Empowering Communities to Drive Sustainable Development …
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by HEIs in communities embrace two areas of application (Shiel et al. 2016). The
first involves sustainability teaching and learning, with the context provided by communities. The second involves the identification, promotion and implementation of
projects aimed at sustainable development in communities.
1.2 Aim, Methodology and Value of Chapter
This chapter addresses the sustainability drive by HEIs, with focus on the potential of
the core area of outreach to contribute to community-driven change and development.
With a critical reflection on a sustainability focussed community engagement project
of the Department of Geography, University of South Africa (Unisa), the chapter
contributes to the evaluative research on the role of HEIs in capacity building for
sustainable development at community level, referred to by Shiel et al. (2016). The
reflection on the Unisa project adds a further dimension to the outreach drive that
often focuses on communities within the physical reach of HEIs (Ibid). In reality,
spatial boundaries are becoming less important, and increasingly replaced by flexible,
dynamic flows of knowledge (Ylikoski and Kivelä 2017). Illustrative is the case of
Unisa, an open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) institution, with its outreach having
a less static meaning and extending to communities that are not necessarily close to
the main campus.
The outreach project of the Department of Geography comprised of a communitybased asset programme (2012–2016) to empower the Koffiekraal/Brakkuil communities (Northwest Province, South Africa) to drive their own sustainable development.
This chapter shares the framework for this engagement, critically reflects on successes and challenges and provides implementation guidelines for similar projects.
The tourism and handicraft projects, initiated during a series of participatory community workshops in 2012, serve as mini case studies. Data collection took place during
the initial participatory workshops and thereafter the different project phases. Various forms of data are available, including observations, interviews with and feedback
from community members and participants and other forms of evidence, including
reports, articles and artefacts. The authors made use of thematic assessment in order
to support the critical reflection with concrete evidence.
2 Empowerment of South African Rural Communities
Towards Sustainability
2.1 Community-Driven Change for Sustainable Development
Community-driven change, as proposed within the NDP and supported by Nel
(2018), implies sustainable and inclusive change for many rural South Africans.
531
by HEIs in communities embrace two areas of application (Shiel et al. 2016). The
first involves sustainability teaching and learning, with the context provided by communities. The second involves the identification, promotion and implementation of
projects aimed at sustainable development in communities.
1.2 Aim, Methodology and Value of Chapter
This chapter addresses the sustainability drive by HEIs, with focus on the potential of
the core area of outreach to contribute to community-driven change and development.
With a critical reflection on a sustainability focussed community engagement project
of the Department of Geography, University of South Africa (Unisa), the chapter
contributes to the evaluative research on the role of HEIs in capacity building for
sustainable development at community level, referred to by Shiel et al. (2016). The
reflection on the Unisa project adds a further dimension to the outreach drive that
often focuses on communities within the physical reach of HEIs (Ibid). In reality,
spatial boundaries are becoming less important, and increasingly replaced by flexible,
dynamic flows of knowledge (Ylikoski and Kivelä 2017). Illustrative is the case of
Unisa, an open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) institution, with its outreach having
a less static meaning and extending to communities that are not necessarily close to
the main campus.
The outreach project of the Department of Geography comprised of a communitybased asset programme (2012–2016) to empower the Koffiekraal/Brakkuil communities (Northwest Province, South Africa) to drive their own sustainable development.
This chapter shares the framework for this engagement, critically reflects on successes and challenges and provides implementation guidelines for similar projects.
The tourism and handicraft projects, initiated during a series of participatory community workshops in 2012, serve as mini case studies. Data collection took place during
the initial participatory workshops and thereafter the different project phases. Various forms of data are available, including observations, interviews with and feedback
from community members and participants and other forms of evidence, including
reports, articles and artefacts. The authors made use of thematic assessment in order
to support the critical reflection with concrete evidence.
2 Empowerment of South African Rural Communities
Towards Sustainability
2.1 Community-Driven Change for Sustainable Development
Community-driven change, as proposed within the NDP and supported by Nel
(2018), implies sustainable and inclusive change for many rural South Africans.