Power and community engagement: Developmental impact of community development agreement in Kono diamond mining areas, Sierra Leone

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of community-led community development in Koidu in Kono district, Sierra Leone following a community development agreement (CDA) between Koidu Limited and Koidu community, drawing from community engagement literature and utilizing power as an analytical lens. Data for this study was primarily garnered from semi-structured interviews of thirty participants in Koidu community in Kono District, Sierra Leone in December 2022, and January 2023. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. The findings of the study reveal that community engagement and democratic procedure were instrument in the establishment of the community development committee (CDC), a community representative body that selects and implements community development projects. The study shows that community engagement occurred among community groups in identifying and selecting proposed development projects. However, unequal power relations amongst CDC members and the social structure within the CDC resulted in the approval and implementation of infrastructure projects such as schools, a hospital, and multipurpose buildings yet it failed to approve proposed projects submitted by youth and women's groups.