Senior citizens grant interventions and livelihoods of beneficiaries; case study: Kibiga sub-county, Kiboga district

Abstract

The study was carried out in Kibiga Sub-County in Kiboga District. It established the impact of the Senior Citizens Grants interventions on the livelihood activities of beneficiaries. The study further sought to achieve three research objectives notably; to establish the different livelihood activities in Kibiga Sub County, to find out how Senior Citizens Grants impact on livelihood activities of beneficiaries in Kibiga Sub County and lastly to find out whether the local politics of cash transfers impact on the success of Senior Citizens Grants in the sub county of Kibiga and Kiboga district as a whole. The study was guided by the Theory of Change that was published by Carol Weiss (1995). It employed a single case study research design and a qualitative approach. A total of 69 respondents participated in the study that included Kiboga district community development officer (DCDO), Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Kiboga district SCGs district technical personnel, beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the grants. The researcher used data mostly from primary sources using interview guides, focus group discussions and observations. The data collected was analyzed and findings revealed that: key livelihood activities in Kiboga district particularly Kibiga Sub County included but were not limited to, Agriculture where crops like maize, bananas, beans, were grown this was followed by livestock farming where animals like cows, pigs, sheep, goats as well as poultry keeping was also another livelihood activity, small scale businesses were also found to be a livelihood activity where residents sell general merchandise and farm products. It was also found out that alternative livelihood strategies undertaken by the state and other civil society organizations were National Agricultural Advisory Services and these were so key in supporting the present livelihood activities in the sub county and in the district in general. Functional Adult Literacy was also found to be another alternative livelihood strategy which had positive impacts in promoting the key livelihood activities in the area in that it helped beneficiaries of the SCGs to acquire knowledge and skills in practicing agriculture, poultry and small scale business enterprises. The study also found out that politics of cash transfers play an important role in achieving desirable outcomes of the Senior Citizens Grants outputs right from program planning through implementation and to evaluation. Indeed politics of Cash Transfers are a key to achieving expected objectives especially reducing chronic poverty whereby all decisions that may make the program effective are taken by political leaders. For example, a decision to take Yumbe as one of the beneficiary districts in was politically motivated and at the same time, districts which were scaled after the initial pilot program were also politically decided. The study recommended that, implementers and beneficiaries must continuously be sensitized about their roles and responsibilities so as not to miss inform other stakeholders of the same program and to allow for easy monitoring of the program activities. Therefore, to address information needs about social protection, it is hereby recommended that public education must be done so as to create thorough awareness of issues related to social protection.