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Enabling Digital Participation

Empowering Community Leadership: Community Organisation Leaders

Completed South Tarawa, Kiribati

Two days of leadership, digital literacy and financial literacy training for village and community group leaders, delivered in July 2026 and closing with personal action planning. Part of the Empowering Community Leadership programme funded by the New Zealand High Commission.

Participant commitments

Participants recorded the most detailed action commitments of the programme. They included electing board members and clearly defining their roles, opening community bank accounts, preparing full documentation before applying for funding, and retaining receipts as evidence for donors. Fifteen participants identified community leadership and budgeting as their priority areas for the following three months.

Funded by

New Zealand High Commission New Zealand High Commission
Empowering Community Leadership: Community Organisation Leaders

Objectives

What this program sets out to do

For community-based organisation leaders, the programme aimed to strengthen:

  • Leadership: grassroots mobilisation, volunteer management and community engagement.
  • Digital literacy: using digital tools for community communication, event coordination and documenting local projects.
  • Financial management: managing community funds, transparent budgeting for local projects, and tracking donations and expenditure.

Voices

What people are saying

  • “Elect new board members and clearly define their roles. Open a community bank account, since we do not have one. Train the board members and apply for grants.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026

  • “I will teach my community about the qualities of a good leader and help them learn how to write grant applications.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026

  • “Protecting myself from online risks and cyber threats on social media, and understanding the importance of providing strong evidence when applying for funding.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026

  • “I will return and teach my community about networking, and how to request funding from donors to support business and livelihood activities.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026

  • “The importance of preparing a strong grant proposal and a strategic plan that meets both community needs and donor requirements.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026

  • “I gained a better understanding of communication and how to work effectively with my members, and how to communicate properly as a responsible and trustworthy leader.”

    Community organisation leader

    Empowering Community Leadership · July 2026