No abstract available. / Dissertation (MConsSc)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Student Number : 0517437P - MA dissertation - Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences - Faculty of Humanities / A significant number of refugees and asylum seekers are living in urban areas in developing countries. In addition to the fact that they receive little assistance from international organizations, host government policies represent obstacles to their livelihoods. Generally, the economic behaviour, reasons for migrating and experiences of female migrants often differ from those of male. This research report examines the impact of gender on social networks and how gender might influence access to income. In contrast to other studies on social networks that focus on the social relationships between individuals and communities located in sending and receiving societies, this study produces greater understanding of urban migrants’ livelihoods by exploring how women use social networks to generate income and contrasting these with those of men. This is rooted in the assumption that women refugees are facing additional challenges to livelihood including their social responsibilities and job stereotyping. To document how gender might influence social networks and access to income, qualitative data collected through semi structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews among Congolese refugees in Johannesburg was used. Findings reveal that gender does not have impact on the nature of social networks used by Congolese men and women to facilitate their access to income generating activities. However, friendships and social relations among Congolese refugees are based on gender and as a result Congolese refugees may be channelled in gender-dominated occupations. Congolese women are facing specific challenges such as domestic labour and child care that may limit their access to jobs and businesses.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Masters of Art (Community Work) in the Department of Social Work University of Zululand, South Africa, 2001. / This study is about the significance of income generating projects in Kwa-Ngwanase area. The study was conducted on poverty alleviation projects funded by the Department of Welfare and Population Development As an evaluative research, semi-structured interviews were conducted. A sample of twenty projects was drawn, fourty respondents were interviewed where two were from each project-Related literature has been reviewed that focuses on poverty alleviation and income generating projects. Various recommendations have been made based on the findings of the study. The findings of the study indicated a need for training project members in capacity building. Project members also need to be motivated in one way or the other so that they can develop a sense of ownership and work hard for the success of their own projects. The research findings indicated clearly that the strategies and policies were not effective enough in achieving the desired goals of poverty alleviation.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Community work at the University of Zululand in the Department of Social Work, 2010. / The advent of the democratic transformation in South Africa during 1994, brought with it high hope that income , poverty and inequity would soon be significantly reduced from the high levels that existed during the Apartheid era. Though the development approach was adopted by the Department of Social Development in 1997, it has, however, not yet achieved its purpose. The poverty alleviation programme came as a ubstitut4 of maintenance grants. The grants were phased out in the period of three years whilst the Department of Social Development ws introducing the new approach of funding community projects. The study is about the impact of income generating projects by women in Utrecht area. The study was conducted on poverty alleviation projects funded by the Department of Social Development. An evaluative research method was followed in wwhich data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. A sample of twenty projects was drawn and respondents were interviewed where two were from each project. Related literature has been reviewed that focuses on poverty alleviation and income generating projects. .Various recommendations have been made on the findings of the study. The findings of the study indicated the need for training project members in capacity building. Project members also need to be motivated in one way or another so that they can develop a sense of ownership and work hard for the success of their own projects. Progress in poverty alleviation has been very slow and uneven. Community projects have failed poverty-stricken communities to improve their socio-economic standards. The research findings indicated clearly that the strategies and policies were not effective enough in achieving the desired goals of poverty alleviation. It has been noted that what actually made programmes for poverty alleviation to be disabled ea its implementation in the community.

