Centre for Development Support

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Browsing Centre for Development Support by Author "Benedict, Ekaete"

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    Income-Generating Activities (IGAS) in the livelihoods of the Rehoboth Community in Namibia
    (University of the Free State, 2021) Kaukumangera, Emily; Benedict, Ekaete
    Income-generating activities are an important input for the sustainable livelihood improvement of communities. In a developing economy, they could play a valuable role in coping with and mitigating various socio-economic problems (Saravana & Lokesha, 2018:190). In recent decades, Income Generating Activities (IGA) have been increasingly used as a tool to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods. IGA therefore, plays a crucial role in achieving the SDGs in general and the SDG4 agenda in particular. This study set out to investigate the influence of income-generating activities on the livelihoods of the Rehoboth communities. The beneficiaries are funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW) and the Hardap Regional Council (HR) micro-projects. The government and other development agencies persistently support initiatives for poverty reduction through implementing the IGA grant. The Namibian Government acknowledged IGAs programme as a vehicle to fast-track employment creation and improve livelihoods through the support of Small and Medium Enterprises. This was stated in the formulation of various National Development Plans (NDP 2,3,4), NDP5 2017/18-2021/22 and the Harambee Prosperity plan (2016-2020). This research explores the influence of IGAs on the livelihoods of the Rehoboth community in Namibia and the beneficiaries' perception of the contribution of IGAs to their livelihoods. The study employed a qualitative approach because it permitted the researcher to examine and explore the phenomenon under investigation. The qualitative research method was used to collect primary and secondary data, which included secondary analysis documents and reports. The data collected from the beneficiaries and key informants were analysed following an inductive analytical process by extracting themes and categories that emerged from the data. The study found most Rehoboth IGA projects are home-based, with few operating in business areas. It was observed that IGA projects had improved beneficiaries' livelihood, through functional projects which led to minor improvements in some families. The study findings revealed how IGA funds improved the livelihood of beneficiaries of the Rehoboth community. The study thus concludes that IGAs are a source of livelihood and contribute to poverty eradication and employment creation for disadvantaged community and families. The initiatives have responded to community needs, especially contributing to food security, family education and social status.