Social Cohesion Heritage and Self-Help Groups on Sustainable Livelihoods among Households in Nyakach Sub-County, Kenya
- December 8, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRISS, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue XI, November 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Paul Okello Atieno1*, George N Mose2, Nicholas K. Ombachi3
1Kisii University, Kenya
2Muranga University of Technology, Kenya
3Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Corresponding Author*
Abstract: One of the heritages we have adopted from the past and which is assumed to help marginalised communitiess address common communal realities is social cohesion. Through social cohesion, informal groups have emerged at the grass-roots which have enabled accumulation of capital by way of small savings and facilitating members access to formal credit facilities. Through such credit facilities, SHG members are assumed to be in a position to acquire assets for production as well as food and improved nutrition. However, in some regions such as Nyakach Sub-County in Kenya, poverty levels have continued to remain high as around 40% of households living below one dollar per day. This tends to cast aspersions upon virtues of social cohesion existing in SHGs inhelping to solve social problems such as sustainable livelihood among participating members. The purpose of the study was to explore how social cohesion heritage inherent in SHGs have influenced sustainable livelihood among participating households in Nyakach Sub-County, Kenya. Specific objectives were to explore how cultural heritages in SHGs influence sustainable livelihood, determine how social cohesion existing in SHGs influence sustainable livelihood, and to assess how empowerment from participation in SHGs influence sustainable livelihood among participating households in Nyakach Sub County, Kenya. Collective Action Theory was used to guide the study. The study adopted qualitative research approach on a target population of 458 SHGs with a membership of 6824 household heads and 3 Sub-County Divisional Social Services Officers (DSSOs) who were all included in data collection exercise. The study yielded a sample size of 377 and Interviews were used to collect data from DSSOs while Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data from SHG officials. Field observations were also used to gather data related to group activities in the study area. Findings showed thatsocial cohesion heritage existing in SHGs (M=3.53; SD=0.93) have influenced livelihood of their households and is a significant predictor of sustainable livelihood {F (1, 377) =88.495, P<0.05}. Similarly, it was found that 40.4% change in household livelihood was attributed to social cohesion heritage in SHGs under this study. The study concludes that social empowerment at the grassroots among families at the bottom of the socio economic pyramid can be attributed to participation in SHGs. The study recommends that further research needs to be done on influence of life skills’ training on social empowerment of SHG participants.
Key Words: Cultural Heritage; Household; Self-Help Group; Social Cohesion; Sustainable Livelihood
