The Department of Community Development is responsible for the socio-economic empowerment of the poor and vulnerable but viable households with various Social Protection interventions to enhance their livelihoods for self-sustainability and poverty reduction. This is done through the implementation of the various livelihoods and empowerment enhancing programmes in all the 116 Districts across the Country. The approach to Community Development is one that is community driven and people centred to enhance the human development and ultimately the socio-economic development of the targeted beneficiary households.

Community Development therefore is Government’s resolve and instrument to reduce poverty and vulnerability as well as economic inequalities through the provision of livelihood and empowerment interventions to individuals, families and communities, to realise the aspirations of the Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among various strategic directions.

Mandate

The Department is mandated to enhance the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable but viable people through the collective efforts to improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of the communities for sustainability, poverty reduction and national development.

The portfolio function for the Department as set out in Gazette Notice No. 90 of 2021 are as follows;

1. Community Development policy
2. Community Development training
3. Food Programme Management
4. Group housing
5. Non formal education and skills training
6. Supporting self-help initiatives

The Department, based on the portfolio functions, implements the following programmes;

Under the Programmes and Projects section, the following programmes are implemented

1. Food security pack
2. Livelihoods and Empowerment Support Schemes
3. Village Bank
4. Support to Women’s Clubs

The section is also responsible for the management of the Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL) initiative, a component of the Girl’s Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) project.

The Research and Training section implements the following programmes

1. Community Training
2. Skills Development
3. Function Literacy
4. Community Self-Help Initiative

• Self-Help
• Community Led Transformation