Beneficiaries Empowerment and Sustainability of Non-Governmental Organization Projects in Rwanda: A Case of Send a Cow Rwanda Jyambere Project

This research analyzed how beneficiary empowerment affects the sustainability of NGO projects in Rwanda. The key characteristics that significantly help communities to empower themselves and promote sustainable development were discussed in detail and finally validated. More specifically, the study evaluated the impact of capacity building, material resources and partnerships on the sustainability of the Send a Cow Jyambere project in Rwanda. The study used descriptive research design with both quantitative and qualitative methods. The population of this study consisted of 5 technical project staff, 120 peer farmers and para-veterinaries and 1520 direct project beneficiaries. Thus, the total population was1645 individuals. Stratified random sampling was used to select 322 respondents as sample size. The survey used questionnaires and interviews to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses such as frequencies, percentages, correlations and regressions were used to present the quantitative data in tabular and graphical form using SPSS version 23. This study targeted to be of utmost importance to the researcher, future researchers, Mount Kenya University, the Jyambere project and the Rwandan society at large. The Pearson correlation analysis between capacity building (r=0.772, p=0.000), material resource (r=0.613, p=0.000) and partnership (r=0.631, p=0.000) against project sustainability showed that capacity building was found to have a positive and statistically significant correlation. The analysis of regression coefficients showed that capacity building (β1=0.511, p=0.000) material resource (β2=0.374 p=0.000) and partnership (β1=0.201, p=0.000) all have positive and statistically significant effect on project sustainability since the p-values are less than 5%. This study has empirically demonstrated that beneficiaries’ empowerment plays a significant role in ensuring that projects are sustainable. Therefore, the researcher recommends that project managers should embrace best practices that enhance beneficiaries’ empowerment such as incorporating capacity building, provide necessary material resources that equip beneficiaries ready to work by themselves as well as partnership with other parties. The government and the regulatory bodies should be keen to promote such projects which are community-based.