There is a large amount of poverty-stricken people in South Africa, especially among female farm dwellers. Poverty is a problem with many facets that needs a multi-dimensional approach. One of the approaches used to alleviate poverty is through income-generating projects (IGPs). Most IGPs reported participation difficulties which negatively affects the sustainability of these projects. This study focuses on an IGP which forms part of the FLAGH programme in the North West Province. The aim of this study was to explore the motivation of women to participate in an IGP in order to understand why they participate and whether there is an observable difference concerning their motivation over a period of 16 months. In addition, the link between motivation and regular and irregular participation was investigated. A multiple-phased, single case study design, was followed to explore the motivation of purposefully selected women of the IGP. A semi-structured questionnaire was specifically designed for this study to collect data together with field notes, visual media and in-depth interviews. The study consisted of three phases. The socio-demographic information obtained by the semi-structured questionnaires provided the researcher with a profile of women who participated in the IGP during the first phase. The photographs and field notes served as evidence with regards to the socio-demographic and household information obtained through the questionnaires. The semi-structured questionnaires with the structured and open-ended questions provided insight concerning the motivational factors that influenced their participation over a period of 16 months. During the second phase, a comparison could be made between active and non-active participants. Differences in motivational factors were identified which explained the participation behaviour of both groups. In-depth interviews in phase three brought a better understanding of the motivational factors of the regular participants concerning their experiences. Field notes also served as supporting evidence for the results in phase three. Results of this study provided more information and insight regarding the participation difficulties in an IGP. Encouraging as well as discouraging motivational factors were identified that influenced participants to participate regularly or irregular in the IGP. The motivation that changed among participants over a period of 16 months was also identified. These results will be used to improve current IGPs and also in the planning of future IGPs. One of the limitations of this study was the small number of available women to observe. This study contributes as a section in a larger process that attempts to alleviate poverty through research on the subject in order to obtain a better understanding of difficulties found in IGPs. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

There is a large amount of poverty-stricken people in South Africa, especially among female farm dwellers. Poverty is a problem with many facets that needs a multi-dimensional approach. One of the approaches used to alleviate poverty is through income-generating projects (IGPs). Most IGPs reported participation difficulties which negatively affects the sustainability of these projects. This study focuses on an IGP which forms part of the FLAGH programme in the North West Province. The aim of this study was to explore the motivation of women to participate in an IGP in order to understand why they participate and whether there is an observable difference concerning their motivation over a period of 16 months. In addition, the link between motivation and regular and irregular participation was investigated. A multiple-phased, single case study design, was followed to explore the motivation of purposefully selected women of the IGP. A semi-structured questionnaire was specifically designed for this study to collect data together with field notes, visual media and in-depth interviews. The study consisted of three phases. The socio-demographic information obtained by the semi-structured questionnaires provided the researcher with a profile of women who participated in the IGP during the first phase. The photographs and field notes served as evidence with regards to the socio-demographic and household information obtained through the questionnaires. The semi-structured questionnaires with the structured and open-ended questions provided insight concerning the motivational factors that influenced their participation over a period of 16 months. During the second phase, a comparison could be made between active and non-active participants. Differences in motivational factors were identified which explained the participation behaviour of both groups. In-depth interviews in phase three brought a better understanding of the motivational factors of the regular participants concerning their experiences. Field notes also served as supporting evidence for the results in phase three. Results of this study provided more information and insight regarding the participation difficulties in an IGP. Encouraging as well as discouraging motivational factors were identified that influenced participants to participate regularly or irregular in the IGP. The motivation that changed among participants over a period of 16 months was also identified. These results will be used to improve current IGPs and also in the planning of future IGPs. One of the limitations of this study was the small number of available women to observe. This study contributes as a section in a larger process that attempts to alleviate poverty through research on the subject in order to obtain a better understanding of difficulties found in IGPs. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In South Africa, citizen participation is regarded as an integral part of all social, economic and political activity. There is always an attempt to either involve citizens/communities in different programmes or at least to pretend to have involved people. Community participation is a constitutional prerogative that the broader masses should meaningfully participate in issues affecting their lives. Thus overgrowing concern by development practitioners to utilize participatory methods has become notable in recent years and participation has become an established orthodoxy within the development discourse in South Africa. The practice of participation has become embodied in what is popularly known to be people-centered development in which it is favored that community needs take precedence over those of other stakeholders when designing and implementing development projects. This study explores community participation in income generating projects at the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center. Using a case study as a qualitative inquiry method, the researcher sought to establish the evidence of community participation and the extent to which participants in income generating projects were involved as the main role players. The research sample constituted of 15 participants; ten were beneficiaries of income generating projects, three were staff members at the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center and two participants where drawn from the main funders of the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center. The different categories of the participants drawn into the sample enabled the researcher to holistically capture how the development process unfolded. The findings of the research indicated that the development model used at Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center is largely participatory. The model allowed community members to have more say and control in the initiation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the projects. However this model has challenges that are institutional, social and structural of nature and barriers which hinder effective and meaningful community participation. Government intervention was recommended to address some of the challenges to community participation on a macro level.

