In South Africa, HIV/AIDS takes the lead, and this is a serious health concern. Being a country that is mostly affected by this epidemic, various stakeholders such as international organizations, Non-governmental organizations, private organizations and government organizations have come up with a collaborative effort to manage the epidemic. Through various interventions, it has been noted that monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS remains underdeveloped. The purpose of this study was to investigate the monitoring and evaluation process implemented on HIV/AIDS programmes by the Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in a specific municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province. A quantitative, explorative and descriptive design was used. A self-developed questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. Data was collected from November 2017 to March 2018. Seventeen (17) NGOs and a total of 83 respondents who met the inclusion criteria participated to the study. The results revealed that the NGOs in this specific municipality had some inconsistency in implementing and delivering M&E process on the HIV/AIDS programme. The results of the study indicated that the challenges and issues identified by the respondents affected the way they monitored and evaluated the projects they implemented. It was recommended that through training of staff to acquire skills for designing monitoring and evaluation plan for all projects and development of comprehensive M&E plan document that detailed the programme’s objectives, developed the interventions to achieve these objectives, the NGOs in this specific municipality will be able to improve their current monitoring and evaluation process implementing on HIV/AIDS management programme. The need for communication between programme planners and various funders on how to put in place a structured M&E plan for all the projects to be implemented in future and adequate resources to implement M&E processes and functions were highly recommended. / Health Studies / M. P. H.

South African health systems are struggling to cope with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Home based care has become an invaluable resource that relieves overburdened and under-resourced hospitals. Home based carers provide basic nursing care and support to patients and their families, in the patient's home. Little is know about what motivates home based carers. Minimal research has been undertaken to investigate the expectations and experiences of these noble voluntary helpers. This study was conducted with a sample of home based carers at Community Outreach Centre, St Mary's, Mariannhill. Being field focused it used a qualitative research approach and participatory action research methodology. Focus group discussions were conducted with home based carers to explore their needs, motivations and expectations of Community Outreach Centre. The study enlightens us about issues related to home based care that directly affect them. Despite the painful realities of their lives, they appeared positive about serving as volunteer home based carers. / Social work / M.A. Social Science (Social Work)

A family is a basic unit of society. Among the many functions that are performed by a family, is the task of providing for its children's needs while simultaneously transmitting the society's way of life. The functioning of the family takes place through a parent-child relationship. It is therefore significant for the family to carry out parental tasks in order to give a sense of security, a sense of companion and belonging, a sense of responsibility, sense of purpose and direction to its members. Although there are many factors that pose a threat to family functioning, the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be underestimated. As the disease has advanced over time, it has negatively impinged on the children's lives. Children are losing their parents to HIV/AIDS opportunistic illnesses and this has resulted in the burgeoning of child-headed households. The phenomenon of a child-headed household presents a shift from a structural family since a significant subsystem of a family (i.e the parental subsystem) is non-existent. The study presents an in-depth investigation into the social functioning of a child-headed household. The aim was to come to a better understanding about issues that surround households that are headed by children. The social institutions with whom the household co-exists have been scrutinised in order to determine the ways in which these institutions impact upon the social functioning of child-headed households. The study highlights that child-headed households are a deviation from the norm and they create a situation where needs of children are unmet and their rights are eroded. The role of social work in mobilising resources to meet the unmet needs and championing for the rights of the children has been investigated. Case studies of ten families were conducted in the three districts of KwaZulu-Natal an area in South Africa that has widely been reported as hardest hit by the pandemic. A research team was constituted which designed a protocol for conducting case studies and collected data. Social workers also participated in the study with an aim of exploring guidelines for social service delivery with regard to a child-headed household. The study found that children are increasingly exposed to aspects of multiple care-giving through lack of parental care and a changing family structure. It was also revealed that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is shattering children's lives and reversing many hard won children's rights. In spite of the transition in the family life cycle, the family remains the central institution in the children's lives. The scourge of HIV/AIDS poses a great challenge to society. Children are left on their own without visible means of support. The problems of children develop into great magnitude in spite of policies that are in place. The findings of the study point to implications for a practice model that is aimed at co-ordinating services for effective service delivery. The researcher has presented suggested guidelines based on the findings of the study. These guidelines include the role of social work in ensuring that the social functioning of the children in child-headed households is enhanced and that social justice for these children is promoted. A protocol for intervention in child-headed households is provided. This would ensure that interventions in bringing about desired change in the lives of the children, produce sustainable results on a significant scale. / Social work / D. Phil.(Social Work)

