Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates casework intervention for abused women in Moses Kotane Local Municipality. The purpose of this research is to present a theoretical and practical framework from a casework perspective for dealing with abused women. The motivation for the study was based on the need of social workers to have a framework when applying casework during intervention with abused women. The framework will offer guidance and will ensure that the service rendered to abused women is of a good quality. The objectives of this study is to investigate the nature and extent of the abuse of women in Moses Kotane Local Municipality, to explain the causes and consequences of abuse, and to describe casework intervention strategies to address abuse of women. The research covers the nature and prevalence of abuse of women as well as the causes of abuse. The consequences of abuse of women are also outlined in the research report. A practice perspective, a theory and a model which can be applied during intervention with abused women, is also included in the report. A practical framework is also included with the help of literature reviewed. The empirical research involved both qualitative and quantitative methods. This section presents findings in the form of tables and figures and gives an analysis of the findings. The findings were analyzed and compared with the findings from previous studies undertaken by various authors. The findings can be used as a guideline by social workers when applying casework during intervention with abused women. Recommendations are also included in the report. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met hierdie navorsing is ondersoek ingestel na gevallewerk-intervensie met mishandelde vroue in die Moses Kotane Plaaslike Munisipaliteit. Die doel van die navorsing was om 'n teoretiese en praktiese raamwerk vanuit 'n gevallewerk-perspektief vir intervensie met mishandelde vroue aan te bied. Die motivering vir die studie was gebaseer op maatskaplike werkers se behoefte aan 'n raamwerk wanneer gevallewerk gedurende intervensie met mishandelde vroue toegepas word. Met dié raamwerk word beoog om riglyne aan te bied wat sal verseker dat die dienste wat aan die mishandelde vroue gelewer word van 'n goeie kwaliteit is. Die doelwitte van die studie is om die aard en omvang van die mishandeling van vroue in die Moses Kotane Plaaslike Munisipaliteit te ondersoek, om die oorsake en gevolge van mishandeling te verduidelik, en om gevallewerk-intervensie strategieë om mishandeling van vroue te hanteer te beskryf. Die navorsing handel oor die aard en voorkoms van die mishandeling van vroue, asook die oorsake van mishandeling. Die gevolge van mishandeling van vroue word ook in die navorsingsverslag aangebied. 'n Praktykperspektief, 'n teorie en 'n model wat gebruik kan word vir intervensie met mishandelde vroue word in die verslag aangebied. 'n Praktiese raamwerk wat gebaseer is op die literatuur wat bestudeer is word aangebied. Die empiriese navorsing het behels dat beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes benut is. In hierdie afdeling word bevindinge in die vorm van tabelle en figure aangebied en 'n ontleding van die bevindinge word gemaak. Die bevindinge van die studie is ontleed en vergelyk met die bevindinge van vorige studies wat deur verskeie outeurs onderneem is. Die bevindinge kan deur maatskaplike werkers benut word as riglyne wanneer gevallewerk met mishandelde vroue gedoen word. Aanbevelings word ook in die verslag ingesluit.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the past number of years, the pressure on universities worldwide, including universities in South Africa, has increased to bridge the gap between higher education and society. This includes becoming active partners with its communities. Therefore, the importance of community engagement as one of the three pillars of higher education, alongside teaching and learning, and research, has gained considerable momentum. Higher education institutions in South Africa are also increasingly challenged to elevate the status of their teaching and to raise their levels of community engagement. This also pertains to the area of postgraduate education, which points to the need for a close relationship between teaching, learning and research. The aim of this study was to develop a contextualised and integrated curriculum framework for community-engaged teaching, learning and research in a postgraduate Play Therapy programme. This was done using a contextualised perspective on higher education with reference to current higher education legislation in South Africa as well as curriculum development in general. A literature review of community engagement provided a perspective on the current state of community engagement - nationally, as well as internationally. The study used a qualitative single case study design and an interpretive paradigm to generate empirical data. The first phase of the empirical part of the study focused on determining the current state of community engagement within the postgraduate Play Therapy programme. Data was generated using questionnaires completed by current students and lecturers. In the second phase of the empirical study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers from 13 national as well as international higher education institutions to review curriculum frameworks and content from other higher education community engagement models. The last empirical phase included two focus groups, one with current students and one with current lecturers in the postgraduate Play Therapy programme under investigation. From the findings of the study, a curriculum framework emerged which outlines community engagement within the postgraduate programme. The emerging framework points to the need for a stronger integration of teaching and learning with community engagement (service component) through service learning. In the South