The purpose of this study is to conduct an assessment of the role of civil society organizations with regards to poverty alleviation. The study is conducted in Amathole District, Eastern Cape Province. The sample for the study is constituted by 3 civic society organizations (CSO), which are located in 3 local municipalities; namely, Amahlathi (Ikhwezi Women Support Center), Mbhashe (Nyhwara Home Base), and Mnquma (We Care Ministries) Local Municipalities. In terms of the data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 officers from these civic society organizations. Concerning the research design, a combination of a qualitative and quantitative research approach was used. Concerning the findings of the study, the following points were noted: the different forms of interventions by civic society organizations, poverty eradication strategies, challenges that were experienced by civic society organizations, and the logical framework versus unexpected changes. It is probably safe to make mention that CSOs in the Eastern Cape portray a positive attitude and willingness to learn to manage the organizations better. The continuing support from the Department of Social Development will go a long way to assist the CSOs to become sustainable, in the context of management and efficient running of these organizations. The study thus concluded that specific benefactor-beneficiary dynamics are crucial for the success of any anti-poverty intervention. A greater need for the robust pro-poor social policy, availability of resources with which to translate it into action, and local entrepreneurial potential do not in themselves bring about success; they must operate in a certain way and be supported by certain principles and commitment for them to become powerful proper vehicle for alleviating poverty.

The objective of the research was to assess the trends and forms of community participation to poverty alleviation in Bahir Dar town. The field study was limited to two projects, micro and small scale enterprise activities and credit service, however the finding and recommendation can be applied to all projects aimed to poverty alleviation and community self sustaining projects. In order to achieve the research objectives, a review of relevant literature was done. It began by reviewing definitions and concepts of poverty. The literature also over reviewed the importance of community participation to poverty alleviation efforts of a country and reviews the Ethiopian poverty reduction process. The literature further highlighted the role of community participation in achieving development goals. The data collection was done by means of focus group discussions complimented by face-to-face interviews. The data collected were analyzed thematically with the use of narrative summary and categorization in respect to the objective of the study. The findings of the study showed that there is low participation of community and therefore creating more opportunities for community participation activity and detailed study in the area is recommended.

Millions of people in the world and especially in Africa are yet to be delivered from the scourge of poverty. „Over three billion people in the world live on less than $2.50 per day and more than 80% of the world‟s population are living in countries where income differentials are widening. About 1.1 billion people in developing countries lack access to clean water, one out of every three urban dwellers in the cities of developing countries are living in slum conditions and about 790 million people in the world are chronically undernourished‟. These statistics reveal the extent to which millions of people cannot access the very basic services needed for survival due to poverty. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / nf2012 / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Inadequate resources have always been suspected to be the main cause of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in many developing countries. Water is one such resource that is not readily available to many in South Africa. South Africa is a water-scarce country; access to adequate water provisions requires expensive infrastructure which can only be provided by the Government for most of the population. It is not certain whether there is a direct link between access to water and development or poverty alleviation. This study evaluated the impact that state water provision has on development especially in rural communities. The study concluded that there is indeed potential for community development where there is improved access to water. Findings further revealed the nature of several other variables that have significant roles in the relationship between access to government provided water and development. