Role of Community Engagement on Mobile Mentorship Initiative (MOBIMENTA) Project Sustainability in Karongi, Nyamasheke and Rusizi Districts of Rwanda

The main objective of the paper was to find out how community engagement on project planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation affects sustainability of maternal and child care projects (Mobimenta) in rural areas of Africa. 3 districts of Karongi, Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts in rural Rwanda were assessed as case studies. The study used descriptive research design with a sample size of 255 people working with MobiMenta project. The study used universal sampling techniques where questionnaires were administered to 254 people and 1 manager. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as correlation and multiple linear regressions were used as method of data analysis. The findings revealed that community engagement in project implementation had significant role on project sustainability. Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.67 supported a strong association between project sustainability and community engagement in project implementation monitoring and evaluation. The findings revealed that community engagement in project monitoring and evaluation had significant role on sustainability of MobiMenta project. From the findings, it was concluded that increasing community engagement in the various stages of project management will increase in community ownership, capacity building and empowerment which are key drivers in ensuring that projects run after the completion stage and when the donors or other sources of external funding has been cut off. Lack of community engagement can result in loss of capital, non-acceptance of the project by the beneficiaries, legal implication and conflict which lead to non-sustainable projects. The researcher recommends that project beneficiaries should be involved in the earlier stages of the project cycle leading up to monitoring and evaluation, otherwise their participation in monitoring and evaluation will have less meaning.