scholarly journals Mobile Loans as Financing Options in Kenya and the Financial Performance of SMEs in Low Income Areas in Nairobi County

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-105
Author(s):  
Margaret Murage
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Urban Informal Settlements ◽  
Descriptive Survey

This study sets out to examine the effect of loan accessibility on the financial performance of SMEs in urban informal settlements in Kenya. Based on the descriptive survey design, data were collected from 120 SMEs in the 6 wards of Mathare Sub-County using semi-structured questionnaires. It was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that all the loan accessibility had a significant and positive relationship with the financial performance of SMEs. In this regard, enhancing loan accessibility contributed to the financial performance of SMEs in urban areas. Financial inclusion among SMEs in urban areas was also enhanced through mobile loans. This could go on to enhance living standards among the inhabitants of urban informal settlements as envisaged by world bank. In this regard, several recommendations were made. Mobile loan providers should market their mobile loan products to make them visible since only 4, Safaricom-Fuliza, M-Shwari, Tala, and KCB-Mpesa were the most used. Civil society organizations in collaboration with mobile loan providers should also carry out capacity building campaigns among SMEs in informal settlements. This would lead to enhanced visibility and accessibility of these mobile loans among the inhabitants of urban informal settlements.

scholarly journals Mobile Loan Frequency of Repayment as a Predictor of the Financial Performance of SMEs in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-113
Author(s):  
Margaret Murage
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Urban Informal Settlements ◽  
Descriptive Survey ◽  
Intended Use

This study explored the effect of repayment timelines on the financial performance of SMEs in urban informal settlements in Kenya. This study adopts the descriptive survey design. Data were collected from 120 SMEs in the 6 wards of Mathare Sub-County. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires. It was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. From the study findings, it is evident that repayment timelines influenced the application for mobile loans. The ability to pay mobile loans without problems due to flexible repayment times also enhanced the performance of the respondents’ businesses. While loans with short repayment periods discouraged the businesses from borrowing due to immense pressure, long repayment periods were preferable since it meant that the stock purchased could be converted to cash. Budgeting could also be made easy due to the certainty of cash flow in long and flexible repayment periods. Lastly, a long repayment period meant that the intended use of the money borrowed could be realized. The study made the following recommendation based on the study objective. In this regard, most of the various mobile loan providers should put in place flexible repayment plans to make their loans appealing. They should also market their mobile loan products to make them visible since only 4, Safaricom-Fuliza, M-Shwari, Tala, and KCB-Mpesa were the most used. Civil society organizations in collaboration with mobile loan providers should also carry out capacity building campaigns among SMEs in informal settlements.

scholarly journals Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation in Kenya: Effects of Mobile Loan Interest Rates on the Financial Performance of SMEs in Urban Informal Settlements

Science Mundi ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Margaret Murage
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Urban Informal Settlements ◽  
The Government

The aim of this study is to assess the effect of interest rates on the financial performance of SMEs in urban informal settlements in Kenya. This study adopts the descriptive survey design. Data were collected from 120 SMEs in the 6 wards of Mathare Sub-County. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires. It was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that low-interest rates could influence the propensity of SMEs to apply for these loans. The ability to pay mobile loans without problems due to low interest rates enhanced the performance of the respondents’ businesses. This goes on to contribute to poverty alleviation in urban informal settlements through enhanced access to capital; one of the goals of the world bank. This has further ripple effects since it can contribute to income diversification for the inhabitants of poor urban areas. The following recommendations were made. The government should also reduce interest rates to lower the cost of mobile phone interests as well as the interest rates of other loan products. Mobile loan lenders should also ensure that their loan products are affordable for the urban poor.

Can grassroots festivals serve as catalysts to connect and empower youth in urban informal settlements? A case study of art festivals in Indonesian kampungs

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Poeti Nazura Gulfira Akbar
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Event Management ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Based Art ◽  
Gain Event ◽  
Urban Informal Settlements

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how young residents in two Indonesian kampungs (urban informal settlements) participate in two grassroots art festivals and to what extent their participation affects their capacity and network. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative method. The data collection were done in 2017 and took the form of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 respondents in two kampungs, Kampung Dago Pojok, Bandung, and Kampung Bustaman, Semarang. Findings The results show that the grassroots festival can empower youth throughout its process while also influencing their networks. The festival could act as the catalyst for youth to gain event management skills and exchange cultural knowledge. This study also found that there are two sides the art festivals can bring to the youth regarding their network: while the festival was able to develop their internal and external network, it also led to social division within the community. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the context of the research where it contributes to understanding the implications of community-based art festivals in the developing context, particularly in the low-income informal settlements. The paper’s content also provides insights that festivals can also be understood as more than place marketing or branding but as collections of steps and efforts of the community to provide meaningful actions for their place and people.

scholarly journals Access to improved sanitation facilities in low-income informal settlements of East African cities

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Okurut ◽  
R. N. Kulabako ◽  
P. Abbott ◽  
J. M. Adogo ◽  
J. Chenoweth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
East African ◽  
Basic Sanitation ◽  
Improved Sanitation ◽  
Joint Monitoring ◽  
Sub Saharan

