| dc.description.abstract | Self help groups are emerging as powerful tools for poverty alleviation. Generally
SHG have anti-poverty agendas with the purpose of improving living standard of its
members. In this study a critical examination is made on how management of funds
influence performance of self help groups, how participation of member influence
performance of SHG and also how diversification of group activities influence
performance of self help groups. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The
study was conducted in Muungano SHG Kianjokoma, Embu County. The group has a
total of 107 members. Management team, members and employees of the group
investment were targeted in the study as respondents. The research instruments used
to collect data were questionnaires for the members and employees and interview
guide to collect data from the management team. Data obtained was coded then
interfaced into the computer for analysis. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS
Version 18) was used for analysis. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were
obtained. Tables were used to present the data collected as well as frequencies and
percentages. The findings indicated that management of funds influences the
performance of self help groups. The self help members should be involved in the
management of the group funds. The members should be involved by management in
the budgeting process of the group expenditure and allowed to access records kept by
the group as account records, assets, shares and members’ records. The self help
books of accounts should be audited monthly. Self help group members should be
involved in the election of their leaders. The self help group should hold meetings
regularly preferably monthly and financial decision, collection and disbursement
of money should be made within group meeting. Self group members should have
good cooperation, good management, high discipline and prompt contributions among
members. The funds got from fines and other penalties fines become part of the group
savings. Self help members need to diversify group activities because most SHGs
activities apart from the core activity will enable the group members to benefit in
times when one enterprise is not profitable. Self help members involve themselves in
welfare activities like visiting the sick in the hospital, assist in weddings, burial and
court cases apart from their financial contributions. The study findings will be
beneficial to the group members in improving their social and economic status. It will
also help the members to improve on their financial literacy. This study will also help
government agencies to come up with strategies on how to facilitate capacity building
of the group. This study will be significance to people aspiring to form self help
groups to come up with modalities which will ensure survival and functioning of their
group. To the future researcher, this study can provide baseline information on the
recent status of self help groups. More significant will be the lessons learnt by the
Ministry of culture at large from the findings of the research in relation to
performance of the groups. | en_US |
