Residents of Najjemba Village in Kasengejje Parish, Wakiso District, have embraced community-led development initiatives, mobilising their own resources to improve roads, drainage channels and other essential services instead of relying entirely on government intervention.
Through a traditional community work initiative, village leaders and residents have joined hands to address local challenges, including maintaining six community roads, clearing drainage channels, improving access to clean water and supporting vulnerable children with school fees.
The initiative has enabled residents to undertake development projects using locally available resources, although some infrastructure challenges remain beyond their financial capacity.
Najjemba Village Chairperson Deogratius Ssebitaba said the decision to embrace community participation was driven by the realisation that the government has numerous responsibilities, making it necessary for residents to address challenges they can manage themselves.
“We realised that the government has many things to do, yet some of the problems affecting our community cannot wait. We therefore decided to come together and work on the issues within our means,” Ssebitaba said.
He explained that residents had collectively undertaken projects such as road construction and maintenance, improving access to clean water, installing security lights, supporting children's education and constructing small bridges across drainage channels.
Ssebitaba said the approach had helped the community make progress on local development priorities without waiting for government intervention on every issue.
Village Secretary Joseph Balikuddembe said the leadership assesses available resources whenever a community need arises before deciding how to implement the proposed project.
“Whenever there is a need to undertake a project in our village, we first assess the money available in our village treasury and determine what we can do with it. This helps us identify where to start and how to address the most pressing needs,” Balikuddembe said.
Residents said community work had also helped them appreciate the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining public infrastructure and improving their living conditions.
Some elderly residents recalled the difficult conditions they experienced before the community began taking responsibility for maintaining its roads and drainage channels. They said the initiative had reduced their dependence on higher authorities to address local challenges.
Residents also reported relative peace regarding land ownership disputes in the village, adding that efforts had been made to address the activities of land brokers in the area.
Despite the progress, residents said they continued to face challenges requiring support from town council authorities, particularly the construction of major bridges across wider drainage channels and streams.
They noted that such projects require substantial funding and technical expertise beyond the community's capacity.
The residents appealed to town council authorities to intervene and support projects that cannot be completed through community contributions alone.
Village leaders also urged their counterparts in other communities to embrace community work, arguing that local development should not depend entirely on government funding.
They said that when residents work together and contribute according to their abilities, communities can address some of their most pressing needs while strengthening unity and shared responsibility.
The Najjemba initiative highlights the potential of community participation in improving local service delivery while demonstrating the continued need for government support for major infrastructure projects.