Participatory Development for the Rural Poor as a challenge in Tanzania

This paper highlights some challenges in meeting the expectations of the rural poor during the implementation of the participatory development programs. Contrary to the commonly held notion that poor people are ignorant and rigid to change, the paper shows that their facilitators' behavioral and political factors constitute a significant source of development retardation. The paper recommends that a permanent and vibrant capacity-building program and information dissemination mechanisms to villagers on projects’ benefits and the role of the local community are instituted, together with the village-based non-partisan development committees for addressing issues of mistrust and tension