ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS ON ENHANCING POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN RWANDA. A CASE STUDY OF RUBAYA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
Journal Title: European Journal of Business and Social Sciences - Year 2016, Vol 5, Issue 1
Abstract
The essence of this research was to assess the effect of the community empowerment projects on enhancing poverty alleviation in Rubaya Demonstration Project. The study objectives were to: determine the effect of access to finance on enhancing poverty alleviation, establish the effect of training & capacity development on enhancing poverty alleviation, find out the effect of project follow-ups on enhancing poverty alleviation and examine the effect of project infrastructure on enhancing poverty alleviation in Rubaya Demonstration Project. The study adopted a descriptive survey design that combined both quantitative and qualitative research designs, techniques and measures. The study covered a total of 139 respondents comprising of 131 project beneficiaries and 8 key informants. The key informants were drawn from the project stakeholders & officials. This study used three basic methods for collecting data which included a semi-structured questionnaire, an interview guide and a review of secondary data from the Rubaya, REMA and other sources. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to the project beneficiaries while interview guides were administered to key project officials & stakeholders. Data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v20); questions in the research instruments were coded, variables defined and keyed into the computer after responses were entered. Descriptive statistics including frequency distribution tables & percentages and Pearson’s coefficient correlation was used in data analysis. The results revealed that out of the four independent variables used to measure community empowerment project, at least three variables – access to finance, training & capacity development and project infrastructure - were statistically significant. Evidently, community empowerment project strategies such as access to finance, training & capacity development, project infrastructure among other attributes not set out in this study led to significant reduction in poverty levels among the Rubaya Demonstration project beneficiaries. This informed the conclusion that while some aspects of community empowerment project attributes were seen to be extremely effective or effective in enhancing poverty alleviation, the project implementers had not necessarily exhausted out all strategies to successfully enhance poverty alleviation. Finally, it was recommended that, for efforts in poverty alleviation to be sustained, implementers should not only focus on raising income alone but also focus on developing mutual learning activities where project direct and indirect beneficiaries would embrace a fully participatory approach in enhancement of poverty alleviation.
Authors and Affiliations
Umuratwa Higiro Sharoni| Post Graduate student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology-Kigali Campus Rwanda, Mbera Zenon| Senior Lecturer; Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology-Kigali Campus Rwanda, Mbabazi Mbabazize| Senior Lecturer; Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology-Kigali Campus Rwanda
Keywords
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