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Good health is a major imperative for social, economic and personal development, thus an important dimension of quality of life. Quality of life, in turn, is significantly influenced by access to the goods and services provided by the State. Access to infrastructure and services such as water and sanitation, has direct effects on health. Thus, the delivery of health, water and sanitation services should ensure improved access to basic needs, enhance the health profile of poor communities and their access to employment opportunities. Safe clean water supplies and adequate sanitation services therefore are among the major determinants of health. Health-related services such as water and sanitation should ensure a certain average life expectancy and eliminate mass disease and ill health. Mindful of the fact that there are many factors that determine the quality of life, the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of health, water and sanitation services in improving the quality of life among poor communities. To do this, this study adopted a comparative qualitative analysis approach between poorly serviced and adequately serviced areas. Subsequent to the findings, this study espouses constructive suggestions and recommendations that could act as guidance to community development agencies' strategies in amelioration of the quality of life among poverty-stricken communities. The research was based on a narrow model of services (health, water and sanitation services) that have impact on improving the quality of life among poor communities. The empirical findings of this study indicate these services to be insufficient to draw conclusive findings in other aspects of the survey. The research was conducted in a sample of 573 households in 6 communities in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces in South Africa. The sample comprised 3 communities in the category classified as poorly serviced with health, water and sanitation services, and 3 communities that were regarded as adequately provided with these services. The data was gathered by means of structured questionnaires, administered by the researcher with the assistance of a trained field worker. Additional, the data was gathered by means of a semi-structured, open-ended interview with a Sister-in-Charge of a clinic in the rural villages. The interaction between variables on the improvement of the quality of life were explored by means of basic statistics, which made it possible to assess the effects of independent and dependent variables. The results of data analysis provided support for the proposition contained in the premise of the study that although the provision of health, safe clean water and adequate sanitation services lead to improvement in the standard of living, their impact alone does not incorporate all the attributes that enhance quality of life as suggested by mainstream schools of thought in the health sector. Poverty-related factors also have to be taken into account. As such, the findings of this study have shown that poverty, combined with poor public health conditions, inadequate nutrition, overcrowded poor quality housing, lack of accessible drinking water and sanitation, renders communities vulnerable to ill health. Given the poor socio-economic conditions prevalent in the communities under investigation, it was not surprising that tuberculosis was most prevalent in all areas. In line with the premise of this study, there were instances that povertyrelated factors such as income, housing and nutrition had significant influences with regard to improvement in the quality of life. It became evident therefore that in certain instances, health, water, and sanitation services alone are not sufficient to make conclusive findings. Thus, the impact of povertyrelated factors such as income, housing and nutrition necessitate expansion of factors that impact on the quality of life to include their influence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Goeie gesondheid is 'n belangrike vereiste vir sosiale, ekonomiese en persoonlike ontwikkeling, en dus ook 'n wesenlike aspek van 'n goeie lewensgehalte. Toegang tot goedere en dienste wat deur die staat voorsien word, het ook 'n beduidende invloed op lewensgehalte. Boonop het die toegang tot infrastruktuur en dienste soos water en sanitasie 'n direkte invloed op gesondheid. Die lewering van gesondheids, water- en sanitasiedienste verseker dus die bevrediging van basiese behoeftes, onderwyl arm gemeenskappe se gesondheidsprofiel en daarmee saam hul toegang tot werksgeleenthede verbeter word. Toegang tot veilige en skoon waterbronne en voldoende sanitasiedienste is gevolglik van die belangrikste gesondheidsbepalers. Gesondheidsverwante dienste soos water en sanitasie verseker 'n sekere gemiddelde lewensverwagting, en verminder die moontlikheid van wydverspreide siektetoestande. Met inagneming van die feit dat lewensgehalte deur talle faktore beïnvloed kan word, was die doel van hierdie studie om ondersoek in te stel na die invloed van gesondheids, water- en sanitasiedienste op die