Influence of individual saving project activities on the household of women in Kadibo Division

Abstract

In most of Africa, savings rates are relatively low, around 17 percent of gross domestic product. Kenya is no exception and in fact it saves less than many of its peers (around 13-14 percent of GDP over the last five years). Women have limited access to economic resources including land, credit, adequate training, support services and participate minimally in the decision making process. They lack access to employment opportunities and earn less for equal work as compared to men. The commonest form of saving by rural women is typically in the form of animals or durable goods, in cash at their homes, or through Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs/Chamas), which are commonly referred to as merry-go-rounds. This study was guided by the following objectives; to establish how individual saving project activities influence the level of education in women household, to determine how individual saving project activities influence quality of food in women household, to examine how individual saving project activities influence the level of income in women households and to assess how individual saving project activities influence the health of women household. The researcher employed cross sectional descriptive research design. Descriptive statics was used to analyze the data. The study adopted simple random sampling and purposeful sampling and select groups of households which are geographically close to one another, this aided in keeping costs to a manageable level. Households formed the basic sampling unit (that is, the smallest unit to be sampled). The researcher employed these sampling techniques because they enabled an in-depth knowledge of the study using a small population sample from each of the selected respondents. The study population constituted women groups involved in the individual saving project and their households. The sample size was 100 households. In using Primary sources data was collected from selected respondents using Focused Group Discussions, Key Informant Interview Guides, Observation list and Household Questionnaires. Secondary sources included relevant documents and reports. The researcher employed the technique to pick information that is available from these reports. Qualitative data from FGD and KII was analyzed according to the emerging themes and sub themes this was through selection of similar statements hence qualitative findings were synchronized with quantitative findings. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software was used for analysis of quantitative data. Presentation was done in textual form and tables. The study findings established that women who joined the individual saving project had acquired more assets after they started practicing the project activities. The hypothesis were all strongly supported at 0.001 significance level, demonstrating that level of education (p<0.006) which represented 60%, quality of food (p<0.005) which represented 50%, level of income (p<0.006) which represented 60% and access to health (p<0.003) which represented 30% have all been improved through the individual savings project respectively. The researcher concluded that there was need for the individual savings project to collaborate with other stakeholders and provide different skill based trainings, business oriented information and counseling services. The researcher recommended that, the individual savings project should be redesigned to include a (entrepreneurial) skills based approach to development.