Eradicating poverty is one of the biggest challenges in South Africa. A Development Centre Model was developed by the Department of Social Development as a strategy to empower citizens of South Africa to become independent and self-reliant in an attempt to alleviate poverty. The Department fulfils the role of programme monitoring and evaluation of different programmes offered by the Development Centres. A Social Development Approach was used as a guide to the theoretical framework of the study. The primary aim of the study was to explore the perceptions about the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation of incomegenerating projects rendered to the development centres by the Department of Social Development in the Gauteng North Region. A qualitative research strategy was followed and a multiple case study design was applied. Purposive sampling was used to initially select six beneficiaries, six centre managers, two service providers and two departmental officials involved in the development centres that are government-funded. However, the total number of the participants in the end came to thirteen; five beneficiaries; five centre managers; two evaluators and one departmental official. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews with participants and the interviews were tape recorded. To analyse data, thematic content analysis was applied. Some of the findings and the recommendations are, firstly, that the study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of programme monitoring and evaluation; secondly, that programme monitoring and evaluation is in fact effective; and thirdly, that beneficiaries should participate in monitoring and evaluation of their projects. Fourthly, the majority of the beneficiaries and the centre managers felt that the process has no impact on the actual programme or projects. These participants felt that there is no follow-up to solve problems that have been identified during this process of monitoring and evaluation. The participants recommended that the department do more visits thereby making sure that problems identified during monitoring and evaluation are immediately resolved through constant visits to the development centres.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA (DVS) / Formal microfinance institutions have been an important tool in the fight against poverty in developing countries, but their reach for rural people and urban slum poor are limited. Following this, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are established as an alternative, informal mechanism for saving and borrowing that do not require external capital or ongoing financial or administrative support from a founding organization or government bodies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of women participation in VSLA on poverty reduction with a case study in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, the study tried to focus on examining the effects of VSLAs contribution to economic and social wellbeing of households, and decision makings, and women participation in community activities. The study used 254 samples (127 VSLA participants, and 127 non-participants) and collected data using questionnaire and focus group discussion. The study used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the impact of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income, and the result indicated the average effect of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income of participant women is positive and significant at 5% significant level, ranging from 169.63 Birr/month (nearest neighbor matching) to 141.55 Birr/month (Kernel matching), on average. Besides, comparison between participants and non-participants using hypothesis testing shows that women participation in VSLA has a significant positive association with improvements in household diet, health, children's education, and women’s involvement in household decisions. However, although hypothesized, no significant association is found in relation to women participation in community activities. Findings from the focus group discussions are also consistent with the results from the PSM and hypothesis testing. Following the findings, the study recommends government and nongovernmental organizations to provide regular, timely and need based capacity building trainings for VSLA participants; Link VSLA participants with formal microfinance institutions; conduct regular monitoring and follow ups by either the city or sub-cities Women Children Affairs Department/offices or concerned government body; different concerned stakeholders in the city including government, nongovernmental organizations, microfinance institutions and others need to work in coordinated manner to solve the recurrent challenges of VSLA participants in Hawassa city; and finally government and/or nongovernmental organizations need to take best practices and lessons from existing VSLAs and expand the VSLA initiative to address more impoverished women in the city.

Thesis (M.Ed.) (Adult Education) --University of Limpopo, 2010. / This report is a description of a research carried out at Hlatlolang ABET Centre, which is located at Makotse village, a rural area in the Limpopo Province. The research was conducted with the aim of investigating the problems affecting sustainability of income-generating projects at Hlatlolang ABET centre. In order to achieve the aim outlined above; I formulated the following main research question: • What are the problems affecting the sustainability of income-generating projects at Hlatlolang ABET centre? I decided to undertake an exploratory and evaluative study in order to answer the question outlined above. I wanted to understand the kinds of problems affecting sustainability of income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre. The intention of this study was to investigate the problems affecting the sustainability of income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre. I investigated the aims and objectives of introducing and incepting the project and how much they achieved as was envisaged. In the introduction and background of my study I tried to outline the factors that might have led to poverty such as delivering of basic services to the people creating jobs and others. To direct this study, I wrote the research questions concerning the sustainability of the income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre at Makotse village. I briefly stated the scope of this study before I concluded the chapter. In chapter 2; I formulated assumptions about factors that could be affecting the sustainability of income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre. After I conducted exploratory interviews with the respondents, the following were identified as possible factors that could be affecting the sustainability of income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre: ignorance, shortage of training/skills to run the project, illiteracy, lack of sense of ownership and lack or insufficient needs analysis done. The definition of key concepts is given. The defined concepts are: sustainability, income-generating projects, poverty, and illiteracy and ABET. Finally I concluded the chapter by outlining what transpired in theoretical framework. In chapter 3, I stated the instruments which I used to collect data from various role players in different phases of data collection. In this chapter there is an explanation of how data collected from different phases was analysed using qualitative data analysis method. In my conclusion I discussed my main learning areas as well as the difficulties that were encountered during the research process. Chapter 4 is about the findings of the study. An overview of where the study takes place, the description of the project and its programmes are clarified. I made an explanation of a link between key concepts and critical factors. These critical factors were identified as possible problematic areas that could be affecting the sustainability of income-generating project Hlatlolang ABET centre. There is a report about the findings made from the critical factors before the chapter could be concluded. In chapter 5; there is an integration of information from the previous chapters where the problems affecting the sustainability of income-generating project at Hlatlolang ABET centre are integrated. This chapter is about the conclusion and recommendations about the problems affecting sustainability of the income-generating project Hlatlolang ABET centre. I concluded the chapter by mentioning issues that need to be further researched particularly the ones that will increase sustainability of the income generating projects for poverty to be eradicated. / Not listed