Strengthening Social Capital : The Gobifo Approach in Rural Sierra Leone

This is the story of the GoBifo project, an integrated rural development project working in two Districts in Sierra Leone: Bombali and Bonthe. Set up to support the decentralization process, the GoBifo project works by strengthening social capital to enhance the capacity of local governments and deprived communities to design and implement strategic plans at village and ward levels, and to enhance accountability of decision-makers through mechanisms that foster open and transparent governance. To strengthen social capital the GoBifo project pays attention to proxies like trust, collective action, gender and social inclusion, local groups and networks, and information and communication. The project gives communities the chance to open a community development account, manage their own development funds, and make independent contributions towards current and future village and ward development. It helps villages and local councils to use participatory tools and approaches to increase their community-level social capital and enhance community-driven monitoring and evaluation. Through the project some of the most deprived communities in Sierra Leone have decreased their dependence on outside donors and begun to develop according to their own needs and priorities. Their increased social capital results in more inclusive and effective development and enhanced linkages between government and communities strengthen Sierra Leone'¬"s nascent democracy and promote more sustainable development.