The impact of microfinance institutions on rural livelihoods: the case of village community banks in Bunda district – Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Maditto, Said .Juma | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-08-15T06:27:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-08-15T06:27:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2011 | |
| dc.description | Master's Dissertation | |
| dc.description.abstract | This research examined the impact of microfinance institutions on rural livelihoods particularly in the case of Village Community Banks (VICOBA) in Bunda District - Tanzania. The overall objective of the research was to engender information that would help improve performance of the VICOBAs and livelihoods of the rural communities in Bunda District. Specifically, this research identified the socio-economic factors that determined participation in the VICOBA schemes, assessed the impact of VICOBA schemes on the livelihoods of the beneficiaries and lastly, identified the problems facing the schemes in the study area. A total of 130 randomly selected heads of households consisting of 65 VICOBA beneficiaries and 65 non-beneficiaries were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire supplemented by focus group discussions, key informants and participant observations. Results indicated that age and total number of dependants were the main socio-economic factors that determined participation in VICOBA. It was also found out, in this research, that there was a significant improvement in livelihoods among participating households compared to non-participating households in terms of micro entrepreneur assets. Moreover, the research found that VICOBA schemes were constrained with institutional problems like limited working capital, lack of entrepreneurship skills, lack of security of deposits, poor financial record keeping and lack of linkage with formal microfinance institutions. Based on these findings, the research recommends that the government and other stakeholders should create a regulatory framework enabling the community based microfinance services, like VICOBA, to reach more marginalized rural communities so that they might improve their well-being through financial services and other diversified products. Furthermore, the VICOBA groups should be capacitated in terms of training, financial support and working facilities, in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in serving the poor in rural areas. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Bunda District Council | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6928 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Sokoine University of Agriculture | |
| dc.subject | Bunda | |
| dc.subject | Microfinance | |
| dc.subject | Institutions | |
| dc.subject | Rural | |
| dc.subject | Livelihoods | |
| dc.title | The impact of microfinance institutions on rural livelihoods: the case of village community banks in Bunda district – Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Thesis |