i

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND GOVERNANCE

AN INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPACT OF AID DONATIONS EXTENDED TO

MBIRE DISTRICT BY NGOs IN ZIMBABWE A CASE OF LGDA (MUSHUMBI) 2010-

2015

COMPILED BY

BEAUTY R MAZHAMBE

B1232020

SUPERVISOR MRS.ZEMBERE

A DESERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE HONORS DEGREE IN PEACE AND GOVERNANCE AT

BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION.

2016

ii

APPROVAL FORM

The undersigned confirm that they have supervised, read and recommend to the Bindura

University of Science Education for acceptance of a research project entitled: An investigation

on the impact of aid donations extended to Mbire District by NGOs in Zimbabwe with special

focus on LGDA (Mushumbi)

……………………………………………… …/…………/…………/

(Signature of Student) Date

........................................................................ …/…………/…………/

(Signature of Supervisor) Date

……………………………………………… ……/…………/…………/

(Signature of the Chairperson) Date

iii

BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

RELEASE FORM

NAME OF AUTHOR : MAZHAMBE BEAUTY RUTENDO

REG NUMBER : B1232020

PROJECT TITLE : An investigation on the impact of aid donations

extendedto mbire district by NGOs in Zimbabwe with

special focus on LGDA (Mushumbi) from 2010-2015

PROGRAM : HBSC HONOURS IN PEACE AND GOVERNANCE

YEAR GRANTED : 2015

SIGNED : ..................................................................

I Beauty R Mazhambe l grant the permission to Bindura University of Science Education

Library to produce single copies of this research project and sell such copies for private,

scholarly or scientific research purposes only. The author does not holdback other publications

rights and the research project may not print or reproduce without the author’s written

permission.

Student Signature………………… Date…………………………

Permanent address St Francis High School Box 119 Guruve

iv

DECLARATION FORM

I Beauty R Mazhambe hereby declare that this dissertation submitted to Bindura University of

Science Education in fulfilment of Degree in HBSc Peace and Governance has never been

presented in other institution I also declare that any secondary information has been

acknowledged.

……………………………………………… …/…………/…………/

(Signature of Student) Date

........................................................................ …/…………/…………/

(Signature of Supervisor) Date

v

DEDICATION

This research is specifically dedicated to Ms Mazhambe for making my dream come true by

sending me to school even after my father’s death. These are the fruits of her unfailing love she

showed to me. Thank you for raising me, you are the best mom. Without the above mentioned

lady, it would not have been possible for me to be the person I am today. The dedication also

extends to my only brother Batsirai for giving me the courage to continue with my studies. I

say, thank you for looking after our beloved mom during my study period in Bindura and please

never lose hope in your own studies till the battle is won and always remember no goal is too

high if you climb with care. I have set the standard for you and I expect more from you,

remember the sky is the limit.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First I would like to thank the Almighty God for giving me the strength to carry on. My sincere

gratitude goes to all the staff members of the Peace and Governance Department and Bindura

University for all the support and assistance. My appreciation also goes to the LGDA research

program co-odinator, the district social welfare officer, the District Agritex officer, the

councilor and district headmans as well as people in Mbire District for sharing the information

about poverty in Mbire.

My greatest appreciation goes to Mrs Zembere my supervisor, for accommodating my mistakes

and being supportive. Many thanks for her guidance and encouragement that stirred up the

success of this research. l also thank my colleagues and classmates in Peace and Governance

group (2012-2016) for their unwavering commitment, love and support for me to successfully

carry out my research to come out with this dissertation.

Finally great thanks goes to my mother and my other relatives to whom I owe my profound

indebtedness for financial and moral support, courage and patience, may the Lord be with you.

I also give glory to God for all the opportunities he has created for me, without him and the

mentioned people, this study will not have been a success. God bless you all.

vii

ABSTRACT

The problem this research sought to address is on the effectiveness of NGOs’ strategies

implemented in the rural areas of Mbire District in Zimbabwe. The research used qualitative

research paradigm, a case study design and data was gathered from a sample of one hundred

and twenty eight both adults and children who were beneficiaries of Lower Guruve

Development Association poverty alleviation strategies. Data was collected using simple

random sampling. Focus group discussions and interviews were used as instruments.The

research has been basically influenced by personal concerns which I believe have influenced

the selection of the research problem.Lack of infrastructure like roads, shortage of schools

leading to high illiteracy levels, shortage of clinics and hospitals, lack of clean water, high

unemployment levels are the indicators of poverty in Mbire. The purpose of this study was to

evaluate the effectiveness of the poverty alleviation strategies implemented by NGOs in the

rural areas of Zimbabwe specifically Lower Guruve Development Associationin Mbire. What

matters most is that, despite the number of NGOs operating in Mbire, poverty is still

intensifying and widening. Through the research, it was found that most NGOs’ strategies in

Mbire focus on relief than developmental aid. Also when addressing poverty, NGOs use the

trickle down approach than the bottom up approach at times implementing strategies which

are not suitable for addressing the poverty situation hence there is need for assessment to avoid

duplication. Finally, basing on the research findings, the research recommends that Lower

Guruve Development Association must avoid being too selective and after implementing their

projects they must monitor and evaluate so as to identify areas that need attention. The

research also recommends NGOs to use the participatory approach as well as the sustainable

livelihoods approach in dealing with poverty. Above all the NGOs’ strategies for alleviating

poverty need to be reviewed.

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LIST OF ABREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AGRITEX - Agricultural Extension Officer

UNAIDS- United Nations Aids Services

USAID- United States Aid

AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

ESAP- Economic Structural Adjustment Program

SAPS- Structural Adjustment Programs

IMF- International Monetary Fund

NANGO- National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

HOSPAZ- Hospice Zimbabwe

L.G.D.A- Lower Guruve Development Association

MRDC- Mbire Rural District Council

IGP- Income Generating Projects

OVC-Orphan and Vulnerable Children

SAFAIDS- Southern Africa Information Dissemination Service

UNICEF- United Nations Children Education Fund

OXFAM- Oxford Committee for Famine Relief

PAAP- Poverty Alleviation Action Plan

SLA- Sustainable Livelihood Approach

ZANU-PF- Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

TABLES

Table 4.1The extent to which donations alleviate suffering...................................................34

Table 4.2 People benefiting from donations.......................................................................35

Table 4.3 Donations should never be stopped..........................................................................37

Table 4.4 Social services improvement from donations......................................................29

FIGURES

Fig 4.1 Gender..........................................................................................................................29

Fig 4.2 Age...............................................................................................................................30

Fig 4.3Educational levels.........................................................................................................31

Fig 4.4 Employment levels................................................................................................32

Fig 4.5 Sources of Income levels..........................................................................................33

Fig 4.6 Donations promoting growth................................................................................36

Fig 4.7 Donations influence on decisions........................................................................38

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVAL FORM..............................................................................................................i

RELEASE FORM................................................................................................................ii

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………………..iii

DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………………..iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………………….v

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………..vi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS…………………………………………vii

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES…………………………………………………………vii

Contents Page

CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................. 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 3

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .............................................................. 5

1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY .................................................................................... 6

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 6

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................ 6

1.6 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS ....................................................................... 7

1.7 JUSTIFICATION............................................................................................ 7

1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 7

1.9 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................. 8

1.10 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 8

1.11 ETHICAL ISSUES ....................................................................................... 9

1.12 DEFINITION OF TERMS ........................................................................... 9

1.13 TIME FRAME .............................................................................................. 9

1.14 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ......................................................... 10

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1.15 SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 10

CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................ 10

LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 10

2.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 10

2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................ 11

2.2 Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) ..................................................... 11

2.3 Principles of sustainable livelihoods approach ............................................. 14

2.4 RELATED LITERATURE ........................................................................... 15

2.5 NGOs IN ZIMBABWE ................................................................................ 18

2.6 ROLE OF NGOs IN ZIMBABWE ............................................................... 18

2.7 NGOs’ PERCEPTION OF POVERTY IN ZIMBABWE ............................ 19

2.8 CONSEQUENCES/THREATS FROM N.G.Os ASSISTANT AID ........... 19

2.9 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................. 20

SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 21

CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................ 21

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................... 21

3.0Introduction .................................................................................................... 21

3.1 Research design ............................................................................................. 22

3.2 Qualitative research design ........................................................................... 22

3.3 Population ..................................................................................................... 23

3.4 The Sampling procedure ............................................................................... 23

3.5 Research Instruments .................................................................................... 24

3.6 Surveys .......................................................................................................... 24

3.7 Focus Groups ................................................................................................ 24

3.8 Interviews ...................................................................................................... 25

3.9 Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................... 25

3.10 Data Presentation and analysis.................................................................... 26

3.11 Data analysis ............................................................................................... 26

3.12 Summary ..................................................................................................... 27

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CHAPTER FOUR .................................................................................... 27

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ....................... 27

4.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 27

4.1 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS ............................................................... 28

4.2 Respondents by gender ................................................................................ 28

4.3 Respondents by age ....................................................................................... 29

4.4 Educational levels of respondents ................................................................. 30

4.5 Employment Status ....................................................................................... 32

4.6 Sources of Income ......................................................................................... 33

4.7 NGOs AND Addressing Poverty in Mbire ................................................... 34

4.8 Benefit Accrued from NGO Strategies in Mushumbi (Mbire district) ......... 35

4.9 Donations promoted growth in Mushumbi(Mbire district) .......................... 36

4.10 Donations should never be stopped ............................................................ 37

4.11 Satisfaction by NGO Strategies .................................................................. 38

4.12 Donations helped in improving Social services in Mushumbi ................... 40

4.13The Extent to which NGOs have Achieved their Goals .............................. 41

4.14 NGOs’ Strategies and their Problems ......................................................... 41

4.15 Suggested impacts and recommendations of donations in Mushumbi in the

period 2010-2015. ............................................................................................... 42

4.16 Summary ..................................................................................................... 43

CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................... 44

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................. 44

5.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 44

5.1 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY ..................................................................... 44

5.2 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................... 45

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 46

5.4 REFERENCES.............................................................................................. 48

APPENDIX : RESEARCH QUESTION GUIDE .............................................. 51

1

CHAPTER 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The donor community is increasingly regarding N.G.Os as an important agency of empowering

people thereby leading to more effective and sustainable local development services than those

promoted by the government (Bassey 2008). This stems from the fact that, the state has failed

to cater for the welfare of its people (Matenga 2001). The issue of poverty in Zimbabwe is

being closely tied to the poor performance of the economy and economic restructuring that

characterized the 1990s (Alwang et.al 2002). After the accomplishment of independence in

1980, the Zimbabwean government was faced with a numerous of challenges amongst them to

restore the issue of poverty. Many developing countries have embraced the interference of

N.G.Os as alternatives for poverty mitigation (Bassey, 2008). In quest of solutions to

developmental tribulations besetting the African continent, the donor community is gradually

more concerned with Non-Governmental Organizations (N.G.Os) as an important charity for

empowering people thereby leading to more efficient and sustainable local growth services

than those promoted by the government (Bassey 2008). The government of Zimbabwe adopted

a number of policies to fight poverty within the field of development in 1980.

