The Role Of Informal Financial Institutions In Improving Social Wellbeing Of Their Members In Geita District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Informal Financial Institutions (IFIs) are likely to have potential contributions to people’s enhanced wellbeing in general. However, apart from material wellbeing, there is little knowledge about the contribution of IFIs especially Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs) to the social wellbeing particularly social connectedness to its members. This was the driving force to conducting this research. This study was done to examine the role played by ASCAs in improving social wellbeing of their members. The specific objectives were to examine the factors which motivate people to join ASCAs, identify benefits other than financial enjoyed by the members of ASCAs, determine levels of social wellbeing achieved by participants in ASCAs and analyse challenges faced by members of ASCAs to achieve their goals. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design to achieve the stated objectives in which a combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques was employed to select a sample size of 108 respondents who were members of ASCAs. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a structured questionnaire survey as well as KIIs and FGDs whereby analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics computer programme version 21 and content analysis respectively. The inferential statistics ‘paired sample t-test’ was employed to test significant improvement in social connectedness before and after membership to ASCAs. The results showed that ASCAs are rich of opportunities sought by people for their well being. Apart from financial benefits, ASCAs have positive contribution to the improvement of social connectedness to their members offering members’ improved satisfaction with life. The findings also showed that members’ social connectedness increased by 25.8%; the increase was significantly different at 0.05 (p = 0.000) as the results of a paired samples t-test of comparing members’ level of social connectedness before and after membership to ASCAs. ASCAs face some challenges, among others; iii consistent delay of paying back the borrowed funds and defaulting are considered intolerable ones as they limit on time attainment of members’ planned goals. Therefore, the study recommends that the government and stakeholders should help strengthening existence and operations of ASCAs so that they constantly continue to deliver all observed benefits people find potential within ASCAs. In addition, ASCAs should practically enforce the agreed norms, rules and principles and other innovative strategies, which may help to avoid the stated challenges.