Tear Netherlands and Tearfund UK partnered to implement a food security program in the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somaliland), with SHGs playing a central role. The final evaluation of the program evaluated the impact of the initiative on the food security and resilience of the most marginalized in the area. The evaluation team found that SHG members, especially longer standing ones, were better able than non-members to withstand shocks such as drought and were better placed for recovery.
Read MoreGugerty and Kremer (2004) examined the effect of external funding on SHGs in western Kenya, and found that it had minimal impact on the labor input, agricultural output or assets of the groups. It did not improve group strength or functioning as measured by participation rates, assistance to members and assistance to other community projects. It did however change the demographic of the groups that were originally targeting the most vulnerable in the community.
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