Facilitating participatory communication for development : A study of reflect facilitators in Namwala district

Abstract

The study is a detailed account of the observations of the student with Hodi in Namwala and from interactions with REFLECT facilitators and participants. To carry out the study it was necessary to be attached to the project to ensure a comprehensive analysis of facilitation of participatory communication in the REFLECT process. This study reflects on understanding the role of facilitation in participatory communication with a focus on REFLECT in Namwala. The major objective of the study was to investigate the extent to which REFLECT facilitators are communicators of development, and to this effect it was necessary to establish the role of facilitators; find out the communication strategies they used; determine the extent of participation between participants and facilitators and find out development activities that have been achieved as a result of REFLECT. The study drew its theoretical framework on the transactional model by Nair and White (1994). The study has revealed that REFLECT facilitators are communicators of development and that the communication strategy they use is interpersonal dialogical communication which is transactional. With reference to development activities, the literacy, numeracy, ability to solve problems and community mobilization were cited as major achievements.