Effect of Women’s Development Projects in Improving the Social Welfare of the Beneficiaries: A Case of Mother and Child Development Center in Gakenke District

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the effect of women’s development projects on improving the socio-welfare of beneficiaries in Gakenke district. Specifically, it sought to examine the impact of financial support provided by the Mother and Child Development Project on beneficiaries' social welfare, to assess the effect of women’s advocacy efforts by the Mother and Child Development Project on social welfare, to determine the influence of women’s training and development initiatives provided by the Mother and Child Development Project on social welfare. The sample size, calculated using the Slovin formula, comprised 170 respondents, representing beneficiaries of the Mother and Child Development Project in Gakenke district. Data were collected through documentary analysis and questionnaires. Statistical analyses, including correlation coefficient and R-squared values, were employed to assess the relationships and variations in the outcome variables. The study results found a strong positive correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.901) between financial support provided by the Mother and Child Development Project and beneficiaries' social welfare. The R-squared value of 0.63 indicated that 63% of the variation in social welfare improvement could be attributed to financial support. Additionally, the advocacy efforts of the project showed a strong positive relationship (correlation coefficient = 0.742) with social welfare improvement. The model explained 39.8% of the variation in the improvement of social welfare. In conclusion, the women's development projects, particularly those providing services like healthcare, nutrition, education, and psychosocial support through centers like the Mother and Child Development Project, significantly enhance the socio-welfare of beneficiaries. The study highlights the importance of sustained government support and the need for project sustainability to ensure long-term impact. The study recommends continued government support for women's development projects, emphasizing sustainability and long-term impact. Additionally, it suggests further research to explore additional factors influencing social welfare improvement and to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of such projects. Keywords: Women's development, Socio welfare, Beneficiary, Mother and Child Development Center, Gakenke District, Rwanda