Influence of Women Enterprise Fund on Performance of Female Enterprises in Makadara Sub- County, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of women enterprise fund on poverty alleviation in Makadara Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. To achieve this goal, this study was guided by four objectives. They included establishing the extent to which capacity building influences poverty alleviation; to determine how product marketing influences poverty alleviation; to examine the extent to which business incubation influences poverty alleviation; and to assess the extent to which enterprise linkages influence poverty alleviation in Makadara Sub-County in Nairobi County, Kenya. This research employed descriptive survey design. The target population for this study were direct beneficiaries of Women Enterprise Fund in Makadara Sub-County, Nairobi County. There were 307 enterprises run by women that have benefited from Women Enterprise Fund in Makadara Sub-County. Census method was used to select study participants. The target population was 307 respondents comprising of women entrepreneurs. This study collected primary data using semi-structured questionnaires administered using drop-and-pick-later method Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. Descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages. Descriptive statistics mean and standard deviation were used. The study shows that there exist a positive significant relationship between capacity building, business incubation and enterprises linkags and performance of women owned enteprises in Makadara Sub County. The study concluded that women enteprises funds capacity building programmes significantly enhanced leadership skills development, planning skill development and enhances controlling skill development. The study concluded that WEF through product marketing had positive and significant influence on Women Owned Enterprises performance. The study concluded that putting Women Enterprises into business incubation among promoted opportunity orientation, promote innovativeness in women owned enterprises, promote pro-activity of women entrepreneurs and improve empowerment in decision making and risk management. The study concluded enterprises linkages promoted networking pro-activity, increase in women owned enterprises networking size and diversity, strengthen of network and increase in network resources and improve women owned enterprise performance. The study recommends that women enterprises fund interventions capacity building, business incubation and enterprises linkages should be implemented to achieve high level performance of women owned enterprises.