Salvation Army’s Contribution to Economic Empowerment of Women in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Economic empowerment of women through women of worth (WORTH) village banking program is part of the holistic ministry of the Salvation Army (SA). However, since inception of the WORTH village banking program in 2006 in Bungoma County, Kenya, the economic impacts of the program have not been clearly established. Thus, this study aimed at investigating the contribution of the SA to economic empowerment of women in the study area. The study is significant in assisting the SA in and outside the study area as well as other Christian denominations interested in coming up with sustainable economic empowerment initiatives for women and other vulnerable groups in the society. The study employed the Holistic Christian Transformation Theory to reinforce the importance of the SA in acting as the agent of change because of her ability to mobilize women for change. A total of 82 questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while two focused group discussions (FGDs) and 42 interview sessions were used to gather qualitative data. The study findings unraveled that WORTH village banking played a critical role in economically empowering women. After investing in income generating activities (IGAs), women were able to acquire property and other assets using the income generated from their businesses. Others afforded to pay school fees for their schooling children. Married women could stock their households and unmarried women catered for their needs without overly relying on their parents. The study recommended that the management committee of WORTH groups should explore forming linkages with formal microfinance institutions (MFIs) and Uwezo Fund, a low-interest Kenyan government fund targeting women entrepreneurs, with a view of increasing the loan capital which they can borrow at a low interest rate and then lend it to members. Members would then invest and repay the loans as a group.