Access to Rural Non-Farm Livelihoods - Natural Resources Institute

Data collection took place over three days in each village, and used a mix of qualitative and
quantitative approaches 52 to investigate the types of IGAs undertaken, both farm and nonfarm,
the barriers and constraints people face in starting or continuing with these IGAs, or
others that they would like to start, and ways of overcoming or working within these
constraints, as well as general backgrounds and contexts to this information.
Key extension worker contacts sensitised the village and arranged for an initial community
meeting in each site. These served to introduce the project to the village and its leaders, and
provided a forum for a general participatory discussion and ranking of IGAs and barriers and
constraints with special reference to gender, as well as brief discussion of strengths and
enabling factors 53,54 . Wealth/wellbeing group definition and ranking of IGAs with respect to
these groups and gender was undertaken in Kitambuza 55 , but not Byakabanda 56 .
Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with various small and micro-enterprises,
primarily groups 57 . Further background to the village was gained through discussions with
key informants, such as government and NGO extension workers and local school teachers,
who helped produce rough sketch maps of the villages for orientation, and accompanied the
members of the research team on informal transect walks. Where possible, the history of the
village and the trends in the development of IGAs in particular were also discussed with
older long term residents. Finally, detailed questionnaire 58 based-interviews were held with
members of 40 individual households.
52 However, time restrictions led to more of an emphasis on qualitative data in this phase.
53 See section 2.nn for details of this process. See Appendix 2a and 2b for attendance lists. See section 6 and 11
for findings.
54 In addition, another brief community meeting was held in the village of Kyaluyimuka, neighbouring
Kitambuza, at the request of community leaders. Relevant findings are included with those from Kitambuza.
55 See section 2.nn for details of this process. See Appendix 3 for attendance list. See section 11 and Appendices
11 and 12 for findings.
56 The methods to be used were still being developed, and time was limited.
57 See Appendix 2.nn for checklist. See Appendices 4a and 4b for lists of interviews
58 See Appendix 2.nn for questionnaire.
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