A dissertation submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of bachelors degree in applied accounting : auditing and information systems. BAA-AIS MCA 2017 ML 0042

The study presented empirical findings on the role micro-finance in the economic and social development of women in a community: the case of Finca-Limbe . The empirical relationship between micro-finance loan disbursement and economic development was tested in this paper by employing chi-square test technique. This study was aimed at establishing the role of micro-finance in the socio-economic development of women in a community. Masomphenya village bank was the study area. Fifty respondents were interviewed and eight of these were employees of micro-finance institution were identified as providing services to the community in Limbe township.

The study was carried out using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data that was presented in tables , graphs and numbers to show the role played by micro-finance in the socio-economic development of women in a community. The findings of the study reveal that micro-finance institutions operating in Limbe township provide services like training and skills development, insured credit facilities and savings mobilization , banking facilities, supervision and monitoring of the clients, provision of agriculture inputs like seeds and chemicals and physical items like animals (cows, goats , pigs, sheep etc) . The services are particular
provided to women groups, salary earners , and individual women and men. The repayment of the credit facilities is usually through weekly and monthly installments. The size of the loan depends on the MFI but ranges from one hundred thousand to millions of shillings. The security usually required is groups , salary in case of salary earners and other as deemed necessary for the individual by the MFI.

The recommendation from the research findings are geared towards making polices at institution level to enable the provision of better services to the clientele. It is important to address the needs of the clients so as to harmonize operations for more impact in the community in particular and the country in general.