The deepening of poverty in Zimbabwe after the adoption of ESAP in 1991 greatly invited

N.G.Os to supplement the role of the state in poverty alleviation. N.G.Os as gap fillers assisted

in the sectors that were no longer subsidized by the government, that is, health, education and

agriculture. N.G.Os efforts were directed towards the wider problems of rural areas (Muir

1992). The Zimbabwean government adopted a variety of poverty alleviation strategies in an

attempt to address poverty. Strategies includes Communal area management programmes for

indigenous resources (CAMPFIRE) of 1987, the ESAP of 991-1995, the Social development

fund (SDF) 1992-1993, The Poverty alleviation action plan (PAAP) of 1994 and the fast track

land reform programme of 2000. Reasons associated with the failure of these strategies include

corruption, mismanagement of gains, lack of funding, over-politicization and lack of planning

(UNESCO 2001). This greatly invites N.G, Os in Zimbabwe the likes of Lower Guruve

Development Association (L.G.D.A).

Therefore this study seeks to assess the poverty mitigation strategies implemented by N.G.Os

(their impact to sustainable development) in the rural areas is giving special focus on Mbire

2

rural district council. This chapter will cover the background of the study giving an overview

of Mbire District in Mashonaland central of Zimbabwe to suit this study. The same chapter will

also give the problem statement of the study, aim of the study, objectives, research questions,

research assumptions as well as justifications followed by the significance and organization of

the study and a conclusion at last.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE PLACE/AREA

Mbire rural district is some 234 kilometers from Harare. It lies in Mashonaland central in the

Zambezi Valley and was formed after Guruve District split into two districts which are lower

(Mbire District) and upper Guruve. The area receives low rainfall due to high temperatures.

Mushumbi is located in Mbire in the Mid-Zambezi Valley about 270km north-west of Harare.

Its southern border is formed by the base of the Zambezi escarpment. It is bordered by

Mozambique and Zambia in the north, mashonaland west province in the west and on the

southern side of Guruve. The northern part of the study is surrounded by the confluence of the

Manyame and Dande Rivers.

3

Map of Zimbabwe showing the location of Guruve District where Mbire District is

located.

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

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Mbire rural district, formerly Guruve North Constituency is located in the mid Zambezi Valley

(Dande Valley) north of Harare (Mbire Baseline Survey Report 2009). Rainfall is little and

unreliable, mean annual rainfall ranges from 620-650mm and the people in Mbire are

susceptible to recurrent drought and the majority depends on aid donations. The climate

supports dry land cultivation of drought resistant crops (Le Bel etal 2004) however is not

appropriate for the production of maize, vegetables and fruits. Maize is the staple food in the

district though. Under the climatic regions of Africa, Mbire falls in the hot semi-arid region

(Practical Action End of Pilot Project 2009). The area is prone to floods during the rainy season

and is also a malaria prone area. Temperatures can sour up to 40 degrees celcius (The

Zimbabwe Herald 26 October 2004). Climatic changes continue to have a negative impact on

agriculture and food security in Zimbabwe (ZELA Report 2009:15).

Mbire is one of the mostly affected districts. It is targeted as a region vulnerable to food

shortages hence qualifying for the World Food Programs (WFP), Funded Vulnerable Group

(FVG), programs based on the results of the ZIMVAC REPORT (2010) Zimbabwe Community

Household Surveillance 2010 (CHS) and the 2010 FAO/WFP, Crop and Food Security

Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to Zimbabwe. The surveys were used to resolve rural residents

that were likely to be food insecure. Food security ranking in Mbire for the years 2010/2011

was carried out at ward level to determine areas with most susceptible populations and the

most food insecure were Mushumbi (ward 9), Masoka (ward 11), Angwa (ward 12) and

Chapoto (ward 1) out of the 17 wards (ZIMVAC 2010). Mushumbi ward was sampled for this

study.

The L.G.D.A is a membership Community Based Organization which originates in 1984 as a

donor funded program. It was registered in 1991 under the private voluntary organization act.

The L.G.D.A’s vision is the accomplishment of sustainable livelihoods through-out the entire

Mbire Community. L.G.D.A aims to ensure that all vulnerable communities in Mbire District

achieve sustainable livelihoods through the exercise of participatory development

methodologies in partnership with all applicable stakeholders. The core principles for L.G.D.A

are selfless leadership, equality and fairness, respect for indigenous, knowledge, accountability

and transparency and respect for diverse opinions and views. The L.G.D.A has a livelihood

emergency program, a public health program and an orphans and exposed children program.

The L.G.D.A sturdily believes in home grown programs. This empowers the society and it

increases possession by the community. All programs are delivered from the community

through participatory rural appraisals (PRA) and livelihoods assessment programs that come

5

as a result of community demand or request have a high chance and sense of community

ownership hence is sustainable.

L.G.D.A approaches development in a number of different ways for example Mbire which is

prone to food insecurity, L.G.D.A has designed crop diversification where short season and

drought resistant crops are grown (sorghum, cow peas and cassava) livestock production and

income generating projects as suitable approaches for sustainable development since

communities have options to fall back on, should there be disasters. It also promotes the use of

simple and suitable technologies. The program designs for L.G.D.A rely on accessible and

reasonable technology to both livestock feed and recipes from crops.

In terms of sustainable development, the organisation has initiated income generating projects

(IGP’s) for the affected and infected families both at community and household level, for

instance, nutritional gardens are both at community and household level. The organisation, chip

in with, agricultural inputs, equipments and knowledge dissemination through an agricultural

officer. The advantage of this IGP and nutritional gardens over other interventions is that it

eliminates donor dependency and encourages people to be hard working and remain sustainable

even after donations are out of picture.

In addition, LGDA has embarked on sanitary work in which it built toilets ,boreholes, washing

sinks and it donated soaps ,water purifying tablets and buckets to Mbire district. Other

donations come in form of food, psychosocial support, school fees, and agricultural inputs.

This has been provided through partnerships with SAfAIDS, Oxfam Australia, Children First,

Island Hospice, Hospaz, Zimbabwe Aids Network, Arkansas Hospice, Huairou Commission,

Cafod and UNICEF. Despite all these donations in kind and services, the socio economic lives

of the people of Mbire district have not changed significantly. According to SAFAIDS (2009),

the HIV prevalence rate still stood at 22.7% during 2009.Hence, it becomes imperative to

investigate the impact of donations on people’s socio economic lives focusing on donations

extended by LGDA to Mbire district.

1.2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

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The study seeks to address the challenges related with the effectiveness of N.G.Os strategies

which are disturbing sustainable rural developments in Zimbabwe special focus on Mbire

District. Different donations have been extended to Mbire District that is, advocating and

empowerment of the poor, response to community disasters (protecting the environment) as

well as providing basic social services and community development however the

unemployment, absolute poverty, hunger, illiteracy rate remain the same despite several

interventions through different donations (SAFAIDS 2009). Assessing the extent to which the

objectives of N.G.Os are achieved in rural areas both theoretically and empirically has been

inadequately addressed through research programs carried out by many scholars and therefore

that is the research gap which this study seeks to investigate. In most of the research studies

carried out, the focus on N.G.Os often overshadows the subject of effectiveness and

sustainability.

1.3AIM OF THE STUDY

The research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of aid distribution strategies used by N.G.Os

in alleviating poverty in Mbire. That is, the study seeks to come up with the outcome which

shows that N.G.Os aid distribution strategies have failed to alleviate poverty neither sustainable

development. It is hoped that, the changes in strategies towards sustainability will provide a

lasting solution to the problem of poverty in Mbire District.

1.4OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To evaluate the effectiveness of NGOs poverty alleviation strategies implemented in

rural areas.

2. To assess the major challenges facing sustainability of the operations of Zimbabwean

N.G.Os and investigate whether L.G.D.A has sustainable social activities in Mbire.

3. To evaluate the benefits and the extent to which the objectives of N.G.Os are achieved

in rural areas and study the various methods used for community development.

4. To assess other strategies the government of Zimbabwe have implemented towards the

poverty in Mbire.

1.5RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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1. What makes NGOs strategies to be effective (Is it the environment they operate in, is it

their clients who are resistant to change or their problem lies with their strategies?

2. How does Mbire District benefit from aid donation?

3. Which other strategies the government of Zimbabwe has implemented towards the

poverty alleviation in Mbire?

4. How does N.G.Os achieve their objectives in rural areas and what challenges are they

facing?

1.6RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS

The researcher assumes that:

1. The chosen population will comply and willingly share information.

2. The information from Mbire will be accurate to give a true reflection of how N.G.Os

are operating in rural areas.

3. The redirecting of the N.G.Os towards improving and identifying the possibilities of

sustainable community development in Mbire is assisting to achieve sustainable

development.

4. The sustainability of national N.G.Os in Zimbabwe is due to lack of the means to deliver

services effectively or to carry out activities on their own.

