Inaug.-diss.--Tūbingen. / Lebenslauf. "Erscheint auch in der zeitschrift 'Der Tropenpflanzer', 36. jahrgang, Berlin, 1933." "Literaturnachweis": p. 491-495.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1980. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 547-576).

Inaug.-diss.--Greifswald. / Lebenslauf. "Schrifttum und materialien": p. 7-11.

Issued also as thesis, Grenoble. / Bibliography: p. [417]-426.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Königsberg. / Includes bibliographical references.

The Republic of Cameroon (8-16°E; 2-13°N) is a Central African nation that borders the Bight of Biafra. It is home of about 20 million people and a country with great environmental and agricultural diversity that reflects Africa. It is known as ‘Africa Miniature’. Recent policies and administrative malfunctions has plunged the SWR into severe environmental problems that led to a cholera outbreak, claiming many lives. Community respond to these severe environmental problems in the SWR greatly left behind resilient strategies to reduce its spread. A mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative research approach was used by the researcher to come up with community strategies which this research seeks to address. Various conclusions such as community demand for support from the local government, sustainable irrigation programs, availability of pipe-borne water and environmental education were put in place, as possible solutions to the persisting environmental problems in the SWR.

The aim of this study was to explore social welfare policy towards female-headed households (FHHs) in Cameroon and to suggest ways of transforming the sector at policy and practical levels in order to ensure that the needs of members of FHHs are effectively met within a social development praxis. The methodology used in collecting data was semi-structured questionnaires, one for female household heads and the other for officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS) and Ministry of Women's Affairs (MINCOF), supplemented by documentary sources. The target populations were made up of 85 officials and 14,535 female- households heads where a stratified random sample and purposive sample of 25 and 335 respectively, were selected. Triangulation method was used in both the collection and analysis process. There were eight critical research questions postulated to guide the study, and the major findings of the study included the following: Firstly, the economic conditions of FHHs were found to be fairly satisfactory. However, with the all-embracing responsibilities to themselves and their dependents, it was argued that this could offset their economic viability. Secondly, social services from various stakeholders were rated differently. From the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF), social service delivery was rated to be below average, with corruption and long duration of processing of documents was perceived as factors causing inefficiency. Recurrent complaints and claims reported by female household heads to MINAS included financial and other support though female-households heads rated their services to them as satisfactory, as complaints and claims reported were processed within a reasonable time. The main problems with MINAS were perceived to be a shortage of staff and poor working conditions. However, MINAS's empowering activities were found to be less than empowering. Also, those of women's empowerment centres (WECs) were not empowering, given the lack of befitting infrastructure and staff shortages. Thirdly, no form of social grant exists for members of FHHs, except occasional financial assistance to victims of calamities. Furthermore, the findings revealed that although most of the officials were acquainted with their ministerial objectives, which many held as relevant but unattainable and inapplicable. Many officials were not acquainted with current legislation on women. Ministerial objectives were perceived to be broad, compounded by staff shortages and low budgetary allocations. The findings also revealed that a majority of the staff of both ministries do participate differently in social welfare policy processes, especially due to their different professional orientations. Again, other basic social services such as healthcare and schools were provided in communities where members of FHHs live but were found to be expensive. The nonexistence of creches in most communities posed a huge problem to working female household heads who are forced to leave their children with others such as relatives, neighbours and other children putting them at risk. Others are forced to pay for babysitting from their meagre resources. Finally, female household heads suggested that to improve their lives, they need education and sensitisation on their rights and the initiation of special programmes for them as well as social grants , among other things. The above findings led to the following conclusions. Firstly, social welfare policy responses to the needs of women, especially members of FHHs, are narrowly based. Most of the few existing social welfare services are not accessible to many members of FHHs, especially given the fact that they have not been identified as needing special attention. Social welfare policy is based on the concept of gender equality without the recognition of the needs and aspirations of members of FHHs. Secondly, little legislation exists with regard to members of FHHs as a whole, except for some isolated pieces in favour of divorced and widowed women. Therefore, social welfare policy is not responsive to members of FHHs in Cameroon. Furthermore, social service delivery by social workers is limited in scope, as they are primarily engaged in curative rather than developmental social work, which is all-embracing. Similarly, the staff is not well acquainted with social welfare policy processes or other legislation pertaining to women whom they are serving. The factors, among others, responsible for this are the lack of a knowledge base and training deficiencies of the staff of these ministries. Finally, female household heads have utilised their ingenuity in the struggle against the current economic malaise through self-employment, full and part-time/casual employment. However, the warding-off of poverty is an illusion given the diverse nature of their responsibilities. In the light of the above findings and conclusions, recommendations were made to various stakeholders. The need for social welfare policy to be responsive to women's needs and aspirations, especially members of FHHs as well as the need to develop women-centred care was recommended. Also, policy makers were urged to institute social grants for members of FHHs and income security for children from FHHs. Furthermore, empowerment programmes such as job and skill training backed by low interest loans were also recommended in all divisions to strengthen capacity building. Again, basic quality affordable and accessible healthcare, childcare and education were recommended for female household heads and their children. Finally, recruitment and training of social workers as well as increased budgetary allocations and the institution of a gender perspective in the budgetary process were also put forward. Social workers, it was recommended, need to practice all-embracing developmental social work. This could be enhanced through organising seminars and refresher courses for staff to keep them abreast of current theoretical and practical development in the profession. Also, social workers should undertake a re-appraisal of the profession's responses to the needs of needy and vulnerable groups such as FHHs and restructure the colonial social welfare policy that still dominates their actions. Finally, the curricula of the schools of social work need to be revised to give a sound knowledge base to social workers to enhance their engagement in social development praxis. The civil society, members of FHHs and the local communities were urged to be part of the social welfare policy processes. Finally, suggestions for further study were made. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

