Bachelor of Arts (BA) students recently engaged with experts from the field of Communication for Development (C4D).

C4D is an area of study that involves understanding the field of social change as well as how the power of communication can be harnessed by communities to make a meaningful change in peoples’ lives.

According to Stella Kihara, the Director of Africa Centre for Development Communication, the best approach of development, is where communities are guided to identify their problems and create solutions that will bring about sustainable change and improve lives significantly. The most important principle of C4D is that the people should be put at the centre of development; communication is two-way – dialogic and a continuous process, as opposed to one-way – monologic and focused only on the end product.

Angela Mutegi, Founder and CEO of Purple Frames, uses participatory photography as a tool for community development through creating opportunities for people to visualize their social problems. She gave an example of a successful project they carried out in a Nairobi slum where they taught children how to use cameras practically. The team gave out cameras and requested the children to take photos of their fathers as they carried out their day-to-day tasks. The photos were put up in an exhibition where the actual image of a father could be deduced from the lenses of their children, leading to discussion and action.

The two guest speakers enthused the students to take up a career in this field and play a part in helping people change their communities for the better.

C4D is a course offered as one of the options in the BA degree programme at Strathmore University.

 

 

Article by Rachel Otieno, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication student.