1.7 JUSTIFICATION

The recognition of this study by the officials in Mbire will serve as a tool for N.G.Os and other

stakeholders in Mbire to re-orient their aid distribution strategies to sustainable development

rather than relief. The study hopes to bring poverty alleviation strategies that are suitable not

only for Mbire District but also in other rural areas of Zimbabwe where N.G.Os are operating.

The study will inform the government policy makers on suitable sustainable aid distribution

strategies that can be replicated to address the problem of poverty in the rural areas.

1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will clearly explore on the donations extended to Mbire District and give appropriate

recommendations to the community basing on findings. The study will also explore issues of

8

concern and areas that need immediate attention. The organizations L.G.D.A will learn from

problems put forward by the community and identify the corrective way to solve the problem.

The research will clearly provide in-depth information on donations and the extent they are

playing in helping recipient community. This will benefit other university students who have

interest in the same area. The research will also enlighten the donor community on the extent

to which their donations impacted on Mbire district. It will also help them evaluate their

programs and come up with new strategies for future use (sustainable development). They can

do this through recommendations provided by the research. Through this research, the

government would get recommendations that would help it in its future planning’s for the

development programs and see how it would incorporate the donor community in ensuring its

people benefit from these donor aid programs in sustainable manner. Finally the country will

benefit when N.G.Os carry-out their activities more effectively by influencing people tangible

social development.

1.9LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The anticipated constrains include that, due to lack of education some households may not give

accurate information and that lack of funds on the part of the researcher may hinder collection

of information on time. The respondents might also provide false information just to please the

researcher affecting the outcome of the research. Therefore as a researcher to get full correct

information, I will try get information from trusted sources like the district extension officer,

social welfare office and L.G.D.A officer.

1.10DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The research is going to be done in Mbire District. The district is some forty-kilometers north

of Guruve District. The research is specifically going to be done in Mushumbi area (Mbire

District) covering three wards namely Mwanza, Musauki, and Sabao and Mabrosi all in

Mushumbi area. The researcher will specifically focus on donations extended to Mushumbi by

Lower Guruve Development Association (L.G.D.A) and come up with an evaluation of the

impact of donations to Mbire District. It therefore means the study will be delimitated at

poverty aid beneficiaries alone. The donor community is an area of interest and this forms part

of the delimitation of the study. The study will also concentrate on community development

and factors affecting sustainability in the operation of Zimbabwe N.G.O system.

9

1.11ETHICAL ISSUES

The researcher will obtain a letter of confirmation from Bindura University of Science

Education that the researcher is a student and the research will be purely academic and no harm

is caused to participants. The researcher will give the participants the nature of the study. This

will help respondents to give the researcher enough information. The researcher will encourage

the respondents to participate freely without any fear since she will respect confidentiality of

inform.

1.12DEFINITION OF TERMS

AID- covers a multitude of things. It involves a huge variety of organizations,

structures and activities which are engaged in aid work such as governments,

voluntary organizations and community groups, the United Nations, political

parties and trade unions as well as religious, orders or churches and individuals. It

includes humanitarian assistance relief technical assistance and grants for every

type of project from massive international projects to tiny small-scale grants.

DONATIONS- is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another or

one place to the other, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the

recipient country.

NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS- are organizations that attempts

to fill gaps left by governments in promoting participation in development through

resource mobilization, community education and training, attitude and behavior

change. Community mobilization and sensitization and networking and lobbying

and advocacy.

IMPACT- is the effect or result of food aid donations given to a nation or society

by the donor community.

MBIRE- is a district of Mashonalsnd central provincewhich borders Centenary and

Guruve districts in that province as well.

1.13TIME FRAME

This research is going to focus from 2010-2015

10

1.14ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

The research is designed in 5 chapters. Chapter 1 focused on the background of the study,

statement of the problem, research objectives, research questions, research assumptions,

significance of the study, scope of the study, limitations, delimitations, list of acronyms and

abbreviations used in the research while, Chapter 2 will review related literature, Chapter 3

will outline the methods employed in the study, Chapter 4 will focus on data presentation and

analysis. The last chapter 5 will give recommendations and conclusion of the study.

1.15SUMMARY

Therefore this chapter highlighted the background of the study were it looked on the impacts

of aid donations extended to Mbire District and its implications in transforming rural

communities in Zimbabwe for their sustenance. This chapter also looked at the benefits of the

study and sub-problems. It also looks at factors that could limit the full scope of the study and

why it is important to carry-out the study. Poverty within the entire continent is strongly tied

to its history that was characterised by unequal relationships between Africa and other

continents. Efforts by the post colonial governments in Africa mainly directed towards

addressing colonialism legacy injustices got eroded by the SAPs of IMF and the World Bank.

NGOs in the post SAPs era manifested to supplement the role of African state in order to

address poverty within the rural areas and other marginalised areas, but the battle is not yielding

much. With the swelling up of poverty in the rural areas of Africa, their future becomes blurred

and this makes NGOs’ poverty alleviation strategies to be questionable. The following chapters

try to give an in-depth meaning of the research, explain the theoretical framework of the study

as well as giving a broader view about the NGOs strategies, their criticism and rural poverty.

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0INTRODUCTION

11

This chapter examines and put forward major factors affecting the provision of N.G.Os

sustainability the world over. This chapter also presents the different conceptualization theories

and review of related literature, trying to find the most relevant and important literature on this

topic. This chapter ended with a brief summary..

2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The theoretical framework part gives a comprehensive background and origin of the

Sustainable Livelihood Approach which is the theory behind the study.

2.2 Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA)

This study is underpinned by the sustainable livelihoods approach to rural development.

Sustainable livelihoods relate to a broad set of issues which cover much of the broader debate

on the relationship between poverty and environment (Scoones, 1998). The concept of

sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA) is an attempt to go beyond the conventional definitions

and approaches to poverty alleviation (Krantz, 2001). The livelihood thinking dates back to the

work of Robert Chambers in the mid-1980s. Chambers developed the idea of “Sustainable

Livelihoods” with the intention to enhance the efficiency of development cooperation (Kollmar

and Gamper, 2002). His concepts constitute the basics for the sustainable livelihoods approach

and were further developed by the British Development for International Development (DFID).

Since 1997, the DFID integrated the approach in its programme for development cooperation

(Kollmar and Gamper, 2002). The concept was later adopted by the Brutland Commission on

Environment and Development. The 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development

expanded the notion, advocating for the attainment of sustainable livelihoods as a broad goal

for poverty alleviation (Balgis.et. al, 2005). The term “sustainable livelihood” came to

prominence as a development concept in the early 1990s, drawing advances in understanding

of famine and food insecurity during the 1980s (Haida, 2009).

“Livelihoods” means activities, entitlements and assets by which people make a living. In other

words a “livelihood” is a source of revenue or income or a source of living. A “livelihood”

constitutes assets, activities and capabilities (Krantz, 2001). Assets therefore, are defined as

not merely natural or biological (land, water, common property resources, flora, fauna), but

also social (networks, participation, empowerment) and human (knowledge, creation by skills

12

and physical roads, markets, clinics, schools, bridges) (Haida, 2009). The International Institute

of Sustainable Development defines Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) as being concerned with

people’s capacities to generate and maintain their means of living, enhance their wellbeing,

and that of future generations (Balgis.et.al, 2005).

Sporton and Thomas (2002) identify five elements of this framework. The first link is based

on the rural productivity. Livelihoods become sustainable if they can generate employment

either through subsistence production or waged labour in activities that enhance self-worthy of

rural populations. The second link is based on poverty reduction. For the livelihoods to be

sustainable, they must address the causes of poverty (both qualitative and quantitative) thereby

promoting greater equity access of capital assets. The third element constitutes of enhanced

capabilities and wellbeing,abilities to access and mobilise assets with more subjective

experiences of wellbeing (feeling of self-esteem, security and happiness). The fourth element

is based on the resilience of the livelihoods to short term stresses and the ability to recover from

long term shocks. The fifth element is the sustainability of natural resource base which is the

long term resilience of the natural environment to stresses and shocks. The depletion of natural

resources beyond the capacity of a system to maintain the productivity may result in the long

term depletion of stocks to the detriment of livelihoods (Sporton and Thomas, 2002).

In this research sustainable livelihood approach has been used to find out what projects are

implemented by NGOs in the rural areas and to find out if they are improving the livelihoods

in Mbire. Implementation of strategies within the ambit of sustainable livelihoods framework

could be beneficial in poverty alleviation. Problems like dependency syndrome, unsustainable

projects can be mitigated if NGOs can use the sustainable livelihoods approach, because they

will only focus on using the available resources to alleviate poverty. According to the principles

of the sustainable livelihood approach, any poverty alleviation strategy must be people

centered, participatory, and multilevel, conducted in partnership, sustainable, dynamic and

must be underpinned by a commitment to poverty alleviation (Sporton and Thomas, 2002). The

sustainable livelihood approach was developed to address the failure of previous approaches

to community development. Its principles are; holistic, people centered, dynamic and

sustainable development, working with people’s strengths and establishing macro-micro links

(Salvestrin, 2006). Macro-micro link is the relationship between income inequality and

mortality. Central to this approach is treating communities as subjects and objects of change

and has strength and much knowledge on their situation. Now recognised that the poor

themselves often know their situation and needs best and must therefore be involved in the

13

designing of projects intended for their betterment. Therefore, the poor need to participate when

dealing with their situation since they understand it better.

Generally, sustainable livelihoods approach provides a framework for addressing poverty and

vulnerability in both development and humanitarian contexts. The Sustainable Livelihood

Approach (SLA) has emerged from the growing realization of the need to put the poor and all

aspects of their lives and means of living at the centre of development and humanitarian work,

while maintaining the sustainability of natural resources for present and future generations

(Sporton and Thomas, 2002). The approach has been used to identify the livelihoods that

people of Mbire use in order to survive or earn a living. Furthermore, approach will make

people to realise and develop their coping strategies and effectively use them especially during

drought (food shortages), outbreak of diseases.

