Rural Extension course: Lecture one

Extension program Ahfad University for women The Rural Extension Program at Ahfad University for Women started in 1973 as an integral part of the curriculum of the School of family Sciences

. The course was initiated in response to the need to improve the quality of life for families in poor rural and urban settlements. The course proved to be a great success

The students gained valuable experience and first-hand training work on rural extension. In 1978 the course was assigned as a University requirement course for all third year students in all schools.

Now it is a university requirement for the third year students of all schools.

The objectives of the Rural Extension Program: To expose and train students to deal with issues of rural life To practice methods of social research in collecting and analyzing data related to the needs of rural communities

To train students in the field of development and to encourage them to act as agents of change To equip students with the essential skills of leadership

Content of Extension program: The content of extension program is divided into three parts as follows: Lectures( theoretical aspects) Practical session Field trips

Management of the Rural Extension program: The school of REED is responsible for running the Rural Extension Program; there is a coordinator responsible for coordinating the theoretical and practical side of the program.

. The theoretical aspects of the program are taught by the staff of school of REED. They also participate in organizing the annual field trips which make the main practical part of the program for the third year students within the whole University

Rural extension fieldtrips: The annual rural extension fieldtrip is a unique activity of Ahfad university for women. Going into field trip is compulsory for the third year students

.Field trips are organized in multidisciplinary teams composed of students from the six schools and supervised by one staff member per team to spend seven to ten days in a village.

Objectives of the Fieldtrips: Field trips are organized to equip the students of the six schools At Ahfad university for women, with knowledge and skills to: Be exposed to the different features of the Sudanese rural settlements

Assess the needs and problems of rural communities specifically women. Convey messages by the use of different communication methods, to help in improving the quality of life of rural people.

Responsibilities of the supervisors: Supervisors are assigned with their responsibilities,before the field trips, during the field trips and after the fieldtrips.

Preparation of the fieldtrips: Supervisors participate in the following activities: Preparation of field trips program according to real needs. Training workshops for the supervisors.

Training workshops for the students. Several meetings to train students on different extension and research activities that would be conducted during the field trips.

Responsibilities of Supervisors during the field trips: Contact local authorities to inform them about the program of the field trip and to gain their support. Assign responsibilities and duties for each student.

Assure the wellbeing and safety of students Supervise the implementation of each activity. Provision of technical assistance to the students.

3. Activities of the field trips Two types of activities are carried out in the field trips 3.1. Rural extension activities. 3.2.Research Activities

Rural extension activities. Rural extension activities are conducted to achieve the following objectives Raise awareness of rural communities towards different health, social and economical problem

Transfer knowledge and advice to help rural communities solve their problems Discuss specific issues related to women,

Research activities Research activities are carried out to achieve the following objectives: Collect background information about the villages

Assess the needs of the communities Identify priorities for development activities where new information needs to be collected. Monitor and evaluate development activities

Empower community members to express, share, enhance and analyze their knowledge. Show the key institutions and individuals in a community and their relationships and importance for decision making.

The concept of development All rural extension work takes place within a process of development, and cannot be considered as an isolated activity. Extension programmes and projects and extension agents are part of the development of rural societies..

It is, therefore, important to understand the term development, and to see how its interpretation can affect the course of rural extension work

The term development does not refer to one single phenomenon or activity nor does it mean a general process of social change. All societies, rural and urban, are changing all the time. This change affects, for example, the society's norms and values, its institutions, its methods of production, the attitudes of its people and the way in which it distributes its resources

Development is more closely associated with some form of action or intervention to influence the entire process of social change. It is a dynamic concept which suggests a change in, or a movement away from, a previous situation

All societies are changing, and rural extension attempts to develop certain aspects of society in order to influence the nature and speed of the change.

developed as opposed to developing nations it is assumed that some nations have advanced or changed more than others, and indeed these nations (developed)are often used as the model for other, developing, nations to follow.

statements illustrate development - Development involves the introduction of new ideas into a social system in order to produce higher per caput incomes and levels of living through modern production methods and improved social organization

Development implies a total transformation of a traditional or pre-modern society into types of technology and associated social organization that characterize the advanced stable nations of the Western world.

- Development is building up the people so that they can build a future for themselves. Development is an experience of freedom in deciding what people choose to do. To decide to do something brings dignity and self- respect. Development efforts therefore start with the people's potential and proceed to their enhancement and growth.

Three main elements of development Economic. The development of the economic or productive base of any society, which will produce the goods and materials required for life. Social. The provision of a range of social amenities and services (i.e., health, education, welfare) which care for the non-productive needs of a society.

Human. The development of the people themselves, both individually and communally, to realize their full potential, to use their skills and talents, and to play a constructive part in shaping their own society.

Development has to do with the above three elements. It should not concentrate upon one to the exclusion of the others. The economic base of any society is critical, for it must produce resources required for livelihood. But we must also think of people and ensure their active participation in the process of development

Rural Development Why rural development There are very strong reasons why resources should now be put into rural development. More than half the people of the world and the vast majority of the people in developing countries (Asia, Africa and Latin America) live in rural areas and gain part or all of their livelihoods from some form of agriculture.

Most of these people are also still very poor and dependent on agricultural practices that have benefited little from modern technology. They live in isolated and often inhospitable places, with little access to the resources they need to improve their agriculture. Many lead their lives barely at subsistence level. Solely in terms of numbers of people, there is a very strong case for giving high priority to rural development.

Rural Development Rural development is a process integrated with economic and social objectives, which must seek to transform rural society and provide a better and more secure livelihood for rural people.

Rural development, therefore, is a process of analysis, problem identification and the proposal of relevant solutions. This process is usually encompassed within a programme or a project which seeks to tackle the problem identified

problems that rural development programs attempt to solve Physical. These are problems which relate to the physical environment of a particular rural area, e.g., lack of water, poor infrastructure, lack of health facilities, or soil erosion. Rural development programmes can study the nature and extent of the problem and propose a course of action

Non-physical. Not all the problems which farmers face are physical in nature. Some problems are more related to the social and political conditions of the region in which the farmers live, e.g., limited access to land, no contact with government services, or dependence upon a bigger farmer. These problems are also very real even though they exist below the surface.