African context and within the programme that was investigated, service learning provides for engaged learning which includes experiential learning and opportunities for students to engage in interactive and experiential processes. The study has also pointed out that research within the postgraduate programme should reflect, in a much stronger way, links to community-based research. Such links may benefit a scholarship of engagement. Also, the research component of the programme needs to be linked more closely to teaching and learning in order to better inform the curriculum in terms of trends, needs and priorities. These activities need to take place within community partnerships with a reciprocal benefit to both the programme and the communities involved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Universiteite wêreldwyd, asook in Suid-Afrika, het gedurende die afgelope paar jaar druk ervaar om die gaping tussen hoër onderwys en die gemeenskap te verminder. Dit sluit in om aktiewe vennote van gemeenskappe te word. Die belangrikheid van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid as een van die drie pilare van hoër onderwys, saam met leer, onderrig en navorsing, het dus aansienlik toegeneem. Hoëronderwysinstansies in Suid-Afrika word ook uitgedaag om die stand van hul leer en onderrig te verhoog en die vlakke van hul gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid te versterk. Dit geld ook vir nagraadse opleiding, wat neerkom op 'n hegter verband tussen leer, onderrig en navorsing. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om 'n gekontekstualiseerde en geïntegreerde kurrikulumraamwerk vir gemeenskapsgerigte leer, onderrig en navorsing binne 'n nagraadse program in Spelterapie te ontwikkel. Dit is gedoen deur 'n kontekstuele oorsig van hoër onderwys te gee met verwysing na die huidige hoëronderwys-wetgewing in Suid-Afrika asook 'n oorsig oor kurrikulumontwikkeling. 'n Literatuuroorsig van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid het perspektief op die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid landwyd én wêreldwyd verskaf. Hierdie studie berus op 'n kwalitatiewe enkelgevallestudie-ontwerp en benut 'n interpretatiewe paradigma om die empiriese data te genereer. Die eerste fase van die empiriese gedeelte van die studie was gerig op die bepaling van die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie. Data is gegenereer deur die gebruik van vraelyste wat deur huidige studente en dosente ingevul is. In die tweede fase van die empiriese studie is semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met dosente van 13 nasionale asook internasionele hoëronderwysinstansies gevoer om die kurrikulumraamwerke en inhoud van ander hoër instansies se gemeenskaps-betrokkenheidsmodelle te verken. Die laaste empiriese fase sluit twee fokusgroepe in - een met huidige studente en een met huidige dosente in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie, wat die onderwerp van hierdie studie uitmaak. 'n Kurrikulumraamwerk het vanuit die bevindinge van die studie ontstaan wat 'n uiteensetting van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie verskaf. Die opkomende raamwerk dui op die behoefte aan sterker integrasie van leer en onderrig met gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid (dienskomponent) deur middel van diensleer. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks en in die program wat ondersoek is, bied diensleer die geleentheid vir betrokke leer wat die volgende insluit: ervaringsleer en geleenthede vir studente om betrokke te raak by interaktiewe ervaringsprosesse. Die studie het ook uitgewys dat navorsing in die meestersprogram op 'n baie sterker wyse die verband met gemeenskapsgerigte navorsing moet reflekteer. Hierdie konneksies kan ook die vakkundigheid van betrokkenheid versterk. Daarby moet die navorsingskomponent van die program nader aan leer en onderrig beweeg sodat die kurrikulum altyd die jongste tendense, behoeftes en prioriteite weerspieël. Hierdie aktiwiteite moet in gemeenskapsvennootskappe plaasvind om voordele vir die program sowel as die betrokke gemeenskappe te bied.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Resource Conservation Biology). Johannesburg, 2015 / The vegetation of the Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, in North West Province, South Africa, was mapped according to seven vegetation structure types, based on tree density and height, and grass height. Free-living ticks were collected by drag-sampling the vegetation from each structure type in November 2014, prior to the onset of the summer rains, and February 2015, once most of the seasonal rains had fallen. Eland (Taurotragus oryx) location information was recorded from four GPS collared cows over the two sample periods. Tick abundance was consistently lower in shorter, open, more exposed vegetation structure types, and higher in more sheltered types. Position higher up in the landscape nullified the positive impacts of trees on beneath-canopy microclimate in tall open woodlands, as indicated by comparatively lower tick numbers than in more sheltered woodland types. Tick abundance is influenced by vegetation structure and the availability of hosts. The majority of ticks trapped during both periods were larvae, with nymphs mostly present in November and adults mostly present later in the season, indicating the seasonal nature of tick cohort recruitment. Eland calving behaviour centred on areas with low adult tick abundance. Eland did not respond to total tick abundance during either sampling period. They did select areas with low adult tick abundance, and avoided areas with high adult tick abundance. This corresponded with an improvement in upland forage quality, which allowed them to avoid foraging in areas with high adult tick abundance. It is plausible that the potential for infestation by adult ticks may be a supplementary influence driving the use of space by eland.

