DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2017.v05i03.010

Pages: 202-208

The role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the improvement of human livelihoods has been a subject for debate in many developing countries, particularly with regards their contribution towards rural livelihood development. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of selected NGOs in Hwange east in Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe on rural livelihoods with emphasis to food and nutrition, income generating projects and sanitation. The study being guided by the research questions and Scoones’s Sustainable Livelihoods Approach theoretical framework adopted the Case Study Research Design under the qualitative research paradigm. The researchers used purposive sampling technique to sample 54 (N=54) households who fall under the vulnerable households category in terms of their challenges to food provision, poverty and general way of life. These households have been receiving humanitarian assistance from the three NGOs under study, namely, World Vision, Caritas Hwange and Intengwe for Community Development. Self-administered questionnaires were preferred and used to solicit for information from selected respondents. The study revealed that NGOs are concentrating more on small projects such as relief food distribution which have little impact to the rural livelihoods of Hwange east needy households. Little is being done by the NGOs to empower the families to produce adequate food for their families. Income generating projects are nonexistent in the ward while some households are yet to have sanitation facilities. The study recommended that the NGOs should also engage in rural projects with monetary benefits as beneficiaries need money for other purposes. In addition, the NGOs should concentrate more on giving the needy households the means to improve their general livelihood strategies.