Submitted to the FACULTY OF ARTS in partial fulfillment of the requirements for MASTERS DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK (Community work) in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, 2005. / In 1996, the South African National Welfare Department estimated that countrywide 67% of female headed-households lived in poverty and that 75.2% of children under 5years were exposed to conditions of poverty. The government planned its developmental programs of women and children under 5years, which was targeted at this high risk group, in order to reduce their potential dependency on the state through child support grants (Social Work Practice Vol 2.96: 3) These pilot programs which were initiated in nine provinces were referred to as flagship programs and Bambanana flagship program in Northen KwZulu/Natal was one of them. Skills development and economic empowerment would be strategies utilized to develop and sustain these programs. The consortium consisting of NGO's and Government departments had initially negotiated with provincial hospitals to purchase the products from the various projects of the flagship programs, thus ensuring a viable market for the products. Eight years have since elapsed following the initiation of these flagship programs. The research investigation undertaken by the researcher aims at evaluating the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the Bam banana flagship program in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal.