Social Capital Mapping in the Rwenzori Region of Western Uganda

• In Event: 52.084 - Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 52.084-18 - International Global Perspectives

Abstract

Mountain ecosystems are rapidly changing and widespread poverty is evident. There is minimal data that provides insight into this particular context. This project illustrates contextual strengths, challenges, and community needs among residents, particularly women, of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. Four-hundred and forty residents from ten randomly selected villages, completed a cross-sectional, structured questionnaire. The questionnaire drew on social capital theory and employed the multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) with additional questions on education, economic development, and gender issues. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS version 22 for the initial analysis of the data. Findings show that women provided most of the labor the family and participants identified educational interventions which they believed would improve their quality of life.

Authors

• Wendy M. Green, Cleveland State University

• Richard Muhindo, Makerere University

• Soson Jong, University of San Francisco