Background: Indoor air pollution due to the burning of biomass fuels has been associated with acute respiratory infections amongst children less than five years old in developing countries. Very little is known about the relationship between child indoor pollution exposure and time spent near indoor fires. Aim: To describe the relationship between the amount of time that children spend close to indoor fires and carbon monoxide exposure. Methods: Cross-sectional study based in rural North-West of South Africa. Secondary analysis of caregivers’ estimates of their children’s time-activity budgets and children’s exposure to carbon monoxide (N=100). Results: The time spent by children near indoor fires is non-significantly related to their CO exposure (regression coefficient -0.030 to -0.036) after adjusting for explanatory variables. Conclusion: It is important to be cautious about encouraging caregivers to keep children away from indoor fires at the expense of other established intervention strategies.

Student Number : 0318613G - MSc research report - School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Studies - Faculty of Science / This report presents an analysis of health-care waste management in selected hospitals in the Central District Municipality of the North West Province, with a view of making recommendations that will ensure environmentally sound and sustainable health-care waste management in the study area. In contributing to the promotion of sustainable management of health-care waste (HCW), the study aimed to minimize waste generation and environmental impact of waste treatment and disposal, to enhance public health and safety, and to provide a safer working environment around hospitals. An assessment was carried out which involved a review of relevant literature, site visits, and interviews with key stakeholders in health-care waste management in the study area, to generate data and information on health-care waste management trends and issues. The major findings of the study include identified gaps in terms of the policy and legislative framework for the actual management of HCW, and issues relating to the mishandling of health-care waste, poor segregation, inappropriate storage rooms, and insufficient training on health-care waste management. Sustainable health-care waste management measures are proposed to improve the current situation at the health-care facilities in the Central District Municipality of the North West Province.

