Role of NGOS in Poverty Alleviation Mbarara District: A Case Study of World Vision-Uganda

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study According to World Vision Uganda Strategy (2016-2020), World Vision is a Christian, relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. It is committed to working with girls and boys, families, and their communities worldwide to overcome poverty and injustice (World Vision Uganda Strategy, 20 16-2020). World Vision Uganda (WVU) is duly registered with the National NGO Board under the National NGO registration Act of Parliament of Uganda and has a well-respected Local Governance Board. World Vision Uganda’s Mission and Vision are derived from World Vision International Mission and Vision (World Vision Uganda Strategy, 2016-2020). WVIJ started operations in 1986 as a relief organization responding to the needs of the victims of 1981 — 1986 guerrilla war, which affected most parts of the Central Region of Uganda. WVU s work significantly increased as it responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Southern Region, and the mounting demand for relief, and rehabilitation in the war-toni areas in Northern Uganda (1988-91). However, of late, World Vision Uganda operates in the whole country. 1.1.1 Historical perspective NGOs have since World War II, became increasingly more important towards poverty reduction and global development. Across the developing world, states with limited finances, riddled by poor governance and corruption have failed to lead development for all of their citizens (Banks & Hulme, 2012). It was these perceived failures of state led development approaches throughout the 1 970s and 1 980s that fueled the rise in NGOs as a development alternative, offering innovative and people-centered approaches to service delivery, advocacy, poverty alleviation and comm~unity empowerment. It is noteworthy that society today is going through numerous transformations such as urbanizatioi~, which has accelerated over the years. This has led to high rates of urban growth that unfolded in the context of low performing economies, poor planning and poor governance which 1 have created a new aspect ofpoverty concentrated in informal settlements, commonly referred to as slums, in Africa’s major cities (Journal of Urban Health, 201 1). Globally, the number of people living under absolute poverty has been in decline for around 25 years, yet in Africa it is still increasing. World Bank recently published analysis of global extreme poverty based on internationally comparable poverty lines. Statistics exhibited the proportion of the Sub-Saharan African population living below $1.25 a day fell from 52.3% in 2005 to 47.5% in 2008. This represents impressive progress in a period where poverty fell by 11.9% between 1993 and 2008. The African continent has however, not been growing and its income level is too low for redistribution to resolve poverty (Collier, 2007).