Community Engagement: Building Strength and Capabilities - Reflection on My Volunteering Activities at Easy Care Gardening

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: BUILDING STRENGTH AND
CAPABILITIES
REFLECTION ON MY VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES AT
EASY CARE GARDENING
May 21, 2018

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................3
General Overview of the Organization...................................................................................................3
Challenges I Encountered.......................................................................................................................4
Theoretical Ways of Understanding Community Engagement..............................................................5
Community Empowerment Theory....................................................................................................5
The Culture Theory.............................................................................................................................6
Social Perspective Theory...................................................................................................................7
Suggestions on Improving Community Engagement.............................................................................7
Impact of Placement on me................................................................................................................7
Skills I Developed During the Placement............................................................................................9
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
Bibliography..........................................................................................................................................11

Introduction
Community engagement refers to the process of engaging in work collaboratively with different
groups of people mostly with the same geographic proximity, special interests or even similar
situations addressing the general well-being of those people. Community engagement is a
powerful and essential tool because it brings an insight on behavioral and environmental changes
with the aim of improving the general health and living standards of community members (Firth
et al. 2011, p.556). It works jointly with different partners and coalitions to influence change and
resource mobilization, change of relationships among partners and serve as a catalyst for policy
and program changes. The purpose of community engagement is to develop and enhance my
skills of as a volunteer while contributing to the Easy-Care Gardening’s activities.
General Overview of the Organization.
The engagement and my voluntary work took place in Easy-Care Gardening Inc. The
organization deals with offering subsidized garden services to older people in the community.
The main aim of the organization are; to offer a continuous support to the aged to prolong their
stay in their own homes through provision of subsidized gardening services, training volunteers
about the services offered, and maintenance of liaison with other groups of the community and
the government. The organization engages either me and other students or researchers who work
as volunteers. The gardening activities are of a varied nature and include services such as
weeding, mulching, pruning, tool care, composting and the general cleanliness of gardens to
make it look safe and tidy as well as ensuring longer stay of household individuals in their
respective homes. Work, health and safety guidelines are followed by all volunteers and staff of
the organization.

Challenges I Encountered
Every organization encounters challenges while executing its activities towards achieving a
common goal or objective (Adeolu & Afolabi, 2010). Easy-Care Gardening company is not an
exemption. Some of the challenges encountered are discussed below;
Location
This normally arises in a situation where the client is unable to access the services of the
organization. This is due to inefficient transportation system and geographical location of the
client. It became difficult for me to offer my services to clients who live in places with poor road
infrastructure and geographical locations.
Inadequate services
At times the clients may perceive that the services offered to them are irrelevant or even
inappropriate.
Hostility
This is also a challenge I encountered while engaging with the community. At times some clients
might be hostile and can easily disapprove and dispute any service the volunteer is willing to
offer them Also, some of the aged individuals have a strong conformance and a strong historical
belief making it difficult to change their mindsets. This makes them stubborn and unwilling to
accept the services offered to them.