Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)

Adherence to long-term medications has remained a problem among adolescents worldwide. Antiretroviral therapy adherence is a wide-reaching challenge among HIV positive adolescents. The aim of this study is to explore and describe poor ART adherence among HIV positive adolescents in Maseru: influential factors and the need of social work support. Qualitative approach was used, following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The research was conducted at BCMCOE Lesotho. Data was collected by using semi-structured in-depth interviews and purposive sampling was applied to select a sample of adolescents who are HIV positive and who have poor adherence to ART. Data was analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell 2003). Guba’s model (in Krefting 1991) was employed for data verification. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made about factors influencing adherence of adolescents to ART and support needed from social workers. / Social Work / M.A.(S.S.)

This research concerns disciplinary practices within a school system in Lesotho. The school that has been researched is a girl’s high school in Maseru (the capital of Lesotho). The school belongs to the Anglican Church. I (the researcher) am a Mosotho man and an English and Religious Studies teacher in this school. For a while I have been concerned about the way punishment happens in the school, often leaving girls feeling shamed and powerless in the face of authority. I have also noticed that these disciplinary practices are losing their effectiveness, in that girls are showing resistance to the system. In other words corporal punishment, which has been the traditional form of discipline, is proving ineffective in today’s world. The researcher also considers this form of discipline abusive of power. It is in the light of this that I worked within this system, both with pupils, as well as teachers, to explore alternative practices that might work with pupils, that are respectful of all parties concerned. The research is a participative action research, using collaborative narrative practices in working with both students and staff at the school. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Thesis (M.Tech.:Civil Engineering)-Dept. of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 v, 124 leaves, Annexures 1-10, Appendices 1-4 / Lesotho is a land locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Maseru is the capital of Lesotho and the country’s main centre for commerce and industry. The study area is located on the North-Eastern outskirts of the Maseru urban area. The catchment occupies an area of 44km2 with a length of about 13 km and channel slope of 0.4 km/km. The Maqalika Reservoir was built in 1983 to meet the water demands for Maseru city up to 1995, and its storage capacity was 3.7 Mm3. The storage is gradually decreasing as sediment, carried by the natural run-off accumulates in the reservoir. Moreover, water pumped into the reservoir from the Caledon River (which is heavily sedimented) adds its own contribution of silt. The reservoir is located in a very densely populated area, and is heavily polluted leading to high purification costs. The study was motivated by the fact that Welbedacht Dam was constructed in 1973 in the Caledon catchment but downstream of Maqalika. After 20 years, 85% of the volume of the dam was silted. The study was intended in finding whether the positioning of the Maqalika reservoir is acceptable and to find its remaining capacity as a water body supplying a fast growing city. Consideration was also given to the effect of land use practices on the water quality of the Maqalika reservoir, including the cost incurred during purification. The water quality data on physico- chemical was collected from the Water and Sewerage Authority and was analysed using excel spreadsheets. Results obtained were compared with WHO, SABS and National Standards of Lesotho. It was found that nitrates, phosphates and faecal coliforms levels were by far above minimum standards rendering water to be very contaminated and the source being leaking sewers, defeacation in dongas and leachate from Tsosane and Lower Thamae dumping site. Iron levels were also high with mean values beyond 0.3mg/l and the source being leachate from dumping sites, poor disposal of scraps and minerals from soil. Conductivity levels were high and the suspected source is waste solid disposal having a maximum of 442mS/m in March 2001. Hardness, temperature and alkalinity do not pose much danger to Maqalika water since recorded results were almost within limits. Turbidity levels were very high and the main source was found to be catchment sedimentation through run-off. For determination of the impact of sedimentation through pumping, hydrological data was obtained from the Department of Water Affair (DWA) and analysed using Excel spreadsheets to get sediment concentrations. A linear regression graph was plotted using discharge against sediment concentration that yielded y = 0.0007x – 0.0019. This was used in the Rooseboom mathematical equation for estimation of volume occupied by sediment from 1983 - 2002 and was found to be 6789 m3. For determination of the impact due to catchment run-off, a map method of estimating sedimentation from ungauged catchments developed by Rooseboom was used and a volume of 4.598 x 106 m3 was obtained showing that the main contributor of sedimentation in the reservoir is catchment run-off. The chemical costs employed during purification were also compared between WASA and Umgeni Water of Kwazulu- Natal and WASA was found to be expensive with 9 cents/kl while Umgeni spent only 5.24 cents/kl.