The majority of the people living with HIV in the North West Province are part of households living in an unfavourable economic situation (Kotze, Roux & Wessels 2001 :83). The AlDS pandemic has intensified their poverty situation even more, which is emphasized by Nattrass (2004:150) in the following statement: 'The AlDS pandemic is both a cause and effect of poverty.' Adding to this, the majority of the poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the Potchefstroom district do not feel supported after having been diagnosed HIV positive (Pienaar, 200455-58). Once there is a clearer understanding of how South Africans experience living with HIV. counsellors, nurses and other health care workers will be better equipped to meet the needs of these people (Coetzee & Spangenberg 2003:216). Therefore, guidelines that can serve as useful tools for professional nurses and other health care workers, including volunteers, who are working with poverty-stricken people living with HIV, were developed in this study in order to address the gap in the support during the HIV infection. The objective of this research was to explore the experience and to identify the support needs of poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the informal settlements in the Potchefstroom district and to formulate guidelines for effective support for poverty-stricken people living with HIV. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used which enabled the researcher to understand the way in which poverty-stricken people experience living with HIV and to identify their support needs. In-depth interviews, consisting of 24 one-to-one interviews and one focus group were conducted to obtain the data. The population studied in this research consisted of the poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the informal settlements in the Potchefstroom district in the North West Province, South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select participants with the assistance of mediators who are working for the Non Governmental Organisations dealing with HIV and AlDS in the Potchefstroom district. The sample size was determined by data saturation, which was reached after 25 interviews. Data analysis was carried out simultaneously with data collection. In consensus discussions, the researcher and the co-coder reached consensus on the main and sub themes. From the research findings, six main themes were identified. The first two main themes are the facilitative and impeding experiences of poverty-stricken people living with HIV. The remaining four main themes include the needs of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, namely; basic needs, psycho-social needs, cultural-spiritual needs and self-actualisation needs. It could be concluded that the experience of poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the Potchefstroom district is closely related to their support needs. In order to address these needs holistically and to enhance the quality of life of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, the needs should firstly be addressed individually and according to culture. Following that, the collective needs can be addressed by a support system addressing basic, psychosocial, cultural-spiritual and selfactualisation needs for which an experiences and needs framework and guidelines were formulated. / Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

There is no doubt that the assessment of social impacts is as important, in some cases even more important, than the assessment of biophysical and economic impacts of development projects. Nonetheless, social impact assessment (SIA) has remained an "orphan" in the broader environmental impact assessment (EIA) context, both internationally and in South Africa, and is often neglected or treated as a less important aspect of an EIA. It was the aim of this study to measure perceptions of relative neglect of SIA in South Africa against the theory and practice of SIA as reflected in the literature. The basic hypothesis was that, whereas the theory and practice of SIA has reached a sophisticated level in the developed world, the practice of SIA in South Africa is not yet on a sound footing and that it does not receive the professional attention it deserves in a country beset by enormous social challenges. Thus the research problem was whether SIA is practiced at a satisfactory level of proficiency in South Africa. Social aspects of impact assessment in the North West Province of South Africa were investigated, with the aim to identify shortcomings and their possible causes and to make recommendations for improvement. The article format was used, and the main section of the study comprises two articles. The first article, a theoretical perspective based on a literature study, is a critical evaluation of SIA as part of the EIA process in South Africa against the background of international guidelines and best practices. The article includes sections on the historical background of the development of SIA in South Africa, the legal status and requirements of SIA in the country, and a critical evaluation of SIA regulation in South Africa. It was found that the persistent problems of SIA practice, experienced in other parts of the world, are also evident in South Africa. Apart from institutional, financial and professional constraints, there are also serious problems associated with approach and methods. The second article is an evaluation of and recommendations for the improvement of the practice of SIA in the North West Province. An empirical study of 26 EIAs, performed in the province between 1999 and 2002, was done. It was established that in terms of social baseline data, the identification of significant social impacts, specialist studies, public participation, recommended mitigation measures, and the attention paid to social impacts in records of decision (RODS) SIA practice in the North West Province is far from satisfactory. Apathy towards social impacts is associated with a general lack of SIA expertise. The following recommendations are made in the study to improve the level of SIA practice: a system of mandatory registration of SIA practitioners should be introduced; specialized SIA training programmes for SIA practitioners and officials should be developed and accredited; SIA specialists should be used to assess significant social impacts identified in EIAs; a policy framework and code of ethics for SIA practice should be developed; methodological guidelines for SIA should be supplied in or as a supplement to the new EIA guidelines; and the public participation process should be redesigned. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Service delivery in all aspects of life is a major problem facing the local, provincial and national governments in South Africa. Service delivery, in particular recreation as a field intending to better the total quality of life of the people seems not to receive the attention it deserves. From the comprehensive reviewed literature it was revealed that participation in recreation has numerous benefits such as improving personal health, a key determinant to health status. Recreation is a key to balanced human development (in terms of providing life skills such as motor skills, social skills, arts and craft skills). Recreation is essential to quality of life and a sense of place. Recreation reduces self-destructive and anti-social behaviour (antidote to smoking, substance abuse, suicide and depression). Recreation builds strong individuals, families and healthy communities. It reduces health care costs, social services and police and justice costs. Recreation and parks are significant economic generators in the community. Parks and open spaces and natural areas are essential to ecological survival. The aim of the study therefore, was to investigate recreation service delivery by local governments in the North West Province. The study utilised a mixture of two research methods. A combination of two research approaches (qualitative and quantitative methods) was used to collect data in all twenty identified Local Governments within North West Province. The target groups of this study were recruited from the four districts (Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Dr Ruth Mompati, Dr Modiri Molema, and Bojanala districts) consisting of twenty local governments according to the demarcation of the North West Province. The participants within these areas were personnel who are responsible for managing recreation at local government level in the North West Province. Given the nature of this study (quantitative and qualitative methods), the participants comprised of two groups. Group one consisted of twenty personnel from local governments who were requested to complete the quantitative questionnaire. Group 2 was identified during collection of quantitative data to form a focus group consisting of five people. Both the quantitative and focus group findings lent the study an opportunity to recruit recreation specialists and to gather their views regarding recreation service delivery in the local governments. The results of the study from the questionnaires, the focus group and recreation specialists show that there is a lack of strategies regarding recreation provision at the local government level. The results further indicated that human resources working in recreation do not have formal or practical experience in the provision of comprehensive recreation services. In addition, the result of the study indicated differences concerning policy aspects on financing, provision of recreation programmes, coordination, planning and implementation of recreation programmes in the local community, the lease of recreation facilities, the guidelines for the appointment of administrative/supportive services and the use of volunteers. In addition budgets for recreation in local governments are limited and this results in little or no financial aid to recreation bodies, lack of full-time personnel, and absence of volunteers. Local governments also have limited programmes for various target groups such as the youth, and the elderly. It is clear from the results that suitably qualified human resources, lack of recreation facilities, insufficient funding, nonexistent recreation policies and ineffective recreation programmes were major factors affecting recreation service delivery in the local governments in the North West Province. From these findings the present study recommends that: human resources must be provided with proper training such as in-service training or part-time studies available at tertiary institutions; provision of recreation facilities and funding, development of recreation policies as well as development of effective recreation programmes which must be accessible to all the people. An interesting conclusion from the results is that participants as well as the recreation specialists alluded to the lack of coordination and networking among stakeholders as another factor hampering recreation service delivery. As such, the present study recommends that there should be well-established coordination and networking as well as partnership among stakeholders (i.e. Provincial Recreation Council (PROREC), so as to enable speedy delivery of recreation service in local governments. In addition, it can be recommended that for recreation service delivery to happen, local, provincial and national governments should do a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) analysis as a means to enable them to have a roadmap to ensure that recreation is more effective. The results of the study warrant further investigations pertaining recreation service delivery either to confirm or refute them. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Recreation Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Service delivery in all aspects of life is a major problem facing the local, provincial and national governments in South Africa. Service delivery, in particular recreation as a field intending to better the total quality of life of the people seems not to receive the attention it deserves. From the comprehensive reviewed literature it was revealed that participation in recreation has numerous benefits such as improving personal health, a key determinant to health status. Recreation is a key to balanced human development (in terms of providing life skills such as motor skills, social skills, arts and craft skills). Recreation is essential to quality of life and a sense of place. Recreation reduces self-destructive and anti-social behaviour (antidote to smoking, substance abuse, suicide and depression). Recreation builds strong individuals, families and healthy communities. It reduces health care costs, social services and police and justice costs. Recreation and parks are significant economic generators in the community. Parks and open spaces and natural areas are essential to ecological survival. The aim of the study therefore, was to investigate recreation service delivery by local governments in the North West Province. The study utilised a mixture of two research methods. A combination of two research approaches (qualitative and quantitative methods) was used to collect data in all twenty identified Local Governments within North West Province. The target groups of this study were recruited from the four districts (Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Dr Ruth Mompati, Dr Modiri Molema, and Bojanala districts) consisting of twenty local governments according to the demarcation of the North West Province. The participants within these