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“Development Must Move Closer to Communities”—Alex Adams Calls for Greater Grassroots Inclusion
Alex Adams, Founder of The Hive Network Africa, has called for a shift in the way development interventions are designed and delivered, arguing that sustainable community impact requires greater trust and investment in grassroots organisations.
Speaking from years of engagement at community level, Adams said the persistent gap between policy design and real-life outcomes is not solely a funding issue but also a matter of proximity to the people affected.
According to him, while significant resources continue to flow into development programmes annually, many underserved communities still struggle with poor infrastructure, unreliable public services, and limited access to opportunities.
“Development is not only a funding challenge. It is also a proximity challenge,” Adams stated, noting that policies and programmes are often developed far from the realities of the communities they are intended to serve.
He observed that large organisations frequently secure major development contracts due to stronger institutional structures, governance systems, and compliance frameworks required by funders. While acknowledging the importance of accountability and structured delivery mechanisms, Adams argued that implementation can sometimes become disconnected from local realities.
He noted that development success is often measured through outputs such as attendance figures and programme reach, but said long-term transformation requires deeper engagement.
“Communities do not experience development through reports. They experience it through whether life actually becomes better,” he said.
Adams stressed that grassroots organisations often possess a unique advantage because of their closeness to local challenges and stronger relationships within communities. However, he argued that many smaller organisations remain underfunded or overlooked despite investing in governance, compliance, and operational capacity.
He maintained that the solution is not to replace large institutions but to strengthen collaboration between institutional actors and grassroots organisations.
According to him, funders should consider creating more flexible pathways for local organisations to access support, while grassroots NGOs should continue to strengthen internal systems, invest in monitoring and evaluation, maintain strong records, and build partnerships that increase their reach and credibility.
Adams further encouraged local organisations to remain rooted in their mission even as they pursue growth and institutional recognition.
He concluded that meaningful development outcomes would depend not only on the amount of funding available but on how closely decision-making and implementation remain connected to communities.
“Perhaps the future of development is not found in moving more money, but in moving trust closer to where the problem lives,” he said.
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