Improving Social Capital Outcomes for Non-Formal Education: A Case Study of Four Non-Formal Education Programs in Western Uganda

Abstract

With many people in Uganda, especially western Uganda, still limited in their access to formal education, the response of non-government organisations (NGOs) has been to offer non-formal education (NFE) programs. These programs tend to target adults without formal education credentials and out-of-school youth. The typical aim of these NGOs in providing NFE is to help people who have or have had limited access to formal education to improve their wellbeing. Yet such programs remain independently unassessed for the impact they are having on the livelihoods of learners. The implications of this lack of independent assessment and government regulation is that a wealth of time, energy and resources is being invested into activities without the confidence that such an investment is producing improvements in learner wellbeing. The research on NFE indicates a preoccupation with its ability to improve the human capital of learners. This will only have limited effects on their overall wellbeing. This research project aimed to consider the impact of NFE on the social capital outcomes of learners.