Motivation of women to participate in an income-generating project : the FLAGH programme
Abstract
There is a large amount of poverty-stricken people in South Africa, especially among female
farm dwellers. Poverty is a problem with many facets that needs a multi-dimensional
approach. One of the approaches used to alleviate poverty is through income-generating
projects (IGPs). Most IGPs reported participation difficulties which negatively affects the
sustainability of these projects. This study focuses on an IGP which forms part of the FLAGH
programme in the North West Province.
The aim of this study was to explore the motivation of women to participate in an IGP in
order to understand why they participate and whether there is an observable difference
concerning their motivation over a period of 16 months. In addition, the link between
motivation and regular and irregular participation was investigated. A multiple-phased, single
case study design, was followed to explore the motivation of purposefully selected women of
the IGP. A semi-structured questionnaire was specifically designed for this study to collect
data together with field notes, visual media and in-depth interviews.
The study consisted of three phases. The socio-demographic information obtained by the
semi-structured questionnaires provided the researcher with a profile of women who
participated in the IGP during the first phase. The photographs and field notes served as
evidence with regards to the socio-demographic and household information obtained
through the questionnaires. The semi-structured questionnaires with the structured and
open-ended questions provided insight concerning the motivational factors that influenced
their participation over a period of 16 months. During the second phase, a comparison could
be made between active and non-active participants. Differences in motivational factors
were identified which explained the participation behaviour of both groups. In-depth
interviews in phase three brought a better understanding of the motivational factors of the
regular participants concerning their experiences. Field notes also served as supporting
evidence for the results in phase three.
Results of this study provided more information and insight regarding the participation
difficulties in an IGP. Encouraging as well as discouraging motivational factors were
identified that influenced participants to participate regularly or irregular in the IGP. The
motivation that changed among participants over a period of 16 months was also identified.
These results will be used to improve current IGPs and also in the planning of future IGPs.
One of the limitations of this study was the small number of available women to observe.
This study contributes as a section in a larger process that attempts to alleviate poverty
through research on the subject in order to obtain a better understanding of difficulties found
in IGPs.
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- Health Sciences [2061]