In this study the SLA is being adopted for its superiority in combining the above notions in

rural development as well as being sensitive to the multiple realities of rural poverty

(Chambers, 1983, cited in Ellis and Biggs, 2001). The SLA is also being used as a framework

for the study for it takes into consideration of assets and activities that people depend on to

produce a viable livelihood strategy for the rural family. If efforts of rural development policy

to reduce rural poverty are to be effective, then, the cross-sectorial and multi-occupational

diversity of rural livelihoods should be central to any livelihoods study (Ellis and Biggs, 2001).

The study looks at how people in Mbire organize and engage in activities which enable them

to survive since it is a district with high incidences of poverty. Persistent drought, malaria,

unemployment, high illiteracy levels and the current political instability are among the shocks

which affect the livelihoods of people in Mbire hence the sustainable livelihoods approach can

provide the guidance for the NGOs’s poverty alleviation strategies especially in the rural areas.

The livelihoods approach to rural development not only take into consideration issues of

entitlements and capabilities but also provide a valuable insight tool for understanding rural

households’ poverty and their subsequent processes and actions in pursuit of development

(Chambers and Conway 1992; Ellis 1998, 1999, 2000; Ellis and Biggs 2001; Carney 2002;

Rakodi and Loyd-Jones 2002; Scoones 1998; Bryceson 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001). The

livelihoods approach has also become a model of development policy for international

development agencies such as DFID, Overseas Development Institute, the United Nations,

CARE International and many others.

14

Scoones (1998) defines livelihood strategies as comprising of agriculture intensification,

livelihood diversification and migration. Thennakoon (2004) maintains that most livelihood

strategies are concentrated within central activities such as farming, labouring, selling of timber

and firewood, mining trading, livestock, and building work. In Mbire most of the livelihoods

mainly involve fishing, hunting, gathering of wild fruits and basket weaving. Such endeavor

of classifying strategies is laden with a number of issues particularly on how the ranking of

such activities has been realised in spite of inattention of the poor’s priorities.

2.3 Principles of sustainable livelihoods approach

The sustainable livelihoods approach is guided by some principles like the people centred

approach which believes that, communities are different and so are people (Goldman, 2001).

The approach recognizes that communities are not homogeneous and that, the external support

should differentiate between various groups of people (Goldman, 2001). On the other hand,

Krantz (2001) explains about the same principle that sustainable poverty elimination will be

achieved only if external support focuses on what matters to people, understands the difference

between groups of people, and works with them in a way that is congruent with their current

livelihood strategies, social environment, and ability to adapt.

Responsive and participatory is the other principle of sustainable livelihood approach which

argues that, poor people should not be treated like passive objects when dealing with their

poverty (Goldman, 2001). For any strategy to alleviate poverty, the poor need to be active and

need to participate fully. They need to be involved at all levels in managing their all

development because they understand their situation better than outsiders. Poor people

themselves must be key actors in identifying and addressing livelihood priorities. Outsiders

need processes that enable them to listen and respond to the poor (Krantz, 2001). For example,

through proper needs assessment and involving their clients in planning at all levels, NGOs

can know well the programmes that are needed by residents in Mbire District.

Furthermore, build on people’ strengths is also a principle of SLA which postulates that, every

person or society has strengths. As a result, poverty-focused development should recognize

and build on people’s strengths (Goldman, 2001).This can start by finding out what resources

are present at a particular place. When trying to find out people’ strengths one needs to focus

on the positive aspects than negative. Support should result in increased voice, opportunities

and well-being for people, including the poor (Krantz, 2001).

15

Micro-macro link also as a principle of SLA argues that, while people may act locally, their

access to resources and services is affected by policies and institutions at local, regional and

central levels (Goldman, 2001). The approach links the micro level with the macro level

emphasises that policy and institutional analysis should take place at all levels (Kranzt, 2001).

Local services should be accessible and effective and responsive. Regional levels must provide

coordination, supervision and support. The centre must provide holistic and strategic direction.

Poverty elimination is an enormous challenge that will only be overcome by working at

multiple levels, ensuring that micro-level activity informs the development of policy and an

effective enabling environment, and that macro-level structures and processes support people

to build upon their own strengths (Sporton and Thomas ,2002).

Moreover, conducted in Partnership is another principle of SLA which contends that, the

government or the public sector needs to work together with the private sector (Krantz, 2001).

If a proposed strategy is dependent on a range of elements working together, then a plan

drawing on the expertise of all relevant sectors has to be put in place (Goldman, 2001).

Implementation of development requires using the strengths of different organisations, public

and private, in the most effective way. Partnerships should include people and their

organisations, including those for poor people. Partnerships should be transparent agreements

based upon shared objectives. For example, NGOs in Mbire District can work in partnership

with government departments to deal with poverty.

2.4 RELATED LITERATURE

Now that the strategies implemented by the Zimbabwean government to address the issue of

rural poverty have failed because of various reasons, NGOs came to complement the

government in order to alleviate poverty in the most disadvantaged areas of Zimbabwe. For

that reason one need to understand how NGOs perceive rural poverty and later explain about

their main poverty alleviation strategies. The findings from Otto (2008) about the NGOs and

humanitarian reforms in Zimbabwe found that, accountability to beneficiaries is still seen as a

challenge. Good practice examples exist but in emergency programmes a pragmatic approach

often prevails.

16

A research by Chofi in central Africa has revealed that NGOs do not do needs assessment as a

result they implement project that do not benefit the poor and is seen as a waste of resources.

Chofi (2010:15). The findings revealed that NGO directors and other stakeholders involved

just draft projects and programmes so that they can get funding and later misuse these funds

for their own benefit Chofi (2010).

In the research about the NGOs’ poverty reduction strategies in Bangladesh Saifuddin (2006)

found that NGOs’ programmes meant to reduce poverty do not match with the reality, the

programmes selection is based on external and internal factors like the donor and resources in

the country respectively, selection of programme does not consider what really poverty is in a

given area and the NGOs meaning of poverty is not locally based.

Ahmed (2006) carried out a research about whether NGOs reached the poorest and vulnerable

in Bangladesh. The findings were disappointing as it was noted that, in Bangladesh there is a

serious consensus that even well respected programmes failed to reach the hard core. A

nationally representative survey found that 41 percent of eligible household in Bangladesh did

not have any contact with the NGOs operating in their localities (Ahmed, 2006). Again, the

same study found that Water Aid in Bangladesh’s programme experience also indicates that

most partner NGOs appreciate the need to target the poor, diversity among the poor make this

particularly elusive challenge (Ahmed, 2006). An underlying problem here was that Water Aid

Bangladesh and partners tended to view communities as homogenous settlements and applied

broad-brush approaches to project implementation rather than tailoring inputs to meet specific

needs and capacities (Ahmed, 2006). Findings by Fruttero and Guari (2005) about whether

NGOs in Bangladesh and Uganda reach the poor, it was found that NGOs in both Bangladesh

and Uganda appear not to locate in the needy communities hence they are not accessed by the

poor. Ahmed (2006) carried out a research in Bangladesh about the operation of NGOs; the

findings showed that NGOs viewed communities as uniform leading to the generalisability of

the problem of poverty.

Furthermore, in recipient countries as the detailed survey in Hansen and Tarp (2000) testifies,

first generation studies generally concluded that aid does tend to increase total savings, but not

by as much as the aid flow. Quite reasonably, this simply suggests a non-negligible proportion

of aid is consumed rather than invested 1990s. Hansen and Tarp (2000) conclude that the

findings from these studies consistently indicate a positive link between aid and investment.

17

While a majority of the aid-growth studies of this generation also suggested a positive impact,

the result that captured attention was Paul Mosley’s “micro-macro” paradox.

Hansen and Tarp (2001) found that a story of diminishing returns to aid, captured by a squared

aid term, best captures the non-linear relationship between aid and growth and is the empirical

specification with most support in the data. They concluded that aid has a positive impact on

growth but with diminishing returns. Alternatively, Dalgaard et al. (2004) found that variation

across countries in the returns to aid seems to be related to their geographical location.

Specifically, aid was found to be far less effective in tropical areas over the last 30 years. They

also stress, however, that it is hard to believe that aid should be inherently less potent in the

tropics. Thus, the real explanation for the aid-tropics link is likely to be elsewhere and the

authors call for further research to help disentangle the channels through which aid matters for.

Contrary to Maxwell (1991) study, Levine and Roodman (2003) conduct a new test on the

previous work of Burnside and Dollar (1997). With a larger sample size (1970 to 1997

compared to BD’s 1970-1993), they find that the result is not as robust as before and therefore

claim that the question of aid effectiveness is still inconclusive. Knack (2000) also noted in his

cross-country analysis of Swaziland, that higher donations levels erode the quality of

governance indexes, i.e. bureaucracy, corruption and the rule of law. He argues that “aid

dependence can potentially undermine institutional quality, encouraging rent seeking and

corruption, fermenting conflict over control of donation funds, siphoning off scarce talent from

bureaucracy, and alleviating pressures to reform inefficient policies and institutions”.

The OECD survey of (1997) about effectiveness of NGOs as cited in Werker.et.al,(2007) found

that there is still lack of firm and reliable evidence on the impact of NGO development projects

and programmes. Moreover, most publicly available programme evaluators by NGOs - like

case studies on website are descriptive, rarely contain rigorous statistical analysis, and most

never report strong negative outcomes (Werker.et.al, 2007).

Masud and Yontcheva (2005) came to the conclusion that, NGO donations significantly reduce

infant mortality while bilateral donations do not. A number of reasons could explain this result.

First, as their proponents claim, NGO donations may be more effective than government

actions in reducing out to the poor. Improving infant mortality may be more efficiently done at

the grassroots level. Second, NGOS donations are allocated more toward countries with high

infant mortality while bilateral donations favour countries with already lower infant mortality.

This demonstrates that, while official donors have adopted reaching Millennium Development

18

Goals (MDGs) as their official policy, their aid allocation pattern is not consistent with their

avowed objectives. Third, bilateral donations seem fungible and increases in donations don’t

seem to be reflected in health expenditures. The lack of additionality implies that bilateral

donations increases lead to declines in non-donations –financed expenditures, cancelling the

potentially positive effect of bilateral donations on infant mortality.

