Contributions and Challenges of Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) On Social Economic Wellbeing of Communities. A Case Study of HEPs in Ibanda Municipality

The study aimed at assessing the contributions and challenges of Non-Governmental Organizations towards the socio-economic wellbeing of communities basing on HEPS in Ibanda Municipality as a case study. Its objectives were to assess the state of HEPS operations towards the social economic wellbeing of communities in Ibanda town council, to assess the factors that have enabled or hindered the operations of HEPS in Ibanda Municipality and to propose practical strategies that can improve HEPS operations in Ibanda Municipality and elsewhere in the world. The study used an exploratory design where both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used. A sample size of 420 responses was used in this study including 368 community people in Ibanda Municipality and 52 staff of HEP, simple random sampling was used during the selection of community residents while snow ball sampling techniques was used during selection of HEPS staff questionnaires and interview guides were the main instruments of data collection. Descriptive techniques were used in data analysis. It was found out that HEPS is involved in a lot of operations towards the socio-economic wellbeing of communities in Ibanda Municipality. Its activities are aimed at solving specifics problem as well as improving the health status and coping ability of residents by increasing income among other things. HEPS is involved in strengthening local leadership, mobilizing local development communities and capacity building of people hence leading to improve socio-economic wellbeing of communities. It was found that factors that have hindered the operations of HEPS in Ibanda Municipality include: financial constraints, inadequate human capacity, and lack of community participation or involvement in the activities of HEPs, poor infrastructure, lack of partnership between HEPS and other NGOs that lead to duplication of services.