Effects of Capacity Building towards Economic Empowerment of Targets Groups A Case Study of Projet d'Appui í la SécuritéAlimentaire au Bugesera (A Project for Support in Food Security in Bugesera District)

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effect of capacity building towards economic empowerment of target groups, using the case study of PASABII (Projetd'Appui í  la SécuritéAlimentaire au Bugesera), a project for support on food security in Bugesera District. Empowerment is one possible approach to increase the economic participation of a target groups and thus decrease poverty among vulnerable people. In spite of non-government and government involvement in capacity building, it is believed that poverty still remains a big disease in the community in Rwanda. Rwanda government and non-governmental projects are investing a lot in the community through equipping them with skills and knowledge on how to develop themselves and through material support to help them to come out from poverty and hence for sustainable development. However, the problem of poverty has remained a problem despite the efforts for capacity building of the community. This study was set out to assess the effect of training on new agricultural techniques on socio-economic welfare of beneficiaries; the effect of introduction of new cash crops and the effects of livestock distribution by PASAB II on socioeconomic welfare of the beneficiaries in Bugesera District. The researcher  used descriptive  method  of study based  on  qualitative  and  quantitative  approach  in  order  to get analysis of the study. Researcher used both primary and secondary data collection tools with their relevant tools like questionnaire and documentary analysis in order to come up with required data.  In this study, questionnaires were distributed by the researcher to a total of 361household using simple random sampling from a total number of 5755 project beneficiaries to collect primary data whereas secondary data were collected using books reports and internet. In the finding it was established that PASAB II project in Bugesera District has promoted socioeconomic welfare of the beneficiaries in the district trough productivity, improvement on family health standards, improvement on land use, promotion of knowledge and technical skills through training and improvement of income and good management skills. There was also improvement on education standards of the beneficiaries' families. Thus we can conclude that PASAB II activities improved socioeconomic welfare of the project beneficiaries in the district positively as the findings and clearly indicated by Pearson correlation co efficiency of 0. 956 showing strong positive relationship between agricultural training and socioeconomic welfare of beneficiaries, 0. 968 showing a strong positive relationship between PASABII distributed livestock and socioeconomic welfare and 0. 968 showing a strong positive relationship between PASAB II introduction of new cash crops and socioeconomic welfare of Bugesera District in Rwanda. In general, it can be concluded that capacity building contribute positively on economic empowerment of beneficiaries in Rwanda as witnessed by PASABII project.