In similar sentiments Awokuse (2006), rounded up his study on the evaluation of the

effectiveness of donations as an instrument in fighting poverty and food insecurity by saying

that the effects cannot be measured directly. There is no one-to-one correspondence between

the funds generated from monetized donations and bilateral donations on the poorest

households. Since the budgetary allocations of funds from monetized donations are usually

spent at the discretion of the domestic governments, potentials for mismanagement exist. In

many cases, counterpart funds from donations seldom trickle down to the poorest and most

food insecure households.

2.5 NGOs IN ZIMBABWE

The failures of civic policies from the mid-90s, led to the emerging of N.G.Os that begins to

connect in policy advocacy activities (Takure, 2009). Zimbabwe today is likely to have in

excess of 2000 N.G.Os who are busy in a wide range of development work stretching from

children’s rights, succession of women, disabled persons, H.I.V/AIDS, environment

protection, democracy and governance, vocational skills training, poverty alleviation to human

rights, humanitarian aid to rural development (Mpofu 2011). In Zimbabwe N.G.Os are grouped

into two categories and these are international and local N.G.Os. The later ones they operate in

more than one country while the later means to those N.G.Os who operate in Zimbabwe only.

N.G.Os in Zimbabwe are also grouped according to the type of services they offer, that is,

Welfare, Development and Environmental N.G.Os.

2.6 ROLE OF NGOs IN ZIMBABWE

Though areas served by N.G.Os have not completely changed today in Zimbabwe, we cannot

completely dismiss their role in poverty alleviation. Surhako (2007) contends that N.G.Os

compared to the government have a comparative advantage in service provision. They seek to

improve the people’s access to services provided by the state (Surhako, 2007). In countries

19

where the government lacks public services, N.G.Os play an important role in the direct

provision of social and economic services thus helping the poor to move out of poverty as

pointed out by Surhako (2007).

N.G.Os is also creditable for long endurance and engagement with the rural poor. The long

engagement with the poor makes N.G.Os gain more experience and knowledge in dealing with

complex and structural harms of poverty. Such experience and knowledge gained lead to the

formulation and implementation of genuine and innovative strategies and approaches to

poverty reduction (Smillie 2003). With the appreciation of the complicated nature of poverty

and by large unsuccessful results of aid, multinational and bilateral agencies have lately given

renewed promises to N.G.Os whose existence is legitimized by the presence of poverty (Guler

2008). Therefore Michael (2002) argues that, there is no discussion in poverty, equality or

development is complete without considering the role of N.G.Os today.

Even though N.G.Os play this vital role within the rural areas, they operate in the increase in

the number of people living in poverty remain a challenge to their role and goal of alleviating

poverty. Therefore, as far as rural development is concerned, N.G.Os roles cannot be

exaggerated because their activities for rural development are more inclined to provision of

relief in the rural areas hence the need to carry-out this study.

2.7 NGOs’ PERCEPTION OF POVERTY IN ZIMBABWE

Now that the strategies implemented by the government of Zimbabwe to address issues of rural

poverty have failed because of various reasons, N.G.Os came to complement the government

in order to alleviate poverty in the most disadvantaged areas of Zimbabwe. For that reason one

need to understand how N.G.Os perceive rural poverty and later explain about their main

poverty alleviation strategies. In Bangladesh according to Hossani (1999) historical scholarship

tells that understanding of poverty have often affected the degree of priority that elites have

been willing to accord to poverty alleviation and the nature of anti-poverty policies they are

willing to support.

2.8 CONSEQUENCES/THREATS FROM N.G.Os ASSISTANT AID

According to Lord Bauer aid actually hinders development because it increases laziness,

dependency, clinging on power by the authority holders, corruption, misappropriation of

20

resources, and erosion of envisaged civilization and civil society formations. Various

contagious views came into play with majority underscoring the need to stop of massive and

continuous aid for it has created a culture of dependence and therefore constitutes an obstacle

for introducing structural changes that would benefit the continent. Further, Africa is a great

mess because of the impact of aid and all its associated conditions. Generally, African

government consider foreign aid as a permanent developmental instruments, reliable and

consistent source of income, hence they find on reason to adopt alternative policies to foster

and finance the economic development of their countries or as the case may be, incites

governments to create a large and inefficient public sector. This has a potential of warding off

possible effectiveness and competiveness of the market. Of majority, they hold the view that,

this becomes an automatic cricket to corruption, favoritism and nepotism. Aid also instigates

inferiority and loss for both socio and legal identity of the African people.

2.9 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The N.G.Os in the long-run desire to bring sustainable development in any area they operate

in. Wong (2006) identifies sustainable development as growth of gross national product, or the

rise in personal incomes, or with industrialization, or with technological advance, or with social

modernization. The Brutland Report on sustainable development released by the United

Nations (1987:7) defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It

contains within its two key concepts. According to (Kates.et.al 2005), sustainability should

takes in consideration the preservation of nature, environment, earth, ecology, livelihoods,

culture and communities. With development, there is need to develop the people by focusing

on human development like developing the values and goes, increased life expectancy,

improved education, equity and opportunity. The development of communities by emphasizing

values of security and well-being of nation states, regions, institutions as well as the social

capital of relationships and community ties (Kates.et.al, 2005). Sustainable development

therefore in other words means linking what is to be sustained and developed (Kate.et.al, 2005).

According to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development today there are three pillars

of sustainable development and these are: economic, social and environmental sustainable

development (United Nations 1987).

21

SUMMARY

This chapter has discussed the review of related literature on NGOs’ sustainability through the

sustainable livelihood approach in Mbire District, Mushumbi area. The chapter has highlighted

the impediments faced by NGOs in the performance of their duties. NGOs face numerous

challenges in the execution of their duties in Mbire District, Mushumbi area such as

government structural issues, civil society organizations issues i.e. individualism, lack of

cooperation and financial management. Community capacity building of NGOs is recognized

as an essential strategy to strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities

and underpins much of the work of government and other non-governmental agencies. The

next chapter, which is the research methodology, contributed to a better understanding of the

topic, defining the terms that composed the concept of methodological presentations.

Finally, nearly all participants in the aid-growth debate recognize the potential for aid to do

better, particularly in fostering productivity growth. The evidence indicates that sustaining

foreign assistance programs at reasonable levels can be expected to enhance the living

standards of the world’s poorest people. Abolishing foreign aid, or drastically cutting it back,

would be a mistake and is not warranted by any easonable interpretation of the evidence. The

challenge is to improve foreign assistance effectiveness so that living standards in poor

countries are substantially advanced over the next three decades. And that it can be done is

evident from historical examples such as Taiwan, Korea and Mozambique where aid has made

major contributions to growth and development.

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter focuses on the research method used in carrying out research. It focuses on the

research design, research subjects, and sampling method, research instruments used, and data

analysis and presentation. The research gives a conclusion on the information that was

22

observed from both the wards as well as the respondents especially about the applicability of

the NGOs strategies.

3.1 Research design

This study adopted the explanatory research design. Since this study seeks to dig deeper into

people’s attitudes, feelings and views about the implemented poverty alleviation strategies by

N.G.Os. The explanatory research design was the most appropriate since the research seeks to

explain and answer questions like why poverty is deepening in Mbire/ Mushumbi area.

Research design is a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection of data so

that information can be obtained from these data (Jankomicz :1995).With the same token,

Parting (2001) defined research design as a framework or plan for a study that guides the

collection and analysis of data. Simply put, it is a plan to be followed to answer the research

questions and achieve the objectives. For this research qualitative research design is going to

be used.

3.2 Qualitative research design

Qualitative research was chosen because it seeks to understand human experiences and their

behaviours. Again, qualitative research has been adopted because this research is exploratory

and inductive in nature hence its findings are beyond anticipation of the researcher. The aims

of qualitative research are to establish the socially constructed nature of reality, to stress the

relationship between the researcher and the object of the study, as well as to emphasise the

value laden nature of the inquiry (Wellman.et. al, 2005). It uses methods adopted from the

physical sciences that are designed to ensure objectivity and reliability. The major advantage

of qualitative design is to provide the researcher with the perspective of target audience

members through interest in a culture or situation that direct interaction with people

understudy. Its methods include observations and in depth interviews which help researchers

understand the meanings people assign to social phenomenon. As an advantage qualitative

techniques are extremely useful when a subject is too complex to be answered by a simple ‘yes’

or ‘no’ hypothesis and these types of design are much easier to be taken into account (Gilton

:2006). Also, qualitative methods ask mostly “open-ended” questions that are not necessarily

worded in exactly the same way with each participant. Therefore, with open-ended questions,

participants are free to respond in their own words, and these responses tend to be more

23

complex than simply “yes “or “no”. In addition, with qualitative methods, the relationship

between the researcher and the participants is often less formal than in quantitative research.

Participants have the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail. Qualitative

research according to Patton (2001), is a generic term for investigative methodologies

described as ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field or participant observer research.

It emphasizes the importance of looking at critical issues and opinions in the natural setting in

which they were found.

3.3 Population

The target population is the actual population to which the research would be conducted. The

population of this study is approximately 1280 households, 442 in Mwanza, 342 in Musauki,

496 in Sabao and 392 in Mabrosi villages, all in ward 9 of Mbire district (Mbire Rural District

Council Base Line Survey Statistics January 2010). Population is all possible observations of

the random variable understudy. It is upon this group that the research would generalise the

results of the study (Franked and Wallen: 1996).

3.4The Sampling procedure

A sample is part of the population from which the sample was obtained (Chimedza: 2001) A

sample size of 128 households was chosen as it is a fair representation of the population for the

four villages .The sample is approximately 10% of the whole population and as noted by Gay

and Diehl (1992) a sample above 10% is valid to generalise results of the whole population.

