Basilwizi Trust’s use of Basilwizi-Bamulonga Facebook pages as a communication strategy.

Abstract

The study focuses on Basilwizi Trust’s use of Facebook as a communication tool in communication for community development. The study endeavors to establish whether Facebook is an effective communication tool which has influence on Basilwizi Trust’s programming and it also seeks to investigate how Facebook is being used to foster community development. This research employed research methods such as interviews, archival research as well as participant observation. Employing those research techniques helped the researcher to find out that Facebook is an effective communication tool that Basilwizi Trust uses. This communication tool cannot however substitute physical interactive communication tools such meetings and workshops. It was learnt that Facebook is used for idea formulation in a bid to create new development projects to be implemented in communities along the Zambezi Valley. It was learnt that Facebook conversations have nurtured community development as they initiate projects, guide as well as evaluate development projects. The researcher also found out that even though Facebook allows people to share their views, not all of Basilwizi-Bamulonga Facebook pages participants contribute in the discussions that take place on those Facebook forums.