Abstract

This project research study determines the factors influencing sustainability of externally funded community projects in Rwanda showcasing the Imbuto Foundation Imali project. Sustaining community-based projects faces countless challenges and some project managers are even blamed of neglecting the needs of the community. The study focus on the following specific objectives: to assess the influence of community participation, to examine the influence of resource capacity, and to determine the influence of project management skills on the sustainability of the Imali project. The study refers to the Freirean theory of dialogue and society and uses a descriptive research approach to determine several factors affecting the sustainability of community projects after funding. The population by the study comprises a total of 119 people from three cooperatives. The cooperative from Kamonyi is named “Abavandimwe”, the cooperative of Ruhango called “Imena” and the third one is Kohunya. Data was collected using appropriated instruments such as questionnaires, observation schedules, and interviews. For the analysis and interpretation, Statistical Package for Social Science was used, which showed that some demographic factors such age groups and education can affect the sustainability of community projects after funding. Community participation, resource capacity and project management skills are all clearly affecting community-based projects. While each plays its own role, they also complement each other. All cooperative members confirmed that these factors are very important to be considered for sustainability.