Throughout Africa, the population in urban areas is increasing rapidly, often exceeding the capacity and the resources of the cities and towns to accommodate the people. In sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of urban dwellers live in informal settlements served by inadequate sanitation facilities. These settlements present unique challenges to the provision of sustainable and hygienic sanitation, and there is insufficient information on access to improved facilities. This paper reports findings of a study undertaken in low-income informal settlements using a mixed methods approach to assess access to sanitation and identify the barriers to household uptake of improved sanitation facilities. More than half of the respondents (59.7%) reported using sanitation facilities that are included in the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme definition of improved sanitation. However, a high proportion of these facilities did not provide access to basic sanitation. Less than 5% of all the respondents did not report problems related to sustainable access to basic sanitation. The findings highlight the urgent need to develop specific and strategic interventions for each low-income informal settlement, to upscale the sustainable access and use of improved sanitation in urban centres.

scholarly journals Assessing demand for improved sustainable sanitation in low-income informal settlements of urban areas: a critical review

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenan Okurut ◽  
Robinah Nakawunde Kulabako ◽  
Jonathan Chenoweth ◽  
Katrina Charles
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Informal Settlements

scholarly journals Effect of liquidity risk on the financial performance of deposit taking savings and credit cooperative organisations (SACCOs) in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-211
Author(s):  
Benjamin Otwoko ◽  
Kimani Maina
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Liquidity Risk ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
Optimal Functioning ◽  
Asset Portfolio ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
Descriptive Survey ◽  
The Relationship

Liquidity risk is the potential that an entity will be unable to acquire the cash required to meet its short and intermediate-term obligations. Deposit-taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCOs) face liquidity risk when they are unable to fund their operations and lending requirements to their members as and when circumstances demand. Given that liquidity is a key phenomenon on the optimal functioning and financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs, this study critically analyzed the effect of liquidity risk on the financial performance of DT SACCOs in Kenya. The study used a descriptive survey design and employed regression methods to model the relationship between liquidity risk and financial performance of DT SACCOs. The data were analyzed at a 5% level of significance. The study findings revealed that at a 5% level of significance, liquidity risk had a statistically significant influence on the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs. Basing on the findings, DT SACCOs are encouraged to focus on enhancing the mobilization of deposits to ensure that an asset portfolio that minimizes liquidity risk is maintained.

scholarly journals Constraints to Community Participation in Tourism in Kenya: The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-176
Author(s):  
Bonface O. Kihima ◽  
Paul M. Musila
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Design Data ◽  
County Governments ◽  
Descriptive Survey ◽  
Conducive Environment

Community Based Tourism (CBT) is among several types of tourism that have been considered sustainable and beneficial to the host populations in conservation areas. The local community participation in tourism in conservation areas is supposed to be high and its members should benefit from the tourism process. However, having been presented with opportunity to improve their livelihoods, communities are constrained in various ways and generally fail to benefit from tourism development. This study was set to investigate constraints to community participation in conservation areas. It was carried out in Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (MES) in Kwale County, Kenya, using a descriptive survey design. Data was collected using researcher administered questionnaires and oral interviews. The results indicated that lack of coordination among stakeholders; inadequate financial resources, lack of conducive environment for tourism growth, and lack of skills/knowledge were major constraints to participation. The study concludes that to address both operational and structural constraints to community participation, the national and county governments should develop policies that compel investors to honor agreements with communities, assist communities to enter into fair collaborations with investors, and provide incentives to investors in tourism.

Constraints to Community Participation in Tourism In Kenya: The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-87
Author(s):  
Paul M. Musila ◽  
Bonface O. Kihima
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Design Data ◽  
County Governments ◽  
Descriptive Survey ◽  
Conducive Environment

Community Based Tourism (CBT) is among several types of tourism that have been considered sustainable and beneficial to the host populations in conservation areas. The local community participation in tourism in conservation areas is supposed to be high and its members should benefit from the tourism process. However, having been presented with opportunity to improve their livelihoods, communities are constrained in various ways and generally fail to benefit from tourism development. This study was set to investigate constraints to community participation in conservation areas. It was carried out in Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (MES) in Kwale County, Kenya, using a descriptive survey design. Data was collected using researcher administered questionnaires and oral interviews. The results indicated that lack of coordination among stakeholders; inadequate financial resources, lack of conducive environment for tourism growth, and lack of skills/knowledge were major constraints to participation. The study concludes that to address both operational and structural constraints to community participation, the national and county governments should develop policies that compel investors to honour agreements with communities, assist communities to enter into fair collaborations with investors, and provide incentives to investors in tourism.

Dynamics of Urban Disaster Risk Paradigm: Looking Through the Perceived Lens of the Residents of Informal Settlements in Khulna City, Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-77
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan ◽  
Md Ashikuzzaman ◽  
Md Sayed Iftekhar
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Urban Disaster

The integration of sustainability principles into disaster management research suggests a shift from traditional expert-driven assessment to a more community-driven process. However, most studies have focused on a generalized and regional assessment of perceived risk. Only a few of them have focused on informal settlements which belong to the most vulnerable communities facing the compound impacts of multiple disasters in urban areas. This raises concerns over the generalization of existing findings as informal settlements may add to spatial heterogeneity in disaster risk assessment. In order to contribute to this knowledge gap, we have surveyed 1,122 households of 93 slums of Khulna city in Bangladesh. We have investigated informal settlers’ perceptions of local and citywide hazard risks and their vulnerabilities from natural and anthropogenic hazards. It is found that low-income households are more concerned about the day-to-day inconvenience (e.g., waterlogging) rather than extreme weather events (e.g., cyclone and storm surge). This is mainly due to the degraded local environment and poor built form of their living places. The mapping of survey responses displays a spatial segregation of perceived disaster risk. The study highlights the importance of adopting spatial and risk-specific disaster preparedness policies and interventions. The results of the study would also be useful for tailoring appropriate disaster management policies to improve community resilience for poverty-stricken areas in developing countries.

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