Social Empowerment and Poverty Reduction in Hawl-Wadag District, Mogadishu, Somalia Mowlid Mohamed Awale

Abstract

This study set to determine the Social empowerment and poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia. The objectives of the study were to assess the effect of personal empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia, to examine the role of educational empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia and evaluated the impact of healthcare service empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia. This study was guided Individualistic Theory by O’Donnel (2017).This theory is viewed from the angle of the individual’s inability to be productive to get out of poverty. The study used descriptive research design that was focused on investigations, which was majorly quantitative to collect and analyze data in order to describe the specific phenomenon in its current trends, current events and linkages between different factors at the current time. Out of the total population of 716,380 to the study, the researcher selected a sample of 400 respondents by use of a Slovene’s formula. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guide. The study findings revealed that the effect of personal empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia was rated moderately high and this was indicated by the overall mean of 3.075, implying that personal empowerment is essentially practiced which helps the poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag district on how empowerment are drawn after empowering the members. The findings also revealed that educational empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia, this rated good and this was indicated by the overall average mean of 2.60, hence implying that educational empowerment are used effectively for the good poverty reduction hence leading to the improved living conditions of citizens. Furthermore the study results indicated that on the impact of healthcare service empowerment on poverty reduction in Hawl-wadag, Mogadishu Somalia was rated good and this was indicated by the overall mean of 2.60, implying that there is a formalized healthcare service system empowerment intended to help the community members on how to improve on their health care wellbeing in the community. From the findings above the study concluded that social empowerment is best achieved by a combination of skills training (usually non-formal education), mentoring, and guidance. They can be designed as a second chance pathway to a primary or secondary school certificate, an opportunity to gain the skills needed to return to formal education, or a vehicle to acquire the skills needed to get a job or start a business; build upon the existing knowledge and experience of participating community and relate these to the predominant household livelihood strategies. From the findings and conclusions made the study recommended that skills training programs should: provide community members with opportunities to master core literacy and numeracy skills, basic employability and life skills, and vocational skills. More so the government of Somalia should ensure that there is proper monitoring and supervision of community empowerment policies such as financial community empowerment programs. This is because most of the financial resources acquired by the communities are not effectively retrieved. There is need to ensure that concerned stakeholders such as governmental agencies such as the police work together with the public and the communities as well in ensuring that social empowerment is effectively implemented.