How Does Microcredit Lead to Empowerment? A Case Study of the Vinya wa Aka Group in Kenya

Empowerment, as a vehicle for poverty reduction, is becoming a critical component of international development. This involves shifting the development paradigm from the predominant ‘top-down’ (deficit) approach towards a ‘bottom-up’ (asset-based) approach, thereby building capacity from existing community resources. Qualitative in-depth interviews were used to examine the process of women's empowerment through a community microcredit group, which utilizes an asset-based approach to development. Women experienced three distinct phases of empowerment: ‘enlightenment,’ ‘group movement,’ and ‘empowerment’. This case study provides empirical data on the process of women's empowerment through microcredit while underscoring the strengths of asset-based approaches towards sustainable community development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.