Mbire district has 17 wards from which ward 9 and its four villages were selected to the

convenience of the study. Mwanza, Musauki, Sabao and Mabrosi villages are the villages

selected. The villages were chosen on the basis that they are close to each other and this cut

costs of the research. The simple random sampling method was used. Interviews and focus

groups discussions were conducted in the four above named villages. Focus group discussions

were used for easy management and engagement with the respondents. A small sample was

chosen because including all the people in the research was going to be time consuming.

After the sample size of each village had been determined, Simple random sampling method

was used in which each member of the population has the same chance of being included in

the sample and each sample of a particular size has the same probability of being chosen

24

(Welman.et. al, 2005). In each village a meeting was conducted at a central point. The

researcher invited people by making announcements through village heads. The main purpose

of the meetings was to inform people about the research and to choose a central venue and

agree on possible time where they were going to meet. Random sampling was used to select

the sample members from each village. A household register obtained from ward councillor

was used. All the households from the same village were assigned numbers and placed in hat.

A random pick was done, so that each household had an equal chance of being selected. To

avoid duplication a picked name will not be returned in the hat. The most basic consideration

when selecting a sample are its size and its representativeness. The selection of a sample is a

very crucial stage. In qualitative design there are no rules for sample. Sample size depends on

what the researcher want to know, the purpose of the inquiry, what the stake is, what will be

useful, what will have credibility, and what can be done with the remaining time and resources

(Patton, 2002).

3.5 Research Instruments

These are tools for collecting information and data needed to find solutions to a problem under

investigation (Edward: 2003). The instruments to be used in this research are interviews and

focus group discussions. For reliability and validity, interviews and focus group discussions

were carried out to prove how effective the instruments are in data collection. As a fact, the

reliability and validity of the instrument together with the overall objectivity are crucial in the

gathering of relevant data.

3.6 Surveys

Surveys usually focus on information about individuals or it might aim to collect the opinions

of the survey takers (Creswell 1994). The reason why the researcher decides to use surveys

was that, surveys can be administered in a couple of ways. It can be a structured interview

where the researcher asks each participant the questions. It can also be a focus group where

the participants can express their feelings freely

3.7 Focus Groups

25

Focus groups were selected to be used in the research because they can make some respondents

to express their feelings freely .The purpose of focus group is to produce qualitative data and

to provide insights into the attitudes, perceptions and opinions of participants. The focus group

is suitable for people with low literacy level. Most of old people in Mbire do not read or write

but they can be engaged in a discussion. The focus group also provides rich data through direct

interaction between the researcher and the respondents. Also spontaneous, participants were

not required to answer every question, able to build on one another’s response. Apart from that,

open recording allows participants to confirm their contribution. The focus groups are

relatively easy to assemble, inexpensive and flexible in terms of format, types of questions and

desired outcomes (Welman.et.al, 2005 and de Vos.et. al, (2007). The limitations of the

interview focus group require good facilitation skills that include Patton (2002) defines a focus

group as an interview with a small group of people on a specific topic. Focus groups has also

been defined by Fern (1982), Morgan and Spanish (1998) as small discussions addressing a

specific topic, which usually involve 6 to 12 participants, either matched or varied on specific

characteristics of interest to the researcher. These discussions help have different views and

opinions as different people will be gathered though challenges of false information are bound

to be come across.

3.8 Interviews

The researcher conducts personal interviews with the respondent since qualitative approach

utilizes interviews with each participant in order to create a natural atmosphere that elicits more

information. Thus, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with respondents were employed in

this study. One on one interview was used in order to ensure participants’ privacy. The

interviews were conducted by arrangement and privacy and confidentiality was assured.

Interviews give the interviewer room to adapt questions as necessary ,clarify, doubt and ensure

that the responses are properly understood by repeating or rephrasing the questions

(Monton:1996).

3.9 Data Collection Procedures

The research used random sampling. Thus, a random sample allows each element under study

has an equal chance of being chosen in the sample. The random sampling design used in this

research was systematic sampling in which 10% sample is desired. The first respondent was

26

selected randomly from the first 10 and thereafter the 10th respondent was automatically

included in the sample. In this case, the only fist item was selected randomly and the remaining

units were selected at fixed intervals. First the researcher had to seek permission from the Mbire

rural district council to carry out the survey. The researcher used a random sampling strategy

to select participants to the research questions. The study uses data collection methods such as

interviews and focus groups. The researcher had then to compare the findings from both

methods to clarify the key findings of the study.

3.10 Data Presentation and analysis

After collection of the data, the researcher has processes and analyse it. This is essential for a

scientific study and for ensuring that we have all relevant data for making contemplated

comparisons and analysis. Technically, processing of data implies editing, coding,

classification and tabulation of collected data.

Editing: editing of data is a process of examining the collected raw data to detect errors

and omissions and to correct these when possible. Editing involves a careful scrutiny

of the completed questionnaires. Editing is done to assure that the data is accurate,

consistent with other facts gathered, uniformly entered, as completed as possible and

have been well arranged to facilitate coding and tabulation.

Tabulation: tabulation is the process of summarising raw data and displaying the same

in compact form for further analysis. In a broader sense, tabulation is an orderly

arrangement of data in columns and rows.

Classification: the research will result in a large volume of raw data which the

researcher must reduce into homogeneous groups if the researcher is to get meaningful

relationships. This fact necessitates classification of data, which happens to be the

process of arranging data in groups or classes based on Common characteristics. Data

with the same common characteristic are placed in one class and in this way the entire

data get divided into a number of groups or classes.

3.11 Data analysis

27

According to Wellman (2005), data analysis is a process of gathering data with the aim of

highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions and supporting decision making. Data

analysis is a process of bringing order, structure and meaning to the mass of collected data

Wellman (2005). Qualitative data analysis is a search for general statements about

relationships amongst categories of data. In this research, the researcher used the thematic

approach in presenting and analyzing data. Thematic analysis is a form of analysis that counts

and reports the frequency of concepts/ words/ behaviours’ held within the data (Cresswell,

2009).The researcher uses tables, bar graphs and pie charts to present data. Tables are easy to

interpret. Data that the researcher collected from interviews and focus groups was transcribed

and translated in a way that which could not violate the confidentiality and anonymity of the

respondents.

3.12 Summary

The chapter focused on the research methodology used on the research. It focused on the

research design, research subjects, sampling method, research instruments used, and data

presentation and analysis. The chapter paves way for chapter 4 as this very methodology is the

one used for data presentation and analysis. Chapter 4 makes an analysis of the data and the

data will be presented in the form of tables and figures.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter four of the research deals with the presentation and analysis of data that was

collected from the field. Data was collected from Mbire ward 9 (Mushumbi area), Department

of Social Welfare, Agritex (Extension Officers), L.G.D.A officer(NGO), Ward councilor and

Headmans from Mwanza, Musauki, Mabrosi and Sabao villages. Focus Group discussions and

interviews were conducted .The researcher spent two days in ward 9. Data is presented in tables

and figures while analysis and discussion is done under each presentation.

28

4.1 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

The information included findings from interviews and focus groups discussions. The findings

are thus presented and discussed in relation to research questions which guided the study. In

selecting the participants for the study, a conscious strategy was employed to ensure maximum

variation of participants and also ensuring the representation of all those involved in

community and public service delivery processes. The need for maximum variation in the

selection of participants was a crucial characteristic of qualitative research designs. The

researcher identified participants that fitted the identified characteristics. Participants differed

in terms of sex, education, socio-economic background and other identified characteristics. The

respondents interviewed consisted of the youth and adults, youths aged 20 to 39 and elderly

people ranging from the age of 40 to 60. The reason for selecting this group of respondents was

that NGOs have programmes that target youth and the elderly of the society. There was a 100%

total response rate. Instructional Assessment Resources (2010) postulates that a high survey

response rate helps to ensure that survey results are representative of the target population.

Thus the high response rate authenticates this research and justifies the use of the findings as a

basis for producing accurate and useful results and recommendations.

4.2 Respondents by gender

Figure 4.1Respondent by gender (n=128)

29

Source: Primary Data

The average 53%(68) of the respondents were male while 47%(60) of the total population was

female. This distribution is fairly even making the responses representative of both sexes’ view.

4.3 Respondents by age

Figure 4.2 Age of Respondents (n=128)

53%

47%

Male

Females

30

Source: Primary Data

The highest frequency 36%(46) of the respondents was aged 18-30 years while

24%(31) was aged above 45 years. This implies that views of young people and old

people are taken care of in the study.

4.4 Educational levels of respondents

Figure 4.3 Educational levels Respondence (n=128)

Series 1

Column2

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Under 18 18-30 yrs 31-45 yrs Above 45

Ral

ativ

e F

req

ue

ncy

Age Group

31

Source: Primary data

Half 50%(64) of the respondents had only attended primary level and failed to proceed, while

20%(26) of the respondents had attained O’level and 30%(38) have gone beyond above O-

Level.. This implies that responses for the study cover people of all academic levels and that

the generality of the population has minimal educational qualifications. The low level of

literacy was attributed to factors like lack of money to go to secondary school. Women also

mentioned that most parents favor to send male children to school and they view sending a girl

child to school as a waste of money because girls become pregnant or get married and this

means that they do not plough back in their families. One of the respondents the AGRITEX

officer in the area said that:

We are holding field days, master farmer training programs and pre-planting meetings to

improve agricultural productivity though at times it proved to be more difficult since the

majority have not attended their school well thus made it difficult for them to understand.

Thus the researcher observed that education is very important for the farmers so as to alleviate

poverty.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Below O-Level O-Level Above O-Level

32

4.5 Employment Status

Figure 4.4 Employment levels of Respondents (n=128)

Source: Primary data

The large number of the respondents 87%(111) is not employed due to lack of skills, and old

age. On the other hand, the smaller percentage of the respondents 13 %(17) were attending

secondary level schooling and with others having their fees being paid by NGOs. The reason

for the high unemployment rate among the respondents is that they do not possess any skills

which can make them employable. Most of the respondents mentioned that because they do

not possess any skills, they find it better to stay at home looking after their families and

livestock.

