Drug abuse is one of the monster threatening family structures in Kenya. Consumption of alcohol is sometimes integrated into our culture through wide appeal and acceptance from an early age. The legality of alcohol makes it readily available, and there is now a recognition that relatively a high proportion of the population consumes quantities which are considered to be harmful to their health. Alcohol consumption has severe negative effects in the society including drop out from school, death of family members, perform poorly in academics, sexual risk and even suicide. Although governments are pre-occupied with increasing economic growth and consequently concentrating most of their resources in that direction, alcohol and drug abuse threaten to erode those gains. In low income areas in Kenya, for example, drug abuse is rampant a vice associated with peer influence, readily available drugs, among other factors. Therefore this study sought to establish the socio-economic effects of alcoholism in families the slum. The authors conclude that alcoholism has led to break-up of families and suffering of children due to lack of basic commodities of life. Alcohol dependence is also related health and psychological disorders. Therefore there is need for the government to formulate policies to curb alcoholism to promote a healthy and a prosperous nation. This paper recommends that counseling programs should be initiated to bring a change of attitude among alcoholics because guidance provided by social workers can greatly enhance the fight against alcoholism in the slum.

Despite their fundamental socio-economic responsibilities, rural women still have less access to knowledge, assets, services and participation in decision-making. These inequalities affect their ability to carry out critical roles in their communities leading to rural poverty. In Kenya, women groups form the majority of local initiatives. Although women groups are the solution to the local problems, there is little support they receive from the government and other development stakeholders, hence their inability to address rural problems. Besides, there are limited studies particularly in Kenya on women groups' contribution to rural development. This paper is a portion of the outcome of an empirical descriptive study conducted in Nyamusi Division in Nyamira County by the authors. The sample was drawn from ten registered women groups and fifteen informal women groups in the study area. The unit of analysis was a women group. This paper critically examines the relationship that exist between rural community-based approaches (in this case-women groups) and rural development. It also looks at the barriers that hamper women's development efforts in community interventions. This paper concludes that if given opportunity, women have the potential to change their own socio-economic status as well as that of the communities in which they live in for the reason that women groups act as an effective instrument for rural development. Once women groups have sufficient solidarity, experience and unity of purpose in their undertakings, rural development is achieved. This paper recommends policy frameworks that not only promote community-based approaches for rural development, but also encourage sustainability and equal participation of all genders in development.