Self-help and village development: rural domestic water supplies in Lesotho
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2015-02-17
Authors
Cross, Edward Piers Woodrow
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Situated within an analysis of regional underdevelopment the
dissertation evaluates a self-help (or community development)
rural development programme building water supplies in Lesotho.
The social and material achievements of the programme are considered;
social and cultural constraints to the acceptability and effectiveness
of the programme are discussed; the implications of self-help
strategy are investigated; and recommendations are made to improve
management of the supplies. •
The dissertation illustrates the use of an anthropological
perspective in development planning, and is based on an evaluation
commissioned in 1975 by the Governments of Lesotho and the United
Kingdom. The basic material for the dissertation was gathered in
the course of nine months residence in the mountainous Easternmost
district of the country, Mokhotlong. Information was obtained
by social anthropological fieldwork methods working in a total
of fourteen villages.
Results show the programme to have achieved very little.
The immediate problems faced are an overstimulation of demand
for supplies and the creation of a subs 'al backlog, and
a high rate of breakdown among the supplies installed. The
material benefits of the programme are minimal; there has been
no change in domestic water use patterns and consequently little
impact upon health; water quality has improved but this has