A community refers to a group of individuals that share common goals, interests, values and that interact with each other with the purpose of fulfilling their individual and collective goals. These said individuals could be living together in a particular geographic area. Roberts (1979) considers a community as ‘a collection of people who have become aware of some problem or some broad goal, who have gone through a process of learning about themselves and about their environment, and have formulated a group objective. With regards to community entry and organization, understanding the dynamics that come into play is important. It involves identifying key individuals and influencers, how diverse said community is as well as the needs of the community.
GATEKEEPERS
Gatekeepers are influential individuals or entities in a community who have the authority grant access to information, opportunities and resources in a community and play important roles in decision making in the community. In the context of community entry and organization building rapport and maintaining a good relationship with gatekeeper is crucial. Community entry must be negotiated with gatekeepers. They can help newcomers gain acceptance and credibility within the community by vouching for them or granting them access to valuable resources. Examples of gatekeepers in a community are chiefs, elders, Assemblypersons and family heads.
STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders are individuals, groups or entities that have a vested interest in the success as well as the outcomes of community projects or interventions as they may be majorly impacted. Stakeholders can be from within the community or without. Community leaders, volunteers, partners, sponsors, government entities are some of the members in a community that can be stakeholders. In community entry and development stakeholders can play a role providing support, different perspectives as well as resources and they can contribute to the overall development of the community.
AIDES
Aides refer to individuals who provide assistance in community entry and organization as they are very knowledgeable on issues on the community. Aides can be volunteers, professionals, or experts who offer their skills and knowledge to support the community's growth and organization. They help to enable the community entry process but can also act as double agents.
REFERENCES.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (1997) Principles of community engagement (1st ed.) Atlanta (GA): CDC/ATSDR Committee on Community Engagement.
Datiko, D. G., Yassin, M. A., Tulloch, O., Asnake, G., Tesema, T., Jamal, H., Markos P., Cuevas L.E., Theobald, S. (2015) Exploring providers’ perspectives of a community based TB approach in Southern Ethiopia: implication for community based approaches. BMC Health Services Research, 15:501 http://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-1149-9.
Edwards, R.W., Jumper-Thurman P., Plested B.A., Oetting E.R., Swanson L. (2000) Community Readiness: research to practice. Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research, Colorado State University. Journal of Community
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COMMUNITY
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