87%

13%

Majority

Minority

33

4.6 Sources of Income

Figure 4.5 Sources of income levels of Respondents (n=128)

Source: Primary data

A smaller percentage of respondents 5.5%(8) indicated that they depend on fishing from the

Zambezi River, pottery and basket weaving for a livelihood. The majority of the respondents

80%(102) indicated that they depend on agriculture for a living. The respondents that do

farming mainly practice it at subsistence level and they mentioned that they need to be

empowered with agricultural skills, where as those who are fishing do not have licenses to do

so they also mentioned that they need to be assisted to get the licenses. One such respondent

commented that:

“It is better to do fishing than being seated doing nothing. When I catch more fish I

sell them and get school fees for my children”.

The remaining number of respondents 14.5%(19) relies on selling sculptures and basket

weaving. The respondents who depend on selling sculptures and baskets indicated that they

need help with marketing their products

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

agriculture fishing others

34

4.7 NGOs AND Addressing Poverty in Mbire

Table 4.1 The extent to which donations alleviate suffering in Mushumbi area (n=128)

Extent Frequency Percentage (%)

Not at all

Small extent

Large extent

13

69

46

10.2

53.9

35.9

Total

128

100

Source: Primary data

The average number of the respondents 53.9%(69) agrees that donations alleviate suffering for

a shorter period in Mbire district while 35.9%(46) of the total population believes that

donations alleviate suffering for longer periods. The findings go hand in hand with Ahmed

(2006)’s idea that donations alleviate suffering for shorter period. The findings were

disappointing as it was noted that, in Bangladesh there is a serious consensus that even well

respected programmes failed to reach the hard core. In the same vein, Jackson (1982) argues

that donations bring more harm than good. This suggests that problems such as poverty,

illiteracy rate, and HIV prevalence rate are only being alleviated for a shorter period while in

the long run they will haunt the community.

35

4.8 Benefit Accrued from NGO Strategies in Mushumbi (Mbire district)

Table 4.2 People benefiting from donations in Mbire district (n= 128)

Category Frequency Percentage (%)

Poorest

Poor

Neither poor nor

Rich

Rich

Richest

35

32

53

1

7

27.3

25

41.4

0.8

5.5

Total

128

100

Source: Primary data

Fifty two point three percent of the respondents identified those who are poor to be the main

beneficiaries of donations in Mbire district. Of the 52.3%(67) respondents, 27.3%(35) spot the

poorest to be beneficiaries and the rest 25%(32) indentify those who are poor. Interestingly,

less than 10% of the total respondents tend to recognise those who are rich as the beneficiaries

in Mbire. The findings contrast with Todaro’s(2003) idea, who believes that though donations

do indeed help some poor groups , they fail to assist the poorest groups in the society. In Mbire

the poorest have a greater share on donations.Furthermore, these findings also oppose Awokuse

(2006)’s findings who found that counterparts funds from donations seldom trickle down to

poorest and most insecure households. Manyena e.tal (2008) also contends that, NGOs

strategies are inappropriate and inadequate hence needs to be revisited.

36

4.9 Donations promoted growth in Mushumbi(Mbire district)

Figure 4.6 Donations promoted growth in Mushumbi (Mbire district )(n =128)

Source: Primary data

The smaller percentage of the respondents 14.8%(19) mentioned that they are not benefiting

from NGOs’ programmes because the same programmes are not addressing their needs. In

Sabao village they indicated that programme like food distribution are not benefiting them a

lot since they produce more food on their own. The majority 60.9%(78) of the respondents

agreed that they are benefiting from the NGOs’ programmes, and these were respondents in

Mwanza village. Most of them were elderly people who are no longer able to work on their

own. Even the respondents in Musauki village highlighted that even if they need relief aid

almost every year, they also need empowerment. The respondents pointed out that there was a

linkage between the NGOs’ strategies and dependency syndrome in the district. They

mentioned that continuous food distributions make them to be reluctant and wait for hand outs

from NGOs every time. However, my own observation showed that donations have played a

significant role in improving the quality of life in Mushumbi( Mbire district). The findings

however tend to contrast with Fruttero and Guari(2005)’s findings, in which they concluded

that NGOs are perceived to be the drivers of development but it is hard to prove since poverty

still persist in the same areas served by NGOs. Similarity is drawn with Suharko (2007)’s view

that donations indeed promote growth. Suharko contends that, NGOs compared to the

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Indiffent Agree Strongly agree

Rel

ati

ve

freq

uen

cy

Responses

37

government have a comparative advantage in service provision which at most improve people’s

access to services provided by the state therefore NGOs help the poor to move-out of poverty.

4.10 Donations should never be stopped

Table 4.3 Donations should never be stopped (n=128)

Responses

Frequency

Percentages (%)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Indifferent

Agreee

Strongly agree

6

7

23

37

55

4.7

5.5

17.9

28.9

43

Total

128

100

Source: Primary data

The majority 71.9%(92) of the total responses in Mushumbi agrees that donations should not

be stopped while only 10.2% (13)of the total responses disagrees. The minority group shares

the same ideology with Tesoriero (2006) who argues that, people should adopt the concept of

self reliance to use local initiatives, their abilities and their own belongings to improve their

condition. Basing on the above results, the past findings from Levine and Roodman (2003)

seem to be valid as they concluded that the issue of donations’ effectiveness is still

inconclusive.

38

4.11Satisfaction by NGO Strategies

Figure 4.7 Donations influence on Mushumbi decisions (n=128)

Source: Primary data

The majority of the respondents 72%(92) pointed out that they were not satisfied by the

strategies implemented by NGOs whilst 28%(36) of the responds expressed their satisfaction

about the strategies implemented by NGOs. The main reason that was given by those who were

not satisfied by NGOs strategies was that NGOs’ strategies do not address their needs. They

mentioned that they need developmental strategies than relief ones. The respondents from

Musauki and Mabrosi villages mentioned that they do not understand clearly the criteria used

by NGOs to select their beneficiaries. They added on that NGOs only select few people as their

beneficiaries leaving the rest of the community members not helped. The findings go hand in

hand with Farrington and Bebbington,(2003) who contends that, the criteria used by some

NGOs for selecting clients specifically excludes the poor. Moreover, the respondents

mentioned that as a result of this, serious conflicts arise amongst community members

especially between those who get the aid and those who are not beneficiaries. This was well

explained by one respondent in Sabao village that:

“I am poor I have nothing. When NGOs officers came to our village they wrote other

people’s names they said am rich because my son leaves in Botswana. My name even

to date does not appear in their books, I nearly die of hunger. What then are they

doing while not helping the majority?”

28%

72%

satisfied

unsatisfied

39

Apart from that the majority of the respondents indicated that they are not happy by NGOs

strategies in Mbire (Mushumbi area) because they are not sustainable, they mentioned that

sometimes NGOs’ programmes are of great value to the community but they do not last for a

long time. The respondents in Mwanza village indicated that, the farm implements distribution

programmes of LGDA are very good though they don’t last for a long time, only a few benefits.

Similarity is drawn with Fruttero and Guari,(2005)’s view that, NGOs are concerned with

quantity than quality of the services rendered hence this makes them to be more concerned

about their objectives than putting the poor first.

40

4.12 Donations helped in improving Social services in Mushumbi

Table 4.4 Donations helped in improving Social services in Mushumbi (n=128)

Responses

Frequency

Percentage (%)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Not sure

Agree

Strongly agree

9

9

21

55

34

7

7

16.4

43

26.6

Total

128

100

Source: Primary data

Sixty nine point six percent (89) of the total respondents agree that donations have improved

Social services in Mbire district. Todaro (2003) support this sight when he says that donations

on Social services improve the quality of life independent of income sources. A fact to note is

that donations to Mbire have made the district accessible to Social services such as schools and

clinics. The same findings were found by UNICEF (2008) in Tanzania when donations to

education sector showed a 37%(47) reduction in drop-out rate between 2005 and 2007. A mere

14%(19) of the respondents partially disagrees and strongly disagrees that donations have

anything to do with social services improvement in Mbire district. This implies that they might

be other forms of funding that have improved social services such as government funds in the

district. Thus, why Awokuse (2006) rounded his study that donations effects cannot be

41

measured directly. The findings oppose Fruttero and Guari (2005) who concluded that NGOs

are perceived to be the drivers of development but it is hard to prove since poverty still persist

in the same areas served by NGOs.

4.13The Extent to which NGOs have Achieved their Goals

All the respondents (100%) indicated that though NGOs are trying to intervene in Mbire with

their strategies; they are not achieving their goal of alleviating poverty. This is also supported

by the findings of the research done by Saifuddin (2006) in Bangladesh which indicated that

NGOs programmes do not match with the needs of the people, the programmes selection is

based on external and internal factors like the donor and resources in the country respectively,

selection of programme does not consider what really poverty is in a given area and the NGOs

meaning of poverty is not locally based.

4.14 NGOs’ Strategies and their Problems

NGOs’ strategies were blamed for the deepening of poverty in Mbire by respondents, the key

informants and the field officers. The field officers mentioned that sometimes these

programmes are determined by the funders. Most of the NGOs’ programmes or projects are

determined by the funders who rarely engage with the service users. This goes hand in hand

with the findings of a research done by Saifuddin (2006) in Bangladesh which indicated that

NGOs programmes do not match with the needs of the people. They highlighted that whenever

NGOs get funding the donor specifies what the NGO need to do with the funding since the

donors do not interact with the service users hence they do not understand what exactly are the

needs of the poor. They added on that the funders have a different understanding of poverty

they believe that poverty is the same across Zimbabwe. The field officers also indicated that

the problem of not interacting with the clients in most cases before implementing a programme

as a contributor to the issue of poverty in Mbire. In the research about the NGOs’ poverty

reduction strategies in Bangladesh Saifuddin (2006) found that NGOs’ programmes meant to

reduce poverty do not match with the reality, the programmes selection is based on external

and internal factors like the donor and resources in the country respectively, selection of

programme does not consider what really poverty is in a given area and the NGOs meaning of

poverty is not locally based. NGOs programmes sometimes tend not to be realistic because

42

mostly they are planned by the people who do not come into contact with NGOs’ clients

(Fruttero and Gauri, 2005).

