Evaluation of the Tlhabologo Flagship Programme as a poverty alleviation strategy for unemployed women with children under five years

Abstract

This study evaluated the Tlhabologo Flagship programme as a poverty alleviation strategy for unemployed women with children under five years. The study was based on the rational that most programmes are never evaluated and therefore difficult to assess their impact on the beneficiaries. The programme was rolled out in 1997; it was now ten years down the line and befitting to assess its ten years of existence. Programme evaluation design was used to assess the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the programme. Owing to the study being qualitative, data was collected using focus group interviews, individual interviews, literature review and content analysis. The study revealed that the programme was ill conceived as it did not consult the affected communities with regard to its shape and size, as result of this the programme fa iled to meet its objectives of poverty alleviation. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: • That the programme be prioritized based on the needs, knowledge, interest and involvement of communities. • Appropriate budget be made available to fully develop the programme. • Skills development to be at the top scale and be conducted by appropriate experts. • Continuous mentoring to be encouraged. • Exit strategy to be put in place. • The programme had more limitations than strengths to make it a sustainable strategy. It was therefore concluded that although there were good efforts to alleviate poverty, programmes of this nature were not effective and sustainable as poverty alleviation strategy.