M.A. (Development Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. / This study emanates from the concern by the researcher's supervisees that the communities they are servicing appear to be reluctant to participate in developmental projects. Communities serviced fall under the Eerstehoek District (specifically Greater Mpuluzi or Mayflower) and are predominantly rural, but have a basic infrastructure like schools. clinics and shops. It is estimated that 50% of the population is unemployed, resulting in poverty and a high rate cf crime. (This is obtained from the sample taken from Crime Registers for Mayflower Department of Safety and Security: 1996 and Intake register for Mayflower Social Services Branch Office: 1996) The researcher observes that 80% of the development projects - like disabled protective workshops. day-care centres for able and disabled children. and older persons' clubs — progress to implementation but are not functioning well. Only 20% of projects (mostly crèches) are functioning well. (Statistics on community work projects and community work register :1997). The problems regarding participation as cited by supervisees are as follows: o At the beginning of the community development process, consultation is done with the community regarding the identification of their probiems and needs whether individually or at a meeting level. The community co-operates well and at the first meeting, the turnout is good, but participation begins to decrease later on. o Community members are also reluctant to take portfolios and serve in committees. Sometimes people are chosen to serve in a committee but do not attend meetings. It also happens that tasks are allocated to committee members and when they are expected to provide feedback at the next meeting, it is discovered that they did not perform their allocated tasks. Participation is usually minimal because the social worker will be expected to carry out most of the tasks to be performed by the committee. Short-term projects like functions or celebrations are better attended, but then participants have difficulty in contributing to the expenditure of such projects. It can thus be concluded that; although community development projects are initiated to benefit the members themselves, there is however reluctance to participate actively.

M.A. (Social Development) / The North West Province is predominately comprised of rural areas. The occupants of these areas are mostly rural, underprivileged with only a few of the important basic facilities. In most areas the community still get water from the village tap, use wood for heating and candles for lighting. Unemployment is rife, despite the fact that there are mines around Rustenburg, the area in which this study is carried out, has quite a number of people who are jobless. Community Development Projects have been started in this area of the province to uplift the standard of living of these communities, but to no avail. The aim of this study ls to investigate the opinions of participants concerning these projects, with the final aim of improving maximum participation. The failure of these projects is a concern to service providers, service consumers and funders.

M.A. / The South African development context is characterized by high levels of unemployment and poverty. It is therefore imperative to address these two aspects if any advancement in regard to development is to be achieved. Several options are available to development agents and government structures alike. The pre-requisite, however, for the selection of an option is sustainability. A Public Works Programme (PWP) holds the potential of impacting on South Africa's high levels of unemployment and poverty. Although this programme needs to be implemented alongside similar economic upliftment initiatives, a PWP can contribute significantly to the improvement of the SA development situation. The nature of a PWP has changed from purely creating jobs, to including training and education as essential components of a PWP. Only by including the latter components, can a PWP be deemed sustainable and impact directly on the lives of the participants. With the transformation to a new political dispensation in April 1994, SA also embarked on formulating a holistic and comprehensive development approach and vision. The final product was the Reconstruction and Development Programme. This Programme established the broad framework in which development policy and implementation take place. The RDP consists of various development aspects, all aimed at improving the SA development context. One of these aspects is focused at the upliftment and stimulation of the economy. The PWP forms part of the overall economic strategy. From this theoretical point of departure, the National PWP was formulated. One of the main factors that contributed to the slow development and implementation of the NPWP was the absence of local government structures. Local government structures underwent similar changes to those experienced at national level. In addition to the structural and geographical changes, the responsibilities of local government increased due to decentralisation of powers and functions from national government. Now local government holds the position of "development facilitator" instead of being a mere supplier of municipal services. Local economic development within the specified area has been emphasised as an urgent matter that needs to be developed and supported by local government. The NPWP fits perfectly into this mould. This study investigates the nature of the NPWP and the role of local government in its implementation with specific reference to a Gauteng local authority, the Greater Johannesburg Transitional Metropolitan Council.

M.Sc. / The present study describes the experiences of participants on an Adventure Therapy project at the Ekupholeni Mental Health Clinic in Katlehong. It details an account of the violence, both political and everyday, that face South Africans, particularly children and youth. It also attempts to detail the reconstructive challenges facing a democratic South Africa on the road towards healing. The implicit values underlying the research process are the values of Community Psychology and the Action Research method. Themes were drawn from four taped interview (two group and two individual) sessions. These themes suggest that participants have had positive experiences of pride, dignity, control, responsibility and unity through involvement with the project. These experiences are however not without their contradictions. An attempt has also been made to report on this dialectic. The study makes recommendations regarding the improved functioning of this project and also more widely applicable lessons for working with communities. The recreation of community is a struggle better expressed as a process rather than an event. Further documentation of this project is recommended to build on this baseline data.