4.15 Suggested impacts and recommendations of donations in Mushumbi in

the period 2010-2015.

The following impacts of donations were highly suggested by the respondents:

HIV awareness, reduction of bedridden people, hate rage among families, dependency

syndrome and creation of employment. On hat rage the community argued that the selection

criteria in Mbire have been weak and unfair to such an extent that it brought havoc among

families. The impacts coincide with Wrage’s (2007) view that donations bring hat rage among

families through nepotism or favouritism. These suggestions were in line with Todaro’s (2003)

idea that donations bring dependency syndrome on the recipient community and that there is

inequalities in the distribution of donated funds that might deprive those in need..

Major recommendations suggested were that donors should introduce Income Generating

Projects so that the community remains sustainable if the community is weaned off. The

community supposes that Mbire district’s problems will come to haunt the community when

donations are out of picture hence need for something sustainable. It was put forward that

NGO’s should do their own need assessments so as to be acquainted with areas that need

immediate attention. The community considers that is how the issue of hat rage can be dealt

with. Johnson-Lans (2005) clearly put it that, NGOs are criticized for lacking appropriate

evaluation strategies of their programmes, particularly when it is performed by donor agencies

that might not be sensitive to the needs of the locals. Monitoring is very important in the sense

that it makes an organization to see if they are still in line with their objectives, whilst

evaluation can help an organization to see how they can correct their mistakes in the future.

Lack of monitoring and evaluation of project by many NGOs means that there are high chances

of not noticing their mistakes and hence they remain uncorrected.

All the respondents (100%) indicated that NGOs need to focus on social amenities like building

hospitals, roads construction and schools. The reason being that most clinics in Mbire are in

accessible, that the roads in Mbire are very poor making it difficult for other places to be

accessible, again the available schools does not have classrooms, books, electricity and

43

laboratories. They all mentioned that shortage of hospitals and ambulances in the district pose

a serious threat to the people especially during out breaks of deadly diseases.

4.16Summary

The chapter looked at data presentation, analysis and discussion. Based on the above findings,

one may note that there is still a lot that needs to be done about the poverty alleviation strategies

implemented by NGOs. Poverty in Mbire is not mere lack of food as conceptualized by NGOs

but also involves lack of infrastructural development and social services development as

perceived by the people in Mbire. High illiteracy level in the district, lack of skills by the

majority of the people in Mbire and the NGOs’ strategies which seem not to be addressing the

needs of the people are some of the contributing factors to the deepening of poverty. This

shows that, more in terms of sustainable development needs to be done in Mbire district. This

chapter paves way to the next chapter which summaries the findings of the research, makes

conclusions and recommendations.

44

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter makes a summary, conclusions and recommendations of the whole study based

on findings from chapter 4. Based on the research findings, the researcher has come up with

some recommendations which might be of great value when addressing poverty by both NGOs

and government departments in Mbire District. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate

the effectiveness of the NGOs’ strategies implemented in Mbire, Mushumbi Rural District.

5.1 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of NGOs’ poverty mitigation

strategies implemented in the rural areas of Zimbabwe and Mbire District was the case study.

The vital questions that the study sought to answer included what makes NGOs’ strategies to

be ineffective, is it the environment they operate in, is it their clients who are resistant to change

or the problem lies with their strategies. The research findings clearly answer these questions.

The findings indicate that to a larger extent the problem lays with the NGOs’ strategies. Of

great importance, the findings mostly indicate that NGOs view poverty as consistent across

Mbire, as a result, they hardly ever connect with their clients when it comes to selection of their

programmes. The research was conducted to make an impact investigation of aid donations

extended to Mbire district special focus was on LGDA donations to Mushumbi area.

It was found out that the poorest are the main beneficiaries of donations in Mbire district.

Moreover, it came to the attention of the researcher that donations have played a significant

role in promoting economic growth in Mbire district and the major suggestion on donations

impact was that donations reduced the number of bedridden people in homes and by virtue

adding quality days to those ill.

The findings showed that Mbire community has a dependency syndrome as they do not want

donations to leave them. Despite the issue of dependency syndrome, it was found out that

donations are only alleviating suffering for shorter period hence living nothing sustainable for

45

the community when it is weaned off. This was one of the major complains by the community

as well.

Furthermore, hat rage was suggested as a major problem after dependency syndrome in Mbire.

This is attributed to favouritism in selection of beneficiaries. Some of the suggestions made by

households were that SRHBC and other NGO’s need to do their own needs assessment and

drift their attention on sustainable Income Generating Projects.

5.2 CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that, most of the NGOs’ strategies implemented are not suitable for

addressing the poverty situation in Mbire hence; they need to be revisited since implementation

of wrong poverty alleviation strategies means that the needs of the poor are missed. NGOs’

strategies are not fully addressing poverty in the rural areas because of various reasons which

includes, failure to do proper needs assessment, lack of monitoring of their projects,

generalizing the issue of poverty, the strategies lack sustainability because by nature most of

NGOs’ strategies are more of relief.

From the findings of chapter four, the following conclusions were drawn:

Economically, Mbire district have benefited from donations.

Donations inculcate dependency syndrome on recipient community.

The donations have brought a marked improvement on Social services in Mbire district

as indicated by accessibility to hospitals, schools and clean water.

The donations are failing to impact positively on the livelihood of households. The

assistance is mainly food relief through direct food hand outs and food for work

programs. Food relief is short lived, only benefit a few individuals, encourages donor

dependency and does not generate sustainable income for the household.

46

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

With the explained findings in the former chapter, the following are some of the

recommendations that are given by the researcher which may be useful in tackling poverty in

Mbire and some other parts of Zimbabwe. The following recommendations therefore are based

on the research findings.

LGDA and other NGO’s should do their need assessment so as to identify areas that

need immediate attention and make sure resources are well targeted that is they help

those who are in need. Assessments also help NGO’s to avoid duplication of efforts as

they do not carry same projects already being executed at a particular time. Need

assessments do away with favouritism or nepotism in the sense that NGO’s identifies

the most vulnerable groups within the community?

LGDA and other NGO’s should start Income Generating Projects which are viable so

as to supplement food relief. This implies that the Mushumbi community will remain

viable even when the donations are out of picture. IGP’s help the community problems

to be alleviated for longer periods and are sustainable enough to eliminate dependency

syndrome.

NGOs are also recommended to avoid being too selective. The problem of NGOs of

being selective was mentioned in all villages. Most NGOs only focus on the vulnerable

and ultra-poor of the society leaving the better offs not helped. Therefore, NGOs need

to develop Mbire by implementing programmes that will benefit all community

members as it was argued by the respondents. This means that, NGOs should also help

the better offs according to their needs. When NGOs concentrate on one part of the

community this raises conflict among community members.

After implementing their projects, NGOs need to make sure that they thoroughly

monitor and evaluate these projects. Most projects fail because they are not monitored.

Again the same projects lack sustainability because they are not evaluated. Most NGOs

need Monitoring and Evaluation Officers who can do the monitoring of their projects.

Carrying out proper monitoring and evaluation will make them to realize what need to

be added or changed on their strategies.

The Government should find ways of improving the lives of the people leaving with

poverty in remote areas and should also monitor NGOs operations. Mushumbi

community should seek for other viable means of survival besides donations. This relief

47

pressure on donations as well as help to combat the issue of hat rage brought by

donations. Other viable means of survival include green market gardening.

For future researchers and scholars the issue of donations impact is inconclusive and varies

from one community to another hence need for further research. This brings diversity on the

outcomes of the impact of donations on recipient community as well as enabling sound

conclusions on the topic to be reached.

48

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APPENDIX : RESEARCH QUESTION GUIDE

INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR LGDA OFFICER, SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER,

AGRITEX OFFICER, COUNCILLOR, HEADMAN

NAME …………………………………………………..

52

SURNAME ……………………………………………………

SEX ……………………………………………………

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What are the causes of poverty in this area?

2. What makes NGOs strategies to be ineffective?

3. Who are the main players in addressing poverty in this area?

4. What kind of support or assistance do you get from the non-governmental organizations

in helping people living with poverty, and does it address the challenges being faced by

those poor.

5. Do you think services being offered by L.G.D.A to people living with poverty are fully

accommodating the needs of the poor?

6. What do you think should be done to strengthen the social services from L.G.D.A in

your community for the benefit of the people living with poverty in this area?

7. Do you think poverty issues are being addressed in this area and if not why are they not

being addressed

8. What have the government do towards the poverty and what do you think should also

be done to mitigate the poverty?

9. Which other social services despite NGOs are being provided to the poor living with

poverty in this community?

10. What do you think should be done to strengthen the social services being given to

remote rural areas in Zimbabwe for the benefit of the poor living with poverty?

11. Who are the main players in addressing this poverty and what are they doing?

12. Who is benefiting from the aid from those actors and how?

13. Can you state the main challenges in fighting poverty in this area?

14. What have the government do towards these poverty problems in this area?

15. What do you think should be done to mitigate the challenges of poverty in the area and

by whom?

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

53

NAME OF FACILITATOR ...………………………………………

ATTENDANCE REGISTER ……………………………………….

START TIME .............................................................

END TIME .............................................................

1. What is your understanding of the causes of poverty in this Mushumbi area?

2. During the last five years, has the poverty in this community diminished, stabilized or

aggravated? What have been the factors?

3. What strategies have been used by L.G.D.A against poverty in this area?

4. What have you done as a community to improve your poverty life?

5. Which other organizations are working towards poverty in this community and their

roles so far?

6. Who benefits most from the policies, programs and projects from both organizations

and the government towards poverty in this area?

7. Why have the situation not changed? Were the policies, programs and projects effective

or not?

8. What do you think are the challenges being faced by L.G.D.A on its way of the

provision of aid towards poverty in this community?

9. What solutions do you recommend as a community to fight the poverty and from

whom?