Have you ever scheduled a meeting and no one turned up? How did that make you feel? Disappointed, perhaps, or even discouraged?
As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer serving in a community in the Afadzato South District of the Volta Region, I recently experienced this firsthand. Since my deployment, I have been working to integrate fully into my host community. This process has involved participating in communal labour, attending social gatherings and funerals, and conducting home visits. These activities have helped me build relationships, understand community structures, and gain insight into local customs and leadership.
As part of my initial engagement efforts, I planned to meet with two key groups; the youth and the women, on separate days of the week. The purpose of these meetings was to conduct a community mapping exercise and discuss potential skills training opportunities that could benefit the community.
To make this possible, I first met with the Asafofia (youth leader) to help schedule a day for the youth meeting. I then met with the women’s leader to arrange a day for the women’s meeting. Both leaders received the idea well, and I was eager to begin.
On the day of each meeting, I went to the venue early to prepare and ensure everything was ready. But as the minutes passed, I realized no one was coming. I waited, hoping to see a familiar face, but the turnout was zero.
I sat there wondering: What could be the issue? Did people not hear about the meeting? Was the day or time inconvenient? Had I not communicated clearly enough?
Rather than feeling defeated, I decided to find out what went wrong. I returned to the Asafofia and informed him that the meeting couldn’t come off since no one had shown up. He gave me the contact of a youth member who could help with mobilisation. I reached out to him, explained the situation, and together we worked to reschedule the meeting.
This time, we made sure the announcement was done several times and that community members were personally reminded about the meeting.
On the day of the rescheduled youth meeting, I arrived early once again to set up. Slowly, people began to arrive, one after another, until a good number of youth had gathered. What had started as an empty space was now filled with energy and enthusiasm.
We had a successful interaction, discussing ways to collaborate, improve livelihoods, and contribute to community development. The experience reminded me that successful engagement is not just about planning but also about persistence and understanding community rhythms.
My experience taught me that when things don’t go as planned, it’s not necessarily a failure; it’s an opportunity to learn, adapt, and try again. Community engagement takes time, and trust is built gradually through consistency and communication.
As I continue my service in the Afadzato South District, I look forward to meeting with the women’s group soon and deepening my collaboration with both groups. Each step, even the challenging ones, is part of a larger journey toward meaningful impact and sustainable development.
In all, I continue learning, connecting, and growing with my community.