The research was conducted in the Wasbank community in KwaZulu-Natal between June and August 2006 under the supervision of Professor Francie Lund. I am grateful to the SHG members of Hlanganani, Qhubekani, Vulingonto, Zamokuhle and Zizwe usekhaya in Wasbank for participating in the research.
INTRODUCTION
T HE S ELF - HELP G ROUP APPROACH
To what extent, therefore, does the SHG approach provide mutual support and group cohesion for women. To what extent the SHG approach provides continuous access to credit and reduces interest payments.
T HESIS S TRUCTURE
The research methods used included both quantitative methods, with background information of five SHGs and an individual questionnaire completed by 55 SHG members, and qualitative methods with a focus group discussion with 11 SHG members and a case study written on two of the members. The records of the 10 participating NGOs were analyzed to compare them with the five SHGs in the study.
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND POVERTY REDUCTION
D EFINING AND ASSESSING EMPOWERMENT
Mosedale (2005) describes four aspects which appear to be generally accepted in the literature on women's empowerment. Similarly, studies examining the mediating role of empowerment also conclude that women's control over assets, income, family decision-making, etc.
T HE CONTEXT OF POVERTY AND RURAL WOMEN IN S OUTH A FRICA
- S URVIVAL STRATEGIES AND SYSTEMS USED BY RURAL WOMEN
- T HE IMPACT OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM ON RURAL WOMEN IN S OUTH A FRICA
Using household survey data from South India, Holvoet (2005) investigated the importance of borrower gender and gendered decision-making processes within the household. Their study concluded that the non-contributory, means-tested state pension appears to be the most effective poverty reduction mechanism in South Africa, allowing some older households to rise from the lowest income brackets.
B ACKGROUND AND COMPONENTS OF THE SHG A PPROACH AS PROMOTED IN S OUTH
- A CLOSER LOOK AT AN SHG
- W EAKNESSES AND CHALLENGES OF THE SHG APPROACH
These are real concerns that need to be taken into account when evaluating the effectiveness of the SHG approach in KZN. Is there a thrift mentality in the communities where the SHG approach is promoted as it is a key component of the promoted approach.
M AIN CONCLUSIONS REACHED
Finally, how important is the role of the local community facilitator (CF) in initially helping to form the group and training the SHG members. Is it really necessary in the empowerment process or can SHG members manage without it. Rural women struggle to realize their socio-economic rights - they are almost 50% of South Africa's poorest population as a whole and 60% of female-headed rural households live below the poverty line.
The concerns and challenges of the approach raised indicate a priori that the SHGs involved in the research study are likely to have limited effectiveness. This thesis will examine these issues in chapter four in relation to the main findings of the research study which was conducted with five SHGs in the Wasbank area of KZN.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- I NTRODUCTION
- S AMPLE DESIGN AND SAMPLING METHODS
- S AMPLE PROFILE
- D ATA COLLECTION METHODS AND FIELDWORK PRACTICE
- D ATA ANALYSIS
- L IMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In terms of defining a household, I let the SHG members themselves define what it meant to them. I also previously visited three of the five SHGs involved in the study during monitoring visits in 2004 and 2005. The areas for errors include firstly the influence of the CF to ask, explain or interpret questions for the SHG members .
Second, the accuracy of the CFs in recording the SHG members' responses to the recording formats. Another aspect that limited the study was the selection criterion that participating SHGs had to be members of a collective labor agreement.
FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH CONDUCTED
P ROFILE OF THE SAMPLE
The households of the 55 SHG members from the five groups had 407 household members, giving an average household size of 7.4 persons. The average age of the participants was 52 years, with the youngest being 30 and the oldest being 74. Five of the women had at least one household member in casual or casual employment.
Eight of the 11 families had experienced the death of at least one family member in the past three years. The average SHG membership size in KZN was 13 members, the smallest was 9 members and the largest was 23 members, while the average size of SHGs in the study was 11 members.
A CCESS TO RESOURCES
- F INANCIAL RESOURCES
- H UMAN RESOURCES
- S OCIAL RESOURCES
A significant amount of subsidy income was received in the households of the majority of SHG members despite the fact that there were a number of household members who were eligible (based on age) but did not receive subsidy. But how did the five SHGs from the study compare with all the other SHGs in KZN in terms of savings and loans. Compared to this, the average amount of savings for the SHGs in the study was R2.50 per member per week.
