Household micro-economics models

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Chapter Three: Research methodology

Introduction

The research was designed by adopting a combination of secondary data and primary data methods. Secondary data was mainly quantitative statistical data collected from the national surveys, censuses, studies and reports. It was collected to complement the primary data collected from the field studies which include qualitative data collected from the sample of the female entrepreneurs who reflected their opinions, attitudes, perceptions and viewpoints. The participation of the female entrepreneurs in the data collection and analysis of their situation was followed to ensure that the study is more participatory in its approach. This chapter explains how research was undertaken. The chapter ends with constraints related to the methodology followed.

Research techniques

The methodology of the study was divided into two methods of data collection; one is the secondary data collection and the second is the primary data collection.

Secondary data

The secondary data on poverty in Sudan included a review of the reliable information and statistical data from national statistical surveys and the national censuses, mainly the Ministry of Manpower Surveys (MMSs) (1990) and (1996) that cover the northern states only and the latest statistical data of the Safe Motherhood Survey (SMS) 1999 conducted by the Ministry of Health and United Nation Fund for Population (UNFP), which covered the all states in Sudan.
Other sources of information included studies, researches, reports, published topics on journal and other publications about Sudan macro and micro economic strategies and policies.
The sources of these studies, researches and reports were from various international organisations such as UNCIEF, World Bank, UNFP, ILO and UNDP with concerned ministries like the Ministry of Manpower and Labour Force, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Welfare and Social Development and other academic and research institutions, such as University of Khartoum, Ahfad University, Social Development Institutes, which provides more reliable data that can be trusted. Other studies, researches and reports about Sudan during the periods 1993- 2006 carried out by various ministries, research centres and prominent Sudanese scholars on macro and micro-economic policies, poverty strategy papers had been reviewed.
The main secondary data methodology and sources of data collection included study reports related to the situation of women in Sudan, SWGU microcredit projects studies and reports as well as the annual financial reports prepared by the Bank of Sudan, Credit and Social development Bank, Zakat Chamber, annual reports compiled by the SWGU offices at national and state levels on the microcredit projects during the period 2000 – 2006 on women in Sudan.
In addition the SWGU secondary data included all the reports about the SWGU baseline studies on the microcredit projects, monthly reports of the microcredit projects at the state and grassroots levels. Also it includes SWGU conference papers and strategy papers, SWGU strategic plan of economic activities (1999-2005), minutes of meetings (2000-2006), and reports such as monthly reports, training reports, study report, follow-up and field visit reports and the minutes of the meetings by the economic secretariat: savings and microcredit project at the headquarters, economic secretariat: savings and microcredit project of the SWGU state level and the production centers written by the centre’s committees at the local level. Also secondary data included monthly financial reports written by the financing institutions, SWGU monthly reports written by the economic secretariat: savings and microcredit project at the headquarters, economic secretariat: savings and microcredit project of the SWGU at the state level, and production centre’s financial records written by the centre’s committees at the local level.

Primary data

Empirical field research and primary data collection was conducted on a sample of female entrepreneurs who are market-based business entrepreneurs in the informal sector and home-based entrepreneurs who had got access to credit through SWGU microcredit and savings programmes. And the women who applied and recently received the microcredit and savings loans has been taken to assess the results of the impacts and judge if the impacts and changes are attributed to the microcredit and savings programmes and its contribution to alleviate poverty and empower poor women at their household levels.
To investigate these issues the research relied on both quantitative structured surveys and on qualitative participatory research methodologies, which includes group discussions. Quantitative methods assisted in measuring the outcome of microcredit projects like accounting knowledge, managerial control, cash management, financial sustainability of programmes and the monetary benefits to the borrowers. Depending solely on quantitative data solely could result in neglecting some significant and valued issue of empowerment and may not have led to to clear perspective on the process of women’s empowerment. Therefore, the qualitative investigation has taken into account the ‘voices,’ perceptions, aspirations and strategies of the women borrowers themselves. The qualitative participatory methods were used to reveal the female entrepreneurs’ perception of poverty at household level and thus allowed the researcher to examine the trends within the framework of dynamic gender relationships.

Sample

Based on the SWGU microcredit and saving projects reports (2006) the total number of the beneficiaries of SWGU up to 2005 was equal to 4472 female entrepreneurs covering 14 states. This included 1853 female entrepreneurs who received individual credit with interest (Financed by SudaTel) and 2619 female entrepreneurs who received group credit without interest ( Financed by Zakat Social Fund ) and who were the beneficiaries of the production centres.

Size of the group samples

According to the SWGU and the Zakat Social Solidarity Fund for Development reports (2000) the sample selection was based on the kinds of credit and the economic activities implemented by the female entrepreneurs. The four groups selected in this regard were from Northern Kordufan State – West of Sudan and Khartoum State – Middle of Sudan.
The number of female entrepreneurs was 300 female entrepreneurs, selected from these four groups, were categorized on the kind of credit and the economic activities. Individual credit with interest covered two groups: Thowra and Tea sellers (represented poor female entrepreneurs) and group credit without interest which offered to female entrepreneurs of the production centres at Khalawi Fetihab and Kazagil production centre (represented very poor female entrepreneurs from female headed households).
Categorizing poor and very poor was based on the results of the Ministry of Manpower Surveys (MMSs) (1990) and (1996) that covers the northern states only and the Safe Motherhood Survey (SMS) 1999 conducted by the Ministry of Health and United Nation Fund for Population (UNFPA) which covered the whole state of Sudan. For more details on the characteristics of being poor and very poor see the analysis in chapter 4, point 4.3: Impact of strategies adopted to alleviate poverty and Table 4.18 attached to the Annex -1: Page 428.
The National Comprehensive Poverty Reduction Strategy and SWGU microcredit strategy are based on these statistical data sources. And later the SWGU strategy to implement the microcredit projects was delayed to obtain the results on poverty incidents reported by the Safe Motherhood Survey (SMS) 1999.