Thesis (M.Tech.:Civil Engineering)-Dept. of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 v, 124 leaves, Annexures 1-10, Appendices 1-4 / Lesotho is a land locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Maseru is the capital of Lesotho and the country’s main centre for commerce and industry. The study area is located on the North-Eastern outskirts of the Maseru urban area. The catchment occupies an area of 44km2 with a length of about 13 km and channel slope of 0.4 km/km. The Maqalika Reservoir was built in 1983 to meet the water demands for Maseru city up to 1995, and its storage capacity was 3.7 Mm3. The storage is gradually decreasing as sediment, carried by the natural run-off accumulates in the reservoir. Moreover, water pumped into the reservoir from the Caledon River (which is heavily sedimented) adds its own contribution of silt. The reservoir is located in a very densely populated area, and is heavily polluted leading to high purification costs. The study was motivated by the fact that Welbedacht Dam was constructed in 1973 in the Caledon catchment but downstream of Maqalika. After 20 years, 85% of the volume of the dam was silted. The study was intended in finding whether the positioning of the Maqalika reservoir is acceptable and to find its remaining capacity as a water body supplying a fast growing city. Consideration was also given to the effect of land use practices on the water quality of the Maqalika reservoir, including the cost incurred during purification. The water quality data on physico- chemical was collected from the Water and Sewerage Authority and was analysed using excel spreadsheets. Results obtained were compared with WHO, SABS and National Standards of Lesotho. It was found that nitrates, phosphates and faecal coliforms levels were by far above minimum standards rendering water to be very contaminated and the source being leaking sewers, defeacation in dongas and leachate from Tsosane and Lower Thamae dumping site. Iron levels were also high with mean values beyond 0.3mg/l and the source being leachate from dumping sites, poor disposal of scraps and minerals from soil. Conductivity levels were high and the suspected source is waste solid disposal having a maximum of 442mS/m in March 2001. Hardness, temperature and alkalinity do not pose much danger to Maqalika water since recorded results were almost within limits. Turbidity levels were very high and the main source was found to be catchment sedimentation through run-off. For determination of the impact of sedimentation through pumping, hydrological data was obtained from the Department of Water Affair (DWA) and analysed using Excel spreadsheets to get sediment concentrations. A linear regression graph was plotted using discharge against sediment concentration that yielded y = 0.0007x – 0.0019. This was used in the Rooseboom mathematical equation for estimation of volume occupied by sediment from 1983 - 2002 and was found to be 6789 m3. For determination of the impact due to catchment run-off, a map method of estimating sedimentation from ungauged catchments developed by Rooseboom was used and a volume of 4.598 x 106 m3 was obtained showing that the main contributor of sedimentation in the reservoir is catchment run-off. The chemical costs employed during purification were also compared between WASA and Umgeni Water of Kwazulu- Natal and WASA was found to be expensive with 9 cents/kl while Umgeni spent only 5.24 cents/kl.

This qualitative exploratory study explored adolescents’ perceptions of the HIV youth friendly centre at a hospital in Lesotho in order to improve adolescent-friendly health care services in Lesotho. Data was obtained through interviewing nine purposively selected adolescents aged 18–19 years who accessed health care services at the centre, and was analysed using an adapted version of Colaizzi’s seven-step thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from this study: attributes experienced during adolescents’ visits to health care facilities, adolescents’ perceptions of the health care facility, waiting times, facts related to HIV pre-test counselling, description of services available for adolescents’ health, and challenges faced by adolescents in relation to their HIV positive status. The adolescents explained the factors that encouraged them to be tested, and to commit to HIV management and treatment. The findings showed that it is important to reserve a dedicated space for adolescents, to provide comprehensive health services at one site, to ensure adolescents’ privacy and confidentiality, to indicate patient flow clearly, to indicate the service offering clearly, to offer flexible operating hours and days, to involve youth in the service provision, to keep queues short, and to establish peer support groups. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This research concerns disciplinary practices within a school system in Lesotho. The school that has been researched is a girl’s high school in Maseru (the capital of Lesotho). The school belongs to the Anglican Church. I (the researcher) am a Mosotho man and an English and Religious Studies teacher in this school. For a while I have been concerned about the way punishment happens in the school, often leaving girls feeling shamed and powerless in the face of authority. I have also noticed that these disciplinary practices are losing their effectiveness, in that girls are showing resistance to the system. In other words corporal punishment, which has been the traditional form of discipline, is proving ineffective in today’s world. The researcher also considers this form of discipline abusive of power. It is in the light of this that I worked within this system, both with pupils, as well as teachers, to explore alternative practices that might work with pupils, that are respectful of all parties concerned. The research is a participative action research, using collaborative narrative practices in working with both students and staff at the school. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Student Number : 0204752J - MSc research report - School of Construction Economics and Management - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / Most governments in developing countries are unable to assist in the ever-growing housing needs of the informal sector, which constitutes the major part of most economies. The two reasons for this state of affairs are (i) the ever-shrinking resource base of countries, which makes the provision of subsidies impractical; and (ii) the fact that this sector is normally characterized by irregular incomes, which makes provision for loans by financial institutions difficult. This situation is particularly true for the Kingdom of Lesotho. Due to their unfortunate predicament, the informal sector has become innovative in addressing their housing needs. Various informal credit methods are widely employed to finance their houses, which are built progressively. This research therefore investigates the possibilities of linking the progressive housing investment to bank housing finance, using Maseru - Lesotho as the research focus. In order to achieve the above aim, a household survey was conducted coupled with structured interviews. The structured interviews were held with the commercial banks as well as the government housing authorities. These interviews were mainly to elicit their views about the option of Microfinance of housing. It was established that the respondents as well as the government authorities were not aware of this option. The banks were equally unaware of it and in addition to this, the perceived risk led to skepticism. As such these made Microfinance of housing impractical in the short-run. However it would be advisable to mobilize the formation of a revolving fund to which the commercial banks could on-lend, as a solution to the lack of housing finance.

