Evaluation of the Social Economic Welfare of Women Groups in Bunyala Sub County, Kenya

Women Enterprise Fund, a semi-autonomous Government Agency set up in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, was established in August 2007 to provide accessible and affordable credit to support women to start and expand business for wealth and employment creation (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2016). Despite efforts for empowerment through this fund, the poverty index of Bunyala Sub County stands at 64%. This study sought to establish the point of disconnect between the high poverty index, in spite of the presence of an enabling financial empowerment environment. The main objective of the study was to examine the influence of the uptake of women enterprise fund on household social welfare of women groups in Bunyala Sub County. The study population was 98 groups with a sample size of 78. Data was collected using questionnaires and key informant interviews. Data presentation was done using descriptive statistics. This study established that the majority of the groups preferred to use table banking and own savings as a source of funds, while a small percentage took advantage of the WEF. Further, most of the money borrowed was not invested, but was rather used to improve house conditions and to take care of social and welfare needs. As a result, the poverty index, which used monetary indices, reported a downward trend, yet housing types of group members showed constant upgrading and improvement. This study recommends training of group members to embrace borrowing funds from WEF so as to have a larger capital base, as opposed to what the members could access through table banking alone.