| dc.description.abstract | Purpose: To assess the effect of social participation on financial inclusion of Northern Rangeland
Trust women groups, Kenya.
Methodology: The current study used descriptive research design to collect quantitative and
qualitative data. The target population was 10 women groups registered in Northern Rangeland
Trust in Laikipia County. The respondents were 10 chairladies, 10 secretaries, 10 treasurers, and
152 women members. Women group leaders were interviewed while the women who were
members of self-help groups answered the questionnaire. The study conducted pre-test on 1
women group in Samburu County selected using simple random method. The study also sampled
1 chairlady, 1 secretary, 1 treasurer and 15 women members. Chairladies, secretaries and treasurers
were selected using purposive sampling method while the members were selected using simple
random sampling method. The descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and median
were computed. The findings were presented using descriptive tables, figures and narratives for
ease of understanding the results. Inferential analysis to be generated included model summary to
test the level of influence, analysis of variance to test hypothesis and regression coefficients to test
the study’s model. Diagnostic tests such as normality, linearity, multicolinearity,
heteroskedasticity, and autocorrelation were tested. The study used multiple regression analysis in
order to determine the relationship between linking social capital and financial inclusion of women
groups in northern rangeland trust, Laikipia county, Kenya.
Results: The results from the questionnaires revealed, 39(29%) and 26(19%) strongly agreed and
agreed correspondingly that women groups were able to access to financial services e.g.,
accounting services at subsidized rates after partnering with NGOs such as NRT. However,
80(60%) and 27(20%) strongly disagreed and disagreed correspondingly that there has been
availability of financial opportunities on investments as a result of women groups selling products
to internal and external promoters. The R coefficient was 0.863 while R-Square was 0.745. This
meant that social networks had a 74.5% influence on financial inclusion. The significance value
was 0.009 which was less than 0.05. The study therefore rejected null hypothesis that social
participation does not have significant effect on financial inclusion of Northern Rangeland Trust
women groups, Kenya.
The results from the interviews revealed, the various types of financial knowledge women in
groups were bound to get that enabled them have outstanding performances in their projects as
book-keeping, reconciliation and auditing. Additionally, the ways that NRT linked women to
access financial services included connecting them with various accounting firms, accountants,
financial managers and auditors. Further, the selection criteria that they used to rule out women
groups that got access to financial opportunities on investments included availability of
memorandum of association, group minutes and application status to NRT.
Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: In as much as women were in a position of
getting finances, the full access to financial opportunities was limited. This is whereby many
groups of women had to rely on few economic activities that were majorly pegged on the directions
given by both national and county governments. The study recommends that on social
participation, there should be awareness raised by local leaders on available financial opportunities
that women would engage locally to raise money. Various non-government organizations should
encourage women to start various non-tradition business and explore wider on fields such as forex
trading, online jobs, application of both local and international tenders among others. This would
give an upper hand towards promoting more financial opportunities. | en_US |