No description available.

Despite the increased popularity of development aid flows from rich nations to poorer ones in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA), rampant poverty still prevails in the recipient nations. This perhaps explains the lingering debate on the effectiveness of ODA in curbing poverty. Based on Cameroon, this study aims to ascertain if ODA can be relied upon as a tool to fight poverty. The researcher seeks to determine if ODA disbursed to Cameroon has resulted in poverty alleviation among the impoverished from 1980 to 2014, be it directly or indirectly. To this effect, the first research question looks at what the possible causes of poverty in Cameroon are. The second research question dwells on the pattern of ODA to Cameroon over the study period from 1980 to 2014. The final research question seeks to determine the Cameroonian poverty levels over the same period. The definition of poverty in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI) and its three poverty determinants as utilized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is adopted as a theoretical base for this research. These determinants of poverty are life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. While the literature review is utilised to outline the on-going debate on the effects of ODA on economic growth and poverty alleviation, it equally provides possible causes of poverty in Cameroon. These include the prevalence of factors such as poor governance, the swindling of public funds without fear, the normalisation of bribes in return for public services, the lack of decentralized administrative and civil services, and the disproportionate distribution of state earnings. Meanwhile, secondary published data sourced from reputable multilateral bodies is used to determine the trend of ODA to Cameroon over the period from 1980 to 2014. This is then correlated with poverty figures over the same period as expressed by the three human development factors or poverty determinants. The research adopts a quantitative approach as correlations and regressions of obtained secondary data are made used of. The results of the correlations reveal that ODA may not be relied upon as a tool for alleviating poverty in Cameroon due to the statistically insignificant relationships it seems to display with all three poverty determinants. The regression results show on the one hand that ODA has insignificant relationships with life expectancy at birth and mean years of schooling, while on the other hand, ODA and GNI per capita display an inverse relationship that is judged to be statistically significant. High ODA figures can therefore be associated with lower GNI per capita values in Cameroon, based on this study. This means that ODA can be assumed to negatively affect the real income of Cameroonians. A reduction in real income might equally lead to a reduced potential to afford basic necessities like healthcare, schooling and housing. As these essentials are not provided for free in Cameroon, this reduced real income may further be held responsible for an overall deterioration of the quality of life. Based on the above findings, the researcher recommends that aid recipient governments put in place supportive systems and strong institutions that are void of corruption and unnecessary bureaucracy so as to better benefit from foreign aid inflows. African countries like Cameroon also need to develop their internal resources and use them to finance and promote their own growth instead of rely on donor funding with diminishing returns. Likewise, the government needs to improve its level of human development through diverting more funds towards developing and facilitating the poor’s access to the country’s education, healthcare, road network and basic amenities like water and sanitation. Finally, inflows in the form of loans rather than grants can better be utilized to promote positive economic growth. While loans are mostly diverted to productive activities, grants may promote dependency, rent-seeking behaviour and bureaucracy. This study is one of the few that relies on country-level data. Most existing studies on foreign aid and its related effects on poverty alleviation were conducted using cross-country data.

No description available.