Factors Influencing Sustainability Of The Good Samaritan Program In Kenya: A Case Of Nakuru County.

Abstract

Declining levels of donor funding has heightened sensitivity to the issue of sustainability of programs. As the future stream of financial resources become less secure, pressures to ensure effective results with lasting benefits increase. The study has focused on factors influencing sustainability of the Good Samaritan Program in Kenya, a case of Nakuru County. The objectives of this study were to establish the influence of funding mechanisms, partnership and advocacy on sustainability of the Good Samaritan Program, a case of Nakuru County. The study adopted a crosssectional descriptive research design. The population of this study was staff of the Good Samaritan program in the Bible Society of Kenya and local partners of the Good Samaritan Program in Nakuru County. Primary data was used for this study. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data and drop and pick later method was used to administer the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution and percentages were used in the analysis of data. From the findings, majority (81.20%) of the local partners of the Good Samaritan program reported that the program activities they had undertaken in their community were internally financed. The funding mechanism used in this case is sustainable as it is not dependent on external sources. Funding mechanism was therefore found to influence the continuation of the Good Samaritan Program activities to a great extent. It was also found that more than half of the local partner respondents had not partnered with any organization in HIV related activities. Despite the general lack of partnership, various activities were reported by local partners to have been undertaken without the support of the Bible Society. It is therefore noted that partnership marginally influences the continuity of the Good Samaritan program activities at community level. It was found that more than two thirds of the local partners of Good Samaritan program were volunteers. These volunteers are advocates of the program at community level and reported to have engaged in various program activities through their own initiative and without external support. Advocacy was therefore found to influence sustainability of the Good Samaritan Program to a great extent. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Bible Society should scale down the program to a cost effective program design that can be managed and funded at community level by local partners. The Bible Society should also build capacity of local partners in fundraising. This will ensure that the local partners have the capacity to explore different funding opportunities beyond the support of the Bible Society. To maintain the existing crop of volunteers beyond Bible Society support, there is a need to include opportunities for volunteers to increase their responsibilities and skills.