verbetering van lewensgehalte in arm gemeenskappe. Gevolglik is 'n vergelykende analise tussen areas met swak dienslewering en areas met bevredigende dienslewering uitgevoer. Op grond van die bevindinge word sekere voorstelle en aanbevelings gemaak wat kan dien as riglyne vir ontwikkelingsagentskappe ter bevordering van die lewensgehalte in arm gemeenskappe. Die navorsing was gegrond op 'n beperkte model van dienste (gesondheids, water- en sanitasiedienste) wat die verbetering van lewensgehalte in arm gemeenskappe beïnvloed. Die empiriese bevindinge van die studie toon aan dat hierdie dienste onvoldoende is om as basis te dien vir beslissende uitsprake oor ander aspekte van die opname. Die studie het 'n steekproef van 573 huishoudings in 6 gemeenskappe in die provinsies van die Oos-Kaap en Wes-Kaap in Suid-Afrika ingesluit. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 3 gemeenskappe met swak gesondheids, water en sanitasiedienste, en 3 gemeenskappe waar sulke dienste op 'n bevredigende vlak voorsien word. 'n Gestruktureerde vraelys is gebruik om die navorsingsinligting in te samel, wat deur die navorser en 'n opgeleide veldwerker toegedien is. Bykomende inligting is bekom deur 'n semigestruktureerde onderhoud met die verpleeghoof van 'n kliniek in 'n landelike gemeenskap. Die invloed van die verskillende veranderlikes op lewensgehalte is deur middel van basiese statistiese analise geëvalueer. Die resultate van die data-analise verleen 'n mate van steun vir die premis van die studie dat hoewel die voorsiening van gesondheid, veilige, skoon water en voldoende sanitasie tot 'n beter lewenstandaard kan lei, die uitwerking daarvan as sodanig nie alle vereistes insluit vir 'n beter lewenstaard nie, soos voorgestaan deur hoofstroom denkskole in die gesondheidsektor. Faktore wat met armoede verband hou moet ook in ag geneem word. Die studie se bevindinge dui dus daarop dat armoede, tesame met swak openbare gesondheidstoestande, onvoldoende voeding, gebrekkige behuising en swak water- en sanitasiegeriewe gemeenskappe meer kwesbaar maak. Weens die swak sosio-ekonomiese toestande in die gemeenskappe in die steekproef, is gevind dat tuberkulose wydverspreid voorkom. Alhoewel die studie se hipotese met betrekking tot verskeie aspekte bevestig is, was daar ook gevalle waar armoede-verwante faktore soos inkomste, behuising en voeding 'n beduidende rol gespeel het. Dit het dus geblyk dat gesondheids, water- en sanitasiedienste nie in alle gevalle voldoende is om swak lewensgehalte te verklaar nie. Dus sal die faktore wat op lewens kwaliteit 'n impak maak, uitgebrei moet word om vir die invloed van armoede-verwante faktore soos inkomste, behuising en voeding voorsiening te maak.

Abstract not available

The early industrialization and subsequent emergence of migrant labor system in South Africa disrupted conventional economic methods and social cohesion of society, particularly in the former rural homeland areas. Insufficient economic resources in villages pushed people to search for work in the urban areas. On the other hand, abundance of employment opportunities in the urban areas pulled people to venture into the cities. Apartheid control of out-migration from the rural areas added to this complexity. The system encouraged male migrants and placed restrictions on the migration of women to towns (Banks 2001:18). These conditions led to a host of social and economic problems that perpetuated poverty in rural areas. The coming to power of the African National Congress in 1994 has not significantly changed !hese dynamics. Two major problems emerged III rural areas. Traditional agriculture and livestock productions were replaced by heavy dependence of rural households on migrant remittances, which were often unreliable. Secondly, the migration of men forced rural women to develop their own strategies for income earning in order to support their families. In facing the challenges many women organized themselves into groups and made use of the available resources to establish income-generating projects (lGPs). Income generating projects are initiatives to generate income and employment in order to deal with the scourge of poverty. However, the projects are often too small to generate any meaningful income, particularly when viewed in relation to the time and effort invested on them. According to Muchena (1987:44), the projects are often within the realms ofwomen's traditional roles of sewing, knitting and baking. This study focuses on these projects. While IGPs sprung up as ways to alleviate poverty, there are questions as to their effectiveness. Mayoux (1989:1) states that, IGPs have not been economically viable, they have had serious problems and they have not achieved their aims. Despite this, women have continued to initiate and engage in such projects. Furthermore, men have also participated though to a lesser extent. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)Architecture-University of Natal, 2002.