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Sample locations

The first sample group consisted of 100 market–based female workers, tea sellers who are located in Khartoum State: Omdurman Province, Ombada Locality at Soak Libya. Khartoum state is the only state where tea seller groups existed and benefited from microcredit projects. The term Libya is joined to the term Soak because the location of the Soak is far away from Omdurman national capital centre and beside the main north western earth road which leads to Libya. Khartoum is the major city in Sudan which is made up of three big towns: Khartoum where all government and administrative offices are located, Khartoum North, the industrial area and Omdurman which was a capital and the main commercial and religious centre of Sudan. All these three towns are located along the rivers Blue and White Nile. Soak Libya is an area which is inhabited by migrants from western and north-western Sudan, who came to the capital during the 1980s because of the drought, desertification and famine that hit the western part of Sudan. Up to about thirty years ago this area was considered to be of no real importance and was classified by the Omdurman local government council administrative as slum town. Since then it has extended dramatically and grown through a better infrastructure, housing, and small to medium size markets. Soak Libya lies on the road out of Omdurman to the northern part of the country, which is frequently used by trucks, private cars and buses. As a result of this growth the slum town itself has been pushed further away into the desert within an average travelling time from the residential portion to the Soak Libya of thirty minutes by car and approximately two hours walking.
The second study group, Al Thowra consisted of 100 home–based female workers. Al Thowra means revolution in Arabic. Al Thowra entrepreneurs are located in a middle class residential area north of Omdurman. Al Thowra has been developed as a residential area on the fringes north of Omdurman. Al Thowra first developed during the 1960s based on the national plan to allow the original people who live in Omdurman to have enough residential land for their new generations. But most of them refused to leave their old town and sold it to the people coming from outside Khartoum province, especially those from the eastern and western parts of Sudan. Now called Al Thowra Garb Al Harat, the town has been developed into a large area over an approximate area of thirty kilometres to surround the west area of Omdurman. Most of the inhabitants in area are so-called migrant settlers. Al Thowra is inhabited by a cross-section of the community from families including merchants, traders, civil sector and private sector employees and other professionals.
The third study group was Al Fetihab Khalawi group which consisted of 80 market–based female workers. Al Fetihab is a suburb to the south of Omdurman town, officially known as Diem Abu Seed. Popularly, however, it is named after the Al Fetihab tribe, which is numerically dominant and which claims to have conquered the area in the past times. The Fetihab town is located at the western White Nile river bank and is surrounded by Omdurman city to the north, Ombada city to the west and Jabal Awlia to the south. During the 1980s the old Fetihab town was planned and due to expansion of old Omdurman town many Omdurmani residents moved and settled in Al Fetihab. The town is still growing and there are huge extended shanty areas surrounding the town settled by migrants coming from western Sudan due to drought, famine and conflicts. Most of the shanty houses are simple mud structures surrounded by walls. These are nuclear family homes, occupied by husband, wife, unmarried children and in many cases some other relatives. Toilets and taps are sometimes shared with neighbours.

CONTENTS
Lists of tables, diagrams, figures, Charts
Acknowledgment
Acronyms
Glossary
1 Introduction
1.1 Background information
1.2 Problem statement of the study
1.3 Objective of the study
1.4 Secondary objectives of the study
1.5 Research questions
1.6 Overview of methodology
1.7 Structure of the study
1.8 Conclusion
2 Theoretical and conceptual framework
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Models of the entrepreneur
2.3 Household micro-economics models
2.4 Vulnerability, coping and diversification models.
2.5 Empowerment models
2.6 Conclusion
3 Research methodology
3.3 Sample
3.4 Administration of the study
3.5 Constraints
3.6 Conclusion
4 Overview of poverty situation among women in Sudan
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Factors affecting women©s vulnerability
4.3 Impact of strategies adopted to alleviate poverty
4.4 Conclusion
5 Structural Adjustment and poverty alleviation policies
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Poverty reduction infrastructural services projects
5.3 Social Mobilization for Solidarity and Production programme
5.4 Conclusion
6 Sudanese Women©s General Union
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Sudanese women charter
6.3 Objectives
6.4 Structure
6.5 Role of the Sudanese General Women Union in the national poverty reduction strategy
6.6 Financial institutions policy
6.7 Conclusion
7. Sudanese Women General Union savings and microcredit projects
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Kinds of savings and microcredit projects
7.3 Objectives
7.4 Women beneficiary
7.5 Financial institutions for funding the Sudanese Women General Union
7.6 Administrative role of the Sudanese Women General Union savings and microcredit projects
7.7 Constraints
7.8 Conclusion
8. Impact of the Sudanese Women General Union savings and Micro-credit projects
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Impact at personal level
8.3 Economic impacts: at the production/ project level
8.4 Social impact: female entrepreneurs and decision making
8.5 Constraints
8.6 Conclusion
9. Summary of achievements, constraints and recommendations
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Achievements
9.3 Risks and constraints
9.4 Recommendations
9.5 Conclusion
GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT
THE IMPACT OF THE SUDANESE GENERAL WOMEN’S UNION SAVINGS AND MICRO-FINANCE/CREDIT PROJECTS ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON WOMEN’S VULNERABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT

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