Abstract
The study was conducted to find out the impacts of Self Help Groups (SHGs) Approach in the lives of beneficiaries at household level: in case of Hosanna Family Empowerment Program which is part of the development projects of Children’s Home Societies and Family Services (CHSFS). Children’s Home Society and Family Services (CHSFS) is one of the international not-for profit organizations in Ethiopia which are promoting SHG approach as a model for transformational development. Self-Help Group is an informal association of people in a village, hamlet or urban neighborhood with the principal objective of empowering destitute women economically, socially, politically, institutionally and spiritually. The researcher focused on analyzing the significant impacts of SHGs compared to other developmental endeavors undertaken by the organization under the study with the following specific objectives in mind: To investigate if the economic aspects of the beneficiaries at household level demonstrated improvement. To assess if SHG approach has brought the desired results on the lives of the beneficiaries in the social, political and leadership aspects of their lives. To recommend if SHG could be adopted as a development model for mitigating poverty at the national level. The researcher used questionnaire for educated respondents and scheduled interview for illiterate respondents. In order to enhance the validity of the research, both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied in the research. The analysis of the findings of the research reveals that involvement in SHGs has significant economic and social contributions on the lives of poor women.
Highlights
Background to the Study: This study was conducted in Southern Nation and Nationalities Regional State (SNNPR), Hadiya Zone, Hosanna town in the following Kebeles: Licha Amba (5 Self Help Groups (SHGs)), Mealanba (2 Self-Help Group (SHG)), Jelo Naramo (3 SHGs), Bethel (1SHG) and Sech Duna (1 SHG)
In an informal discussion held with focus group, it was learned that their SHG bylaws allow interested members who are willing to save beyond their regular savings
The study reveals that there were other sources of income by which SHGs augment their group capital some of which were fee collected from members who do not comply with the bylaws, interest collected from loan takers, and incentives given by visitors from different organizations
Summary
Background to the Study: This study was conducted in Southern Nation and Nationalities Regional State (SNNPR), Hadiya Zone, Hosanna town in the following Kebeles: Licha Amba (5 SHGs), Mealanba (2 SHGs), Jelo Naramo (3 SHGs), Bethel (1SHG) and Sech Duna (1 SHG). Hosanna is one of the lowest urbanized zonal towns in Ethiopia and the slowest growing business and industrial towns in the country where there are many social problems prevailing. A survey commissioned by CHSFS in 2008 reveals that the “level of urbanization in Hadiya Zone is one of the lowest in Ethiopia, only about 8.3 percent, which is far cry from the corresponding figure of the nation which is not less than 17 percent”(Solomon, 2008 PP 133). Solomon indicates in the survey that movement within the Hadiya Zone or even out of the Zone is one of the contributing factors that affect the growth of Hosanna town. Quite a number of researchers have indicated in their studies that SHG has both social and economic benefits in terms of curbing these alarming shortcomings.
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