territory. The study involved the use of a questionnaire method to collect data, and a pilot study was conducted to pre-test the validity and reliability of instruments for data collection. With the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), regression analysis was done, and the results tested. The findings indicated that there was a significant positive linear relationship between, Community capacity building, Proper Communication, Management practices, Community Participation and Food Security Projects success. The results recommended that the government should enact laws that require government in collaboration with donors to train the community especially the youths as technical officers who should be deployed in the food security projects to help in the management of community food security projects in DRC. Further the government to address the issue of both secondary and tertiary institutions of learning for the community to further their studies in order to increase their education level and skills depend on the technical experts from the donors.