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences that the principals encounter when managing curriculum change at the secondary schools in the Maseru district. The study is qualitative in nature and employed a case study to investigate principals’ experiences with the LGCSE curriculum change. This study used Kotter’s theory of change management as a theoretical foundation for the analysis of the data. Semi-structured in-depth –interviews and non-participant observations were used to collect data. A total of six principals from urban and rural secondary schools were interviewed and observed. Content analysis was employed to analyse data in this study. The findings revealed that the secondary school principals in the Maseru district lack skills and knowledge to manage the LGCSE curriculum change. The findings showed that the majority of the principals were not thoroughly trained on how to manage and implement the LGCSE. The principals needed continuous support from the Ministry of Education and Training. There was also a need for relevant and adequate resources to support curriculum changes. This study revealed that most principals delegated the instructional roles to the Head of Departments and the deputy principals to manage lesson plans, selection of teaching and learning materials as well as monitoring lesson presentations. This study found that most principals concentrated on administrative roles. Team work and school based workshops were found to be the strategies that principals used to manage the LGCSE curriculum change. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

Landfills are a potential pollution threat to both ground and surface water resources. This study focuses on two landfills, the Horotiu municipal waste landfill, near Hamilton, New Zealand, and the Maseru landfill in Lesotho. The Horotiu landfill is located less than 50 metres from the Waikato River and also sits on a shallow (lt;lm to water table) aquifer. In Lesotho, the Maseru landfill is 4 km from a river and 2 km from a water reservoir and rests on a huge aquifer. Over 5000 people depend on groundwater in the area between the landfill and the river. The objectives of my study were to: 1. compare and contrast conditions, management, and potential environmental impacts of the Horotiu and Maseru landfills; 2. evaluate the potential for groundwater contamination as the result of leachate migration; and 3. investigate the chemical characteristics of the landfill leachates and the impacts of the landfills on groundwater quality. The Horotiu study was based on the leachate and groundwater quality monitoring data obtained from the Hamilton City Council. Samples were collected every three months from 1991-2006 and analysed for about 30 chemical parameters. The data for the Maseru landfill consisted of groundwater quality collected by the author during July-September 2007 and borehole pumping data obtained from the Department of Water Affairs, in Lesotho. At Horotiu results indicate that the leachate had high concentrations of: NH4-N (630 mg/l), TOC (405 mg/l), BOD (126 mg/l), and COD (1289 mg/l), while heavy metals were in low concentrations (lt;0.1mg/l). Leachate quality was found to change with time and with rainfall. Groundwater samples obtained from the landfill boreholes indicated that the Horotiu landfill had an influence in the quality of groundwater. Groundwater at the down-slope side of the landfill had higher concentrations of all chemical parameters, except for NO3-N, SO4-2 and Reactive P, than the groundwater on the upstream side. The mean groundwater quality at Horotiu was within New Zealand drinking water standards though some standards were exceeded by some individual samples. In the Maseru landfill, the borehole water had high concentrations of chemical parameters such as EC (1580 μS/cm) and Chloride (190 mg/l), compared to the national average of 250 μS/cm and 28 mg/l. The Maseru landfill groundwater quality was within the WHO drinking water standard for all analysed chemical constituents, except lead. Groundwater beneath both landfills was influenced by leachate but the impacts are currently not at an alarming stage, for analysed chemical parameters. At Maseru introduction of landfill linings has potential to reduce the effect of leachate on groundwater.