| dc.description.abstract | Tearfund has implemented a programme of establishing and facilitating a network self-help groups
(SHG) comprising the poorest people in Ethiopian Society since 2002. The SHGs follow a carefully
defined philosophy based initially on the self-help group movement run by MYRADA India and
adapted to the Ethiopian Context with the assistance of Tearfund Ireland, Tearfund Netherlands, The
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa) and Irish Aid.
Previous research has examined the cost-benefit of Ethiopian self-help groups and found a very
positive cost benefit ratio (Venton, et. al., 2013). However, this research has not documented, other
than anecdotally, the social and psychological benefits experienced by the individuals participating in
SHGs or the mechanisms involved in bringing about these benefits
This research aims to:
· Evaluate the impact of SHGs on the psycho-social wellbeing of their members
· Elucidate the features of SHGs which promote, and those that may hamper, achieving this
impact
Ten SHGs from Wolaita (SNNPR) and Adama (Oromiya) were selected for this study – five young (less
than two years) and five more mature (more than five years). The SHGs were chosen to include high-
(5), low- (1) and average- (4) functioning groups. A survey of individual members, a focus group with
the SHG as a whole and interviews with key informants served to gather qualitative and quantitative
data about both the individual and the SHG. Quantitative analysis was complemented by a thematic
analysis of the open-ended questions in the survey and focus groups.
We found that, as well as having a clear impact on the financial circumstances, SHGs are also
impacting members’ lives in a variety of ways. Older SHGs assessed the impact of the SHG as being
greater and they scored more highly on measures of psychological and social wellbeing, indicating
that the impact of the SHG increases over time. Themes that emerged from the members’ discussion
of the impact of the SHG were increased finances, moving from poverty to provider, moving from
dependence to independence, education gained through the SHG, moving from social isolation to
participation, social development, personal development and spiritual development.
We identified several key elements of SHGs that seem to be critical in achieving these positive
outcomes. The defined rules and bylaws of each SHG provide a strong structure for members to
interact with clear expectations and boundaries. For of members who, in their own words, have
come from lives with no structure, no role, no one to meet, no process to follow, the “hard” fixed
aspects of the SHG are very empowering. These are complemented by a set of values and principles
– of equality, sharing, mutual support and forgiveness. The evidence is strong that the SHGs manage
to develop an environment in which all members are valued and get to participate, where
dominance by one or two individuals is rare and where conflicts are, generally, effectively dealt with
within the group. These “soft” aspects of the SHGs are to some extent built into the structure, but
there is a strong indication that facilitators are a critical part of promoting this culture by providing
strong models of the values and attitudes that are reported as being characteristic of the SHGs –
acceptance, love, forgiveness. A strong theme in both the impact and mechanism sections above is
education or training. It is clear that this is an aspect of the SHG that participants find very
empowering. Given the low education level that most of the participants are coming from, the
opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in areas as diverse as financial management and hygiene is
very empowering. | en |
