Why Should We Come Again?

Senior 4 → Term 1 → Leadership

How can responsible leadership rebuild trust and help a community work together?

Why Should We Come Again?

On Monday morning, a bright yellow notice appeared on the community noticeboard beside Kato’s shop.

COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP DAY

All residents are invited to help clean and repair the community well on Saturday.

Time: 8:00 a.m.
Meeting place: The community well
Bring: Any useful tools you may have

People stopped to read it on their way to the market, the gardens and the trading centre. Some nodded. Others shook their heads and walked away.

By Tuesday afternoon, almost everyone had heard about the planned activity, but few people intended to attend.

“They called us last year to repair the footbridge,” Mr Ssemanda said as he sat outside Kato’s shop. “We arrived early, but there was no timber, no nails and not even a proper hammer.”

Mama Achen placed her basket on the ground.

“And where were the leaders?” she asked.

Mr Ssemanda laughed bitterly.

“They arrived after most people had already gone home.”

“The drainage clean-up was the same,” Mama Achen said. “We waited for instructions, but nobody seemed to know what was happening. A few people did all the work while the rest stood around.”

Seventeen-year-old Amina listened from a nearby bench.

She used the community well every morning before school. Recently, the water had become muddy because soil and rubbish were falling into it. One side of the wooden cover had broken, and the ground around the well had become dangerously slippery.

The problem was becoming worse, but the community had lost confidence in the people organising the clean-up.

Amina looked again at the yellow notice.

It clearly stated the date, time and meeting place. The problem was not that people had failed to understand it.

They simply did not believe that this activity would be any different from the others.

On Wednesday morning, the local council chairperson visited Bright Future Secondary School. He met the head teacher and explained the situation.

“The community needs that well,” he said. “But many residents are reluctant to take part. They believe the activity will be poorly organised again.”

The head teacher invited four learners from the school leadership and environment clubs to join the meeting. Amina was one of them. The others were Daniel, Ruth and Musa.

“The council has asked the school to help,” the head teacher told them. “Your task is not to repair the well yourselves. You must investigate why people are unwilling to participate and suggest how the community can work together successfully.”

Daniel frowned.

“Why should students solve a problem caused by adults?”

“You are not being asked to take over their responsibilities,” the head teacher replied. “You are being asked to listen, think and propose practical solutions. Leadership does not begin only when a person becomes an adult.”

Ruth looked towards the council chairperson.

“Has the community already been informed?”

“Yes,” he said. “The notice has been displayed since Monday.”

“Then perhaps the problem is not the notice,” Ruth said.

Amina nodded.

“People know about the activity. They simply do not trust the organisers.”

The four learners decided that they could not prepare a useful plan without first speaking to the people affected.

That afternoon, they divided into pairs. Amina and Musa spoke to residents near the trading centre, while Ruth and Daniel visited homes close to the well.

They asked each person three questions:

1. Why are you reluctant to join the clean-up?
2. What went wrong during previous community activities?
3. What would encourage you to participate this time?

At first, some residents were unwilling to talk.

“Why should we explain the same things again?” one man asked. “The leaders already know what went wrong.”

Others agreed to speak after the learners explained that they were collecting ideas, not defending anyone.

The answers soon formed a clear pattern.

During earlier activities, people had arrived and found that there were not enough tools or materials. Some had waited for hours before receiving instructions. Leaders had arrived late or failed to appear. Responsibilities had not been shared properly, so a small number of residents had carried most of the burden.

Several people also complained that those who worked hard were rarely thanked, while those who contributed nothing still claimed credit when the activity was completed.

Mama Achen raised another concern.

“People are always told to come and help,” she said, “but nobody tells us who will bring the tools, who will organise the groups or how long the work will take.”

Mr Ssemanda folded his arms.

“And what happens when the leaders do not come? Are we supposed to stand there waiting again?”

Near the well, the learners met Mr Okello, a retired carpenter.

“Young people are usually told to carry heavy things,” he said. “Women are expected to sweep or prepare food. Men take the tools, even when some women know how to use them better. People should be given responsibilities according to their skills, not according to whether they are young, old, male or female.”

Amina wrote down his words carefully.

Another resident worried about safety.

“The path is slippery,” she said. “Children often play near the well. Someone must make sure they do not enter the work area while repairs are taking place.”

A shopkeeper asked whether drinking water would be available for volunteers.

A farmer wanted to know who would replace damaged tools.

Two young men said they would participate only if they were allowed to contribute ideas instead of being treated merely as extra labour.

By the end of the afternoon, the learners had filled several pages with complaints, concerns and suggestions.

As they walked back towards the school, Daniel looked troubled.

“There are too many problems,” he said.

“No,” Amina replied. “There are many parts of the same problem.”

“What do you mean?” Musa asked.

“People do not believe the activity will succeed because previous leaders were not prepared, responsibilities were unclear and community members did not feel respected.”

Ruth looked down at the notes in her hand.

“So even a clear notice cannot solve everything.”

The following morning, the four learners met in the school library to organise their findings.

They spread their notes across a large wooden table.

One page listed missing tools and materials.

Another recorded complaints about absent leaders.

A third contained concerns about fairness, safety and the way responsibilities had been shared.

Daniel read through the comments again.

“The community does not only need the well repaired,” he said. “People also need a reason to trust the process.”

Amina pointed to the notice they had copied from the board.

“The notice has already told them when and where to come. Another notice will not be enough.”

Musa pushed the papers towards the centre of the table.

“We need more than another message,” he said.

Ruth picked up a blank sheet of paper and placed it in front of them.

“We need a work plan,” she replied.