Influence of Women Enterprise Development Fund on project sustainability of self-help groups in Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

The project dealt with the influence of Women Enterprise Fund on project sustainability of women self-help groups in Kisauni constituency - Mombasa County. A report from the World Bank (2012) indicated that women at the Kenyan coast are still sinking into poverty over a decade despite the government talking about the projects it funded through different initiatives to align the Kenyan woman with the Millennium Development goals. Different interventions have been put in place by the government and other stakeholders to sustain women projects but minimal impact on growth has been observed, to establish the extent to which leadership influence project sustainability of women enterprise funded groups in Mombasa County, to determine the extent to which technological innovativeness influence project sustainability of women enterprise funded groups in Mombasa County, to examine the extent to which financial management skills influence project sustainability of women enterprise funded groups in Mombasa County. The study was conducted through a descriptive research survey method. The target population was 530 registered women enterprise funded groups but a sample population of 84 was used constituting to chairladies of the women groups. The groups were picked by use of Random sampling. The study adopted Empowerment theory & Systems and governance theory. The questionnaire was used for data collection, the research instrument was pilot tested in a neigbouring Changamwe constituency in Mombasa County. The questionnaires were edited and tabulated in line with study objectives, descriptive statistics was used to analyze data which included frequencies, percentages and cross-tabulations .Content validity was determined through review of questionnaires on the other hand to test reliability of research instruments, test –re test method was used. The study revealed most of the women groups consisted of women with a majority having attained a secondary level. The study found out that majority of women had decision making and problem solving skills thus aiding them in the running of their groups. The study found that women groups were aware of how technology innovativeness is important in survival of women groups. The study found that women in Kisauni-Mombasa County were using records to manage finances in their group projects. The study concluded that leadership skills, financial management and technological innovativeness to an extent influence sustainability of women projects. It was therefore the recommendation of the researcher that the women in leadership position be given more training on stress management to enable them manage group stressors such as lack of group cohesion, social support and interpersonal or intergroup conflicts. The researcher has also suggested that related study could be undertaken with a focus on Youth Enterprise Development Fund.