CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE GROUP SAVINGS & LOAN PROJECT TO HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC WELFARE IN KIBERA, NAIROBI COUNTY.

Abstract

Community empowerment projects are initiated and designed to meet the felt needs of the target group in the community. However, most of the community empowerment projects experience major challenges in their life cycle thus begging the question whether they have any effects on the lives of the community members. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of community participation in the Group Savings & Loan Project to household economic welfare in Kibera, Nairobi County; The study was a descriptive using census of 98 members of Group Savings & Loan Project (GSL). Data, primary, was collected from the members and project team using a semi-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Secondary data was obtained from project documents. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used for analysis of quantitative data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data, which was presented in tables and bar charts as frequencies and percentages, and used to draw conclusions and make inferences. Qualitative data from the interviews was analyzed thematically and presented in a narrative format. The findings revealed that stakeholder participation contributes to 19.6% variance in Household economic welfare, R Square=.196, β=.442, p<.05. The study concluded that stakeholder participation has a positive contribution to household economic welfare of project beneficiaries. It is recommended that the savings and loans project enhance its stakeholder participation. These results have the potential to improve the economic status of community members through income generation and the satisfaction of basic needs by providing community development and government officials with the appropriate knowledge necessary to effectively manage and implement community empowerment projects.