Student Short Biography
(Max 250 words)
Jarso is a devoted community development professional with over 8 years’ progressive experience in pastoralists’ development in Northern Counties of Kenya. He currently works for an international non-governmental organization, Mercy Corps in Isiolo, Kenya.
He is a Kenyan born and raised in Southern Side of Isiolo County; a place called Kinna. He underwent his primary and secondary education in Kinna. He did his undergraduate course, Bachelor of Science (Biology) at Kenyatta University and graduated in 2013.
He worked in pastoral areas all his professional work life, this influenced his career to pursue masters in project planning and management at University of Nairobi to improve the sustainability and impacts of Drought Support projects in marginalized areas of Kenya.
He had also worked with Resource Advocacy Program, a local organization in Isiolo from 2013 to 2017. He was engaged in advocacy work for proper rangelands management and co-authored many papers with senior researchers from University of Nairobi and other external Universities.
Thesis / Project Title
Determinants of Sustainability of Drought Support Projects among Pastoralists in Marginalized Areas: A Case of Isiolo County, Kenya
Thesis / Project Abstract
(Max 250 words)
The study examined the determinants of sustainability of pastoralist’s drought support projects in Isiolo County putting into emphasis the case of REGAL-AG Project in Isiolo County. Specifically, the study sought to determine the influence of resource availability, institutional linkages, community participation and project progress reporting on sustainability of Drought support projects. The study was based on the policy theory, the resource-based view theory, program theory and theory of hierarchy of needs. The study applied descriptive survey research method. The target population included the Management staff of REGAL-AG, relevant Government Ministries and the drought support project beneficiaries committee members. A sample of 99 out of 312 was established. Stratified and simple random sampling technique were used in this study. The study used questionnaires to collect data. To enable the researcher, understand the data collected and assign meaning to the resulting statistics, an analysis of data was done to summarize the features and relationships of data to generalize and determine patterns of behaviour and outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in the data analysis. Regression analysis using multiple linear regression model was employed to establish the significance of the independent variables on the dependent variable. Tables were used for data presentation. The study concluded that resource availability had the greatest influence on the sustainability of drought support project in Isiolo County, followed by community participation, then project progress reporting while institutional linkages had the least influence. The study recommends that all community members should be involved at all stages of project cycle so as to make the community to have a wide perspective of the project as well as its importance and hence ownership.
Research Supervisors
Prof. Christopher M. Gakuu
Associate Dean, Postgraduate programs,
School of Continuing and Distance Education,
University of Nairobi.