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of co-operative societies on poverty alleviation among the urban poor in Zimbabwe with particular reference to consumer co-operative societies in areas of agriculture, housing and micro- finance. The co-operative sector plays an important role in poverty alleviation since many unemployed people have turned to co-operative activities as a way of earning a lawful and decent living during a period in which Zimbabwe generally suffered immense impoverishment in the midst of the national economic meltdown that was characterised by hyper-inflation, de-industrialisation and mass unemployment. The period of study was as from January 2008 to August 2010. This period is significant in that many co-operative societies were formed with the following broad objectives: (a) economic power and through this power; (b) control of socio-economic institution, to eliminate exploitation of man by man to make the people of Zimbabwe self reliant; (c) skills management, goods and services and establish in themselves a sense of confidence, initiative and high development aspirations; (d) to provide an opportunity to develop the community; and a (e) collective way of living that provides a sound base for socialism and national solidarity ix In this study, two hundred and seventy four respondents were used as research subjects. This consisted of one hundred and sixty respondents from housing, twenty four from micro- finance, and eighty eight from agricultural co-operative societies which covered dairy, poultry and fishing co-operative societies. This also included the Registrar of Co-operatives and the Harare City Council Co-operative officer. The research instruments that were used for the purpose of this research study were questionnaires, field visits, interviews and observations. Use was also made of secondary data that was obtained from the offices of Registrar of Co-operatives and the Town clerk of the Harare City Council as well as from the various co-operative societies that constitute the research study’s sample. The key factors that account for the failure of co-operative societies included the lack of adequate funding, lack of relevant knowledge and experience about co-operative activities, conflict among co-operative society members, failure to follow co-operative principles, mixing politics with co-operative activities and lack of education and training. The study also found out that the key to the success of any co-operative venture includes some of the following factors: Proper application of co-operative principles, the provision of co-operative education to both the membership and management of co-operative societies and proper keeping of institutional records. Most important of which include membership, financial and asset registers. x The study recommends that the government should give adequate administrative and financial support to co-operative societies since they have a potential of alleviating poverty if properly managed. It is also further recommended that research be done in order to enhance the strategic management of co-operative societies since empirical evidence tends to suggest that they are a viable tool for broad –based participatory and democratic sustainable livelihoods development. The study also recommended further studies to be carried out on the applicability of cooperative principles in all environments since some co-operative societies that have followed these principles especially in the developed countries have proved to be suitable instruments for poverty alleviation.

Inadequate resources have always been suspected to be the main cause of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in many developing countries. Water is one such resource that is not readily available to many in South Africa. South Africa is a water-scarce country; access to adequate water provisions requires expensive infrastructure which can only be provided by the Government for most of the population. It is not certain whether there is a direct link between access to water and development or poverty alleviation. This study evaluated the impact that state water provision has on development especially in rural communities. The study concluded that there is indeed potential for community development where there is improved access to water. Findings further revealed the nature of several other variables that have significant roles in the relationship between access to government provided water and development. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / In South Africa, an estimated 15 million people - 38% of our population - do not have adequate sanitation. Every citizen has a constitutional right of access to basic services, which local government has the responsibility to provide. In reality such provision to people living in poverty is a daunting development challenge, exacerbated by growing unemployment and the spread of unplanned informal settlements. On the other hand, increased government investment in accelerating provision is a significant opportunity to link sanitation delivery to local economic development, as suggested in the recently revised Water Services Strategy document (DWAF, 2003). There is evidence that these two aspects of national policy can be brought together fruitfully. Community involvement, described as "a commitment to building on people's energy and creativity" (WSSCC, 2001) is consistently advocated by international, national and local government (DPLG, 2001) as essential to sanitation provision. There is broad agreement that a community-based approach is the cornerstone of sustainable service provision. This research focused on the context of urban poverty in informal settlements, taking community responses to sanitation delivery by local authorities into account. Prevailing approaches have had limited success in preventing health hazards, which relies on community-level actions to deal with poor use, inadequate maintenance and dysfunction of such sanitation services as are provided. Implicit in the principles underlying the involvement of communities are substantial community-based roles and functions that the research seeks to make explicit. Diverse local level capacities emerge as quite distinct opportunities for residents to become more actively involved in improving and sustaining their sanitation services.