areas were personnel who are responsible for managing recreation at local government level in the North West Province. Given the nature of this study (quantitative and qualitative methods), the participants comprised of two groups. Group one consisted of twenty personnel from local governments who were requested to complete the quantitative questionnaire. Group 2 was identified during collection of quantitative data to form a focus group consisting of five people. Both the quantitative and focus group findings lent the study an opportunity to recruit recreation specialists and to gather their views regarding recreation service delivery in the local governments. The results of the study from the questionnaires, the focus group and recreation specialists show that there is a lack of strategies regarding recreation provision at the local government level. The results further indicated that human resources working in recreation do not have formal or practical experience in the provision of comprehensive recreation services. In addition, the result of the study indicated differences concerning policy aspects on financing, provision of recreation programmes, coordination, planning and implementation of recreation programmes in the local community, the lease of recreation facilities, the guidelines for the appointment of administrative/supportive services and the use of volunteers. In addition budgets for recreation in local governments are limited and this results in little or no financial aid to recreation bodies, lack of full-time personnel, and absence of volunteers. Local governments also have limited programmes for various target groups such as the youth, and the elderly. It is clear from the results that suitably qualified human resources, lack of recreation facilities, insufficient funding, nonexistent recreation policies and ineffective recreation programmes were major factors affecting recreation service delivery in the local governments in the North West Province. From these findings the present study recommends that: human resources must be provided with proper training such as in-service training or part-time studies available at tertiary institutions; provision of recreation facilities and funding, development of recreation policies as well as development of effective recreation programmes which must be accessible to all the people. An interesting conclusion from the results is that participants as well as the recreation specialists alluded to the lack of coordination and networking among stakeholders as another factor hampering recreation service delivery. As such, the present study recommends that there should be well-established coordination and networking as well as partnership among stakeholders (i.e. Provincial Recreation Council (PROREC), so as to enable speedy delivery of recreation service in local governments. In addition, it can be recommended that for recreation service delivery to happen, local, provincial and national governments should do a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) analysis as a means to enable them to have a roadmap to ensure that recreation is more effective. The results of the study warrant further investigations pertaining recreation service delivery either to confirm or refute them. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Recreation Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

The majority of the people living with HIV in the North West Province are part of households living in an unfavourable economic situation (Kotze, Roux & Wessels 2001 :83). The AlDS pandemic has intensified their poverty situation even more, which is emphasized by Nattrass (2004:150) in the following statement: 'The AlDS pandemic is both a cause and effect of poverty.' Adding to this, the majority of the poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the Potchefstroom district do not feel supported after having been diagnosed HIV positive (Pienaar, 200455-58). Once there is a clearer understanding of how South Africans experience living with HIV. counsellors, nurses and other health care workers will be better equipped to meet the needs of these people (Coetzee & Spangenberg 2003:216). Therefore, guidelines that can serve as useful tools for professional nurses and other health care workers, including volunteers, who are working with poverty-stricken people living with HIV, were developed in this study in order to address the gap in the support during the HIV infection. The objective of this research was to explore the experience and to identify the support needs of poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the informal settlements in the Potchefstroom district and to formulate guidelines for effective support for poverty-stricken people living with HIV. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used which enabled the researcher to understand the way in which poverty-stricken people experience living with HIV and to identify their support needs. In-depth interviews, consisting of 24 one-to-one interviews and one focus group were conducted to obtain the data. The population studied in this research consisted of the poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the informal settlements in the Potchefstroom district in the North West Province, South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select participants with the assistance of mediators who are working for the Non Governmental Organisations dealing with HIV and AlDS in the Potchefstroom district. The sample size was determined by data saturation, which was reached after 25 interviews. Data analysis was carried out simultaneously with data collection. In consensus discussions, the researcher and the co-coder reached consensus on the main and sub themes. From the research findings, six main themes were identified. The first two main themes are the facilitative and impeding experiences of poverty-stricken people living with HIV. The remaining four main themes include the needs of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, namely; basic needs, psycho-social needs, cultural-spiritual needs and self-actualisation needs. It could be concluded that the experience of poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the Potchefstroom district is closely related to their support needs. In order to address these needs holistically and to enhance the quality of life of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, the needs should firstly be addressed individually and according to culture. Following that, the collective needs can be addressed by a support system addressing basic, psychosocial, cultural-spiritual and selfactualisation needs for which an experiences and needs framework and guidelines were formulated. / Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.