Thesis (M.Comm.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009. / This dissertation examines the challenges of poverty alleviation in Malawi, with particular reference to the period 1995 to 2005. Malawi is a small landlocked country, considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Some of the major indicators of poverty in Malawi are inequality in income distribution, attainability of basic needs and low levels of development. The Integrated Household Survey (IHS) of 2004/5 revealed that 52.4 percent of the Malawian population was living below the poverty line in 2005 (National Statistics Office (NSO), 2005: 139). Poverty reduction strategies in Malawi have had a slight impact on reducing the level of poverty. Nevertheless, the government of Malawi remains committed to the implementation of redistributive measures and economic reforms in its quest for economic growth, poverty reduction and enhanced employment opportunities in the country (Malawi Government, 2006:1). This study uses an econometric analysis to examine the effects of government spending on socioeconomic services, foreign aid and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth on the levels of poverty in Malawi, using data for period 1995-2005. The regression results indicate that in GDP growth and government expenditure on socioeconomic services, particularly on education, have a significant impact on reducing poverty levels in Malawi. To address poverty, Malawi should thus pursue an economic growth enhancing strategy, with expansion of human capabilities that also facilitates fiscal redistribution. The regression results show that if GDP growth is increased by 1 percent on average, this would decrease the headcount poverty by 0.237 percent, ceteris paribus. The model also shows that, on average, a K1 million increase in government expenditure on education will decrease the headcount poverty by 0.1 percent, ceteris paribus. The regression results therefore indicate that GDP growth and government expenditure on education will have to increase in order for poverty levels in Malawi to decrease in the long run. The results of a similar comparative regression analysis for Botswana further confirm the consistency that education is a significant factor in reducing poverty.

This thesis is the result of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Phalombe District in Malawi, Southern Africa, where I studied agricultural development projects in the village of Kachala. The focus of this investigation is on people's perceptions and ideas of development co-operation and the meanings of development and poverty in general. Perceptions of development and poverty among villagers in Kachala are compared to those of development agents working for development organizations in the area. These perceptions are also compared to the definitions of development and poverty found throughout development literature. This research demonstrates - through examples from Phalombe District and elsewhere - how notions of development are relative, diverse and context-specific, and therefore not static and universally applicable. Finally, participatory development ideals and the structurally unequal donor-recipient relationships, at the core of the current development system, are discussed. This thesis illustrates how the common portrayal of development as an oppressive, disempowering industry, characterized by top-down interventions, does not always apply.

Over the past two decades, various development approaches and strategies have been devised by policymakers, international development agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and others aiming at poverty reduction in developing countries. Microfinance is a strategy that has become a hot development topic and increasingly popular since the early 1990s. A considerable amount of multi- and bilateral aid has been channeled into microfinance programs in the Third World with varying degrees of success. Microfinance involves providing financial services in the form of savings and credit opportunities to the working poor (Johnson & Rogaly, 1997). The impression left by many of the defenders of this ‘faith’ is that here lies a magic bullet that can help to raise the living standards of the poor and help them climb out of poverty. However, the real world is not so simple and information is scarce and limited to confirm the poverty reduction benefits accrued by microfinance interventions. To this effect, it may be argued that overselling the benefits of microfinance runs the risk of misunderstanding what realistically can be expected from microfinance. This can lead to disillusionment when microfinance fails to live up to its expectations. However, like all development interventions, donors, governments, and other interested parties demand evaluations and impact assessment studies to ascertain the achievements and failures of microfinance programs. This research paper focused on the assessment of microfinance efficacy on poverty reduction. The study employs indicator-based method of evaluation and draws on a new cross-sectional survey of nearly 610 households, some of which are served by microfinance institution. The results unraveled microfinance efficacy on poverty reduction and offer another set of risk management and coping options in times of shocks and disasters. Households that have access to the MFI programs had increased consumption and durable assets than the control group of non clients. The study concludes that microfinance makes a meaningful contribution to poverty reduction, significant improvements in livelihood and enables the participants to escape poverty. Therefore, MFI client households are relatively better off than non clients in as far as poverty levels are concerned.

No description available.