Finally, four of the SHGs in the study had a significant amount of cash on hand or in their bank account. How did the five SHGs from the study compare with all the other SHGs in KZN in terms of accessing the intended training modules.
A GENCY
Forty-two SHG members in the study participated in growing vegetables in a community garden, an average of eight members per SHG; 26 SHG members participated in caring for community members who were sick at home, an average of 5 members per group; 25 people participated in an income-generating group activity, an average of 5 members per group; 22 people participated in the care of orphans and vulnerable children in their community, an average of 4 members per group; and finally, twenty participated in leather sewing and craft activities, an average of four members per group. SHG members were asked about their perception of the extent to which they owned the process of their own development and empowerment, and made decisions about their own future since the start of their SHG. Members who leave the group have a major impact on the group's progress. If we haven't seen a particular member coming to meetings, we go to them to find out what's holding her back and also encourage her to come back.”
SHG members expressed that they were able to make their own decisions and solve their problems within their group. CF would play a role in the early stages of each group in helping to deal with the conflict; it seems that the CF stopped being involved and left the SHG members to handle such situations themselves after about 12 to 18 months.
A CHIEVEMENTS
- I NDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
- H OUSEHOLD ACHIEVEMENTS
- H OUSEHOLD POWER RELATIONSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS
- C OMMUNITY PERCEPTION ACHIEVEMENTS
SHG members also reported an increase in whether they saw themselves as the poorest person in their community (75%), in being able to see themselves in a better economic situation (75%); to be a person with a lot of confidence and a lot of skills in dealing with strengthening the respect and capabilities of women (63%); and being a person who can make decisions in their home and have their voice heard, dealing with feeling heard and respected in the household and the ability to participate in household decision-making (42%). SHG members reported an increase of 100% or more in terms of a person with many friends and neighbors dealing with women who feel isolated and alone, and in terms of a person involved in community projects dealing with needs, which exist immediately. community. SHG members reported an increase of between 20 and 45% in terms of the amount of household income they received per month, the ability to pay for funeral expenses and the number of meals their children ate per day.
SHG members also reported a slight increase of about 10% in their children's health, in their ability to pay school fees and in keeping livestock at home. Community members were aware of the presence of SHGs in their community and had interacted with SHG members.
DISCUSSION ON MAIN FINDINGS
- A SAVING MINDSET AND ACCESSING LOANS
- R EPAYMENT OF LOANS LINKED TO USE OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS
- T HE POOREST OF THE POOR MOVING BEYOND SURVIVAL
- W OMEN AND CARING
- G ENDER ISSUES AND POWER AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL
- E XTERNAL FACILITATION , GROUP OWNERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY
All SHGs members in the study were poor as evidenced by reported sources of income. So in terms of the SHGs in the study, it seems that the very poor were reached. SHG members in the study reported an increase in the amount of household income received per month after being in their SHG for about 30 months.
Almost half of the SHG members in the study (45%) lived in multigenerational households with responsibility for grandchildren or great-grandchildren as their mothers were either unemployed or had passed away. The fact that the SHGs in the study were still functioning properly after almost 30 months was a positive sign.
CONCLUSION
T HE MAIN FINDINGS OBTAINED IN THE STUDY
The study could not determine the extent to which the SHG approach in KZN could target the poorest of the poor, or the extent to which the SHG approach addressed gender issues and challenged male domination. Concerns about a savings mentality that did not exist in the communities where the SHG approach was promoted before groups were formed were not justified in this case. The literature review revealed that the key components of empowerment include a process of moving from a state of powerlessness to a state of being able to make and implement life choices; This process was certainly evident to the SHG members during the thirty months they were involved with their groups.
In terms of deciding whether the results of the study confirm or deviate from what I expected, the results do confirm that the SHG approach is empowering poor women in rural communities, as expected, but in a limited way. However, from a positive perspective, this means that even the weaker SHGs in KZN are able to empower the women in their groups, at least to a limited extent, because the key elements of empowerment are in place.
R ECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY
Total Other income of SHG to date if any (donation, bank interest, entry fee etc.) R. Go through each household member and assign them a number against the SHG member (USE CODE 1). After joining SHG (write the number) If 1 = the poorest person in your community and 5 = the richest person in your community.
The SHG group discussed the request to include their SHG group in the research and the members agreed to participate. A copy of the research report will be made available to SHGs by the end of 2006.
