Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe

This study seeks to contribute to scholarship lacking knowledge on the impact of Non- Governmental Organizations' (NGO) social safety net interventions in a context of existing social insecurity in Zimbabwe. The theoretical framework of the Capability Approach and the Ecological Perspective were ado...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mutemachani, Cashios
Other Authors: Chagunda, Chance
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: Department of Social Development 2026
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613186947022848
access_status_str Open Access
author Mutemachani, Cashios
author2 Chagunda, Chance
author_browse Chagunda, Chance
Mutemachani, Cashios
author_facet Chagunda, Chance
Mutemachani, Cashios
author_sort Mutemachani, Cashios
collection Thesis
description This study seeks to contribute to scholarship lacking knowledge on the impact of Non- Governmental Organizations' (NGO) social safety net interventions in a context of existing social insecurity in Zimbabwe. The theoretical framework of the Capability Approach and the Ecological Perspective were adopted as the qualitative research and in-depth evaluative tools. A qualitative explorative case study research design was employed to elicit beneficiaries' experiences of NGOs social safety net interventions to gauge the socio-economic effects by examining how poor and vulnerable people survive in a desperate socio-economic environment. The study premised in Zimbabwe upholds the need to consider social safety nets in empowering resource poor urban communities on sustainable livelihoods programs. Using purposive non-probability sampling technique and in-depth face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured open-ended interview schedule, data was collected from a total 21 participants in selected Zimbabwean urban communities. Collected data from the study was thematically analysed which inductively gave rise to the following major findings: social safety nets in the form of cash transfers are an effective policy option in social protection to propel households out of vulnerability and poverty and the study highlighted the great impact of cash transfers in improving household disposable incomes to improve social aspects at family to community level. The study gave an appreciation of improved socio-economic well-being, the urban dwellers in poor urban settlements are susceptible to vulnerability as a result of complex urbanization typified by structural failures. Despite being parsimonious and short-lived as is typical of non-state external actors' social safety net programmes, cash transfers prove to be efficacious in fighting poverty and allowing communities to be resilient and there is great need to invest in these sustainable livelihoods programs that calls for community meaningful and active participation. As another recommendation, cash transfer model in Zimbabwe empowers parents to keep children in school; necessitate investment in economic opportunities and mitigate against mental health risks by restoring human dignity amongst other areas of development at local levels. Thus, both state and non-state actors should resource input towards supporting communities to realise indigenous systems on safety nets programs. Findings from this study illustrate unmitigated gaps in social protection which underscores the need for cooperation between government and external actors. Future research should further explore susceptibility to urban vulnerabilities for social protection planning and interventions.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42507
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:08.355Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2026
publishDateRange 2026
publishDateSort 2026
publisher Department of Social Development
publisherStr Department of Social Development
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42507 Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe Mutemachani, Cashios Chagunda, Chance Non-Governmental Organizations Zimbabwe Epworth Hopley This study seeks to contribute to scholarship lacking knowledge on the impact of Non- Governmental Organizations' (NGO) social safety net interventions in a context of existing social insecurity in Zimbabwe. The theoretical framework of the Capability Approach and the Ecological Perspective were adopted as the qualitative research and in-depth evaluative tools. A qualitative explorative case study research design was employed to elicit beneficiaries' experiences of NGOs social safety net interventions to gauge the socio-economic effects by examining how poor and vulnerable people survive in a desperate socio-economic environment. The study premised in Zimbabwe upholds the need to consider social safety nets in empowering resource poor urban communities on sustainable livelihoods programs. Using purposive non-probability sampling technique and in-depth face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured open-ended interview schedule, data was collected from a total 21 participants in selected Zimbabwean urban communities. Collected data from the study was thematically analysed which inductively gave rise to the following major findings: social safety nets in the form of cash transfers are an effective policy option in social protection to propel households out of vulnerability and poverty and the study highlighted the great impact of cash transfers in improving household disposable incomes to improve social aspects at family to community level. The study gave an appreciation of improved socio-economic well-being, the urban dwellers in poor urban settlements are susceptible to vulnerability as a result of complex urbanization typified by structural failures. Despite being parsimonious and short-lived as is typical of non-state external actors' social safety net programmes, cash transfers prove to be efficacious in fighting poverty and allowing communities to be resilient and there is great need to invest in these sustainable livelihoods programs that calls for community meaningful and active participation. As another recommendation, cash transfer model in Zimbabwe empowers parents to keep children in school; necessitate investment in economic opportunities and mitigate against mental health risks by restoring human dignity amongst other areas of development at local levels. Thus, both state and non-state actors should resource input towards supporting communities to realise indigenous systems on safety nets programs. Findings from this study illustrate unmitigated gaps in social protection which underscores the need for cooperation between government and external actors. Future research should further explore susceptibility to urban vulnerabilities for social protection planning and interventions. 2026-01-09T11:18:22Z 2026-01-09T11:18:22Z 2025 2026-01-09T10:18:10Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42507 en eng application/pdf Department of Social Development Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Non-Governmental Organizations
Zimbabwe
Epworth
Hopley
Mutemachani, Cashios
Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
title_full Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
title_short Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
title_sort exploring the socio economic outcomes of non governmental organizations ngo social safety nets in epworth and hopley urban suburbs zimbabwe
topic Non-Governmental Organizations
Zimbabwe
Epworth
Hopley
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42507
work_keys_str_mv AT mutemachanicashios exploringthesocioeconomicoutcomesofnongovernmentalorganizationsngosocialsafetynetsinepworthandhopleyurbansuburbszimbabwe