<p>This research was aimed at assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of community based targeting and self-targeting methods in the selection of beneficiaries in Safety nets programmes in Malawi. These methods have been chosen because they have been largely used for selecting beneficiaries in Safety net programmes. The focus was on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of these methods where effectiveness refers to the ability of the methodology to reach out to the poorest while efficiency is a measure of the costs that are associated with the identification of these people. In order to objectively assessed the challenges associated with these methods, the study concentrated on Public Works Programmes, which targets relatively high number of people compared to the other programmes and have used both methods for identifying beneficiaries.</p>

<p>This research was aimed at assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of community based targeting and self-targeting methods in the selection of beneficiaries in Safety nets programmes in Malawi. These methods have been chosen because they have been largely used for selecting beneficiaries in Safety net programmes. The focus was on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of these methods where effectiveness refers to the ability of the methodology to reach out to the poorest while efficiency is a measure of the costs that are associated with the identification of these people. In order to objectively assessed the challenges associated with these methods, the study concentrated on Public Works Programmes, which targets relatively high number of people compared to the other programmes and have used both methods for identifying beneficiaries.</p>

Even though agriculture is the backbone of Malawi‟s economy, food insecurity has remained a continuous threat among the poor. Until the 1980s, Malawi had been achieving national food security through an extensive system of agricultural inputs and marketing subsidies. However, these subsidies were removed and at the same time, the agricultural credit system collapsed. Consequently, agricultural productivity in Malawi remained low, poverty remained pervasive and food insecurity remains a main constraint to national and household food security. Therefore, the success of the agricultural sector in Malawi is very critical for raising the living standards and for food self-sufficiency. In this vein, the study hypothesized that Malawi can only achieve sustainable agricultural development if its agricultural policies are focused towards intensifying agricultural productivity through active participation of smallholder farmers. The major aim of the study was to contribute towards an improved understanding of how the issues of sustainable agricultural development have been addressed in Malawi and how they have influenced the lives of smallholder farmers. The analysis of the results revealed that even though what was implemented in the 1970s to early 1980s was financially unsustainable, but it provided some solutions to the fundamental challenges of smallholder development in Malawi. However, the liberalisations eroded whatever economic benefits achieved then. Never the less, the re-introduction of the agricultural input subsidies restored back the means of production leading to significant transformation of the country from a net importer to a net food exporter. On the other hand, although the agricultural input subsidy programme is being commended for having helped in achieving food security, the study revealed that the programme requires complementary services of credit, extension, research and market to support it. This will provide an exit strategy, which can enable the producers to sell their produce at higher prices sufficient enough for them to afford agricultural inputs without subsidies.

Magister Artium - MA / This research was aimed at assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of community based targeting and self-targeting methods in the selection of beneficiaries in Safety nets programmes in Malawi. These methods have been chosen because they have been largely used for selecting beneficiaries in Safety net programmes. The focus was on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of these methods where effectiveness refers to the ability of the methodology to reach out to the poorest while efficiency is a measure of the costs that are associated with the identification of these people. In order to objectively assessed the challenges associated with these methods, the study concentrated on Public Works Programmes, which targets relatively high number of people compared to the other programmes and have used both methods for identifying beneficiaries. / South Africa

It is a duty of every person of good will in any given community and society to promote freedom and development that enhances the potential of rural women and women in general. One can only achieve this important task by firstly acknowledging that women are persons fully created in the image of God and that they are part and parcel of God's creation in all what is needed for human beings to value and appreciate healthy livelihood in the world. Once this duty is achieved, we will fully conclude that human beings need each other in all social and economic development that helps to promote the potential that every individual has in order to build sustainable livelihoods in a community. This is a big task. This task could be facilitated if local resources, individual capacities, gifts, skills, talents and dedicated people are available in the community. This study has pursued the sustainable livelihoods of the rural women especially those in Katete aiming at enhancing their potential. The major problem that this study has focused is that the society and church in Katete is patriarchal and has failed to give freedom to women so that they could utilize their capacities to participate in social and economic development that would accord them healthy and sustainable livelihoods. The methodology used in order to achieve these goals out of the women of Katete Catholic Parish was through dialogue between the researcher and the women. Through theological reflections, we discovered that the women of Katete have the potential to contribute into the general livelihoods of the people of the area and the women in general. From what the study gave us, we can freely say that women have natural gifts imparted on them by God. The gifts that the women have can change the church and the society's attitude bounded by patriarchal biases against women, which perceives them as second-class citizens in participating fully in developmental agendas of the society. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The study assesses effectiveness of CDGs on poverty reduction among individual members. This is based on the concept of sustainable development with context, structures and strategies as factors affecting poverty reduction. Quantitative and qualitative research designs were used. These involved 120 participants, 5 FGDs and 5KIIs. Participants were purposively and randomly sampled. Results reveal CDGs as a potential strategy in effective community development benefiting group members for poverty reduction. Such benefits include; social, economic, physical, human or environmental. However, group composition and processes pose challenges for benefits to trickle down to some members. Structural arrangement requiring leaders and other influential people like educated members to be in the forefront of interventions has proved challenging to the approach. This happens when self interests are at play leading to deprivations of some members to access benefits. Monitoring membership diversity focusing on group composition and operations is recommended for groups to effectively reduce poverty. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)