From Learning to Empowerment: A Study of Smallholder Farmers in South West Uganda

Date
2015-11Abstract
The relationship between education and empowerment has been widely debated in development
literature. In recent times, social capital and community-centric learning have been increasingly recognized as
important variables in the empowerment process. This paper outlines the development of a ‘Three-dimensional
Empowerment Framework’, and looks at the relationship between a community-centric learning process and
empowerment in selected villages in Uganda. Based on a study of two villages, the paper evaluates the role of
the Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3F) programme, developed and supported by the Commonwealth of Learning
(COL), in empowering farming communities. The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of
empowerment in the selected farming communities and to identify factors that may contribute to
empowerment, including the L3F programme. Two sample villages with similar demographics were used for
comparison, one L3F village and one non-L3F village, with 62 respondents from the L3F village and 78 from the
non-L3F village, selected randomly. A survey, which included demographic questions as well as an
empowerment scale, was administered to respondents from both groups. The responses were analysed and a
regression model showing the factors that influenced empowerment was developed. The study shows that the
integration of human capital (viewed purely from learning, knowledge acquisition, reflective practices, skills
and competencies), social capital and financial capital, has a positive impact on development outcomes such as
empowerment.
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