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the positive values of masculinity and the role of a man in the prevention of HIV and AIDS and teenage pregnancy in order to develop a health education handbook for young Zulu men. The objectives of this study were to  identify expectations of a man of essence  describe the man’s role in the prevention of HIV and AIDS and teenage pregnancy  develop a health education handbook for young men in developing positive values of masculinity Continuing transmission of HIV and high teenage pregnancy causes concern about the effectiveness of risk reduction measures. Masculinity is associated with risky sexual behaviour. A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual study explored the positive values of masculinity and the role of a man of essence in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews with interview guides were conducted to collect data among Zulu men aged 18-24 years residing in Nquthu sub-district in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Twenty-one participants from three villages of Tribal Authority 8, namely villages 3, 7 and 9, were interviewed. Data were analyzed thematically and manually. Follow-up interviews were conducted with participants who had committed to a plan of action to prevent HIV infection and teenage pregnancy. The study found that a man of a kind embraced gender equality and the education of women; treated women well, and used traditional/cultural or religious and modern methods to prevent HIV and teenage pregnancy. According to social norms, the participants were expected to have sex with or without a condom. Social support came from parents, grandparents, teachers and health care workers. The participants appeared to lack role models; some preferred to buy condoms, and some used condoms inconsistently. Some experienced problems such as pressure to have sex or girlfriends. A contribution of this study was the development of a health education handbook for young men to develop into men of essence through positive values of masculinity and prevent HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Nursing)

South African health systems are struggling to cope with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Home based care has become an invaluable resource that relieves overburdened and under-resourced hospitals. Home based carers provide basic nursing care and support to patients and their families, in the patient's home. Little is know about what motivates home based carers. Minimal research has been undertaken to investigate the expectations and experiences of these noble voluntary helpers. This study was conducted with a sample of home based carers at Community Outreach Centre, St Mary's, Mariannhill. Being field focused it used a qualitative research approach and participatory action research methodology. Focus group discussions were conducted with home based carers to explore their needs, motivations and expectations of Community Outreach Centre. The study enlightens us about issues related to home based care that directly affect them. Despite the painful realities of their lives, they appeared positive about serving as volunteer home based carers. / Social work / M.A. Social Science (Social Work)

A family is a basic unit of society. Among the many functions that are performed by a family, is the task of providing for its children's needs while simultaneously transmitting the society's way of life. The functioning of the family takes place through a parent-child relationship. It is therefore significant for the family to carry out parental tasks in order to give a sense of security, a sense of companion and belonging, a sense of responsibility, sense of purpose and direction to its members. Although there are many factors that pose a threat to family functioning, the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be underestimated. As the disease has advanced over time, it has negatively impinged on the children's lives. Children are losing their parents to HIV/AIDS opportunistic illnesses and this has resulted in the burgeoning of child-headed households. The phenomenon of a child-headed household presents a shift from a structural family since a significant subsystem of a family (i.e the parental subsystem) is non-existent. The study presents an in-depth investigation into the social functioning of a child-headed household. The aim was to come to a better understanding about issues that surround households that are headed by children. The social institutions with whom the household co-exists have been scrutinised in order to determine the ways in which these institutions impact upon the social functioning of child-headed households. The study highlights that child-headed households are a deviation from the norm and they create a situation where needs of children are unmet and their rights are eroded. The role of social work in mobilising resources to meet the unmet needs and championing for the rights of the children has been investigated. Case studies of ten families were conducted in the three districts of KwaZulu-Natal an area in South Africa that has widely been reported as hardest hit by the pandemic. A research team was constituted which designed a protocol for conducting case studies and collected data. Social workers also participated in the study with an aim of exploring guidelines for social service delivery with regard to a child-headed household. The study found that children are increasingly exposed to aspects of multiple care-giving through lack of parental care and a changing family structure. It was also revealed that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is shattering children's lives and reversing many hard won children's rights. In spite of the transition in the family life cycle, the family remains the central institution in the children's lives. The scourge of HIV/AIDS poses a great challenge to society. Children are left on their own without visible means of support. The problems of children develop into great magnitude in spite of policies that are in place. The findings of the study point to implications for a practice model that is aimed at co-ordinating services for effective service delivery. The researcher has presented suggested guidelines based on the findings of the study. These guidelines include the role of social work in ensuring that the social functioning of the children in child-headed households is enhanced and that social justice for these children is promoted. A protocol for intervention in child-headed households is provided. This would ensure that interventions in bringing about desired change in the lives of the children, produce sustainable results on a significant scale. / Social work / D. Phil.(Social Work)