Magister Scientiae - MSc / Market information and established communication between seller and buyer play an important role in business activities. This thesis investigates the Transkei area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa to find out how to empower rural farmers by providing them with less-expensive mobile technology enabling them to post and advertise their produce, access market information on a common database, and find and communicate with potential customers. The farmers’ requirements were identified using quantitative and qualitative methods and a prototype consisting of USSD and web applications was developed. It allows the farmer to follow a sequence of menu commands to send a request to the database and access market information, such as commodity prices, and post information about their own produce so as to attract more customers. The low cost of USSD and the ubiquity of mobile phones enable the system to be usable, affordable and effective. During the final stage of development, the system was tested successfully and addressed a major problem faced by farmers, i.e. lack of access to market information. / South Africa

The topic of the master’s thesis is an alteration of horizontal and vertical alignment of the road II/497. Designed section of the road is situated between municipality of Uherské Hradiště and municipality of Bílovice. The reasons for this alteration are insufficient parameters of current condition of the road. The proposed alteration includes adjustments of related crossroads and bus stops, which are located in the selected area.

MRDV / Institute for Rural Development

Die Studie untersucht die Sicht der Bevölkerung auf ländliche Lebensbedingungen. Im Auftrag des LfULG befragte das Meinungsforschungsinstitut forsa dazu mehr als 2.000 Personen. Das Spektrum der Fragen reichte von der Bewertung des persönlichen Wohnumfeldes bis hin zur Einschätzung spezieller Umwelt- und Energieaspekte. Im Ergebnis werden aktuelle ländliche Lebensverhältnisse vielfältig, repräsentativ und regional differenziert beschrieben.

Agriculture in Slovakia has historically gone through many stages of development. In the past, it was the main livelihood strategy for rural populations, where it reinforced social bonds and cooperation. Socialistic collectivization and the creation of Common agricultural cooperatives (JRDs) represented a violent transition that did not respect the historical and cultural traditions and their development. They resulted in rural populations losing their connection with the soil and marked the beginning of the deterioration of Slovak agriculture and depopulation of rural areas. JRDs were thus a massive blow for the character of Slovak countryside. Natural and climate conditions had been until that time the main factors shaping the architecture, which was therefore specific to every region. After JRDs’ arrival, outbuildings of family farms were slowly replaced with uniform large-scale structures. With the scale of these buildings not matching the surrounding environment and context, the aesthetic and residential value of rural areas was distorted. After the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia and the incipient restitutions that followed, the intended revival of bonds between people and their soil never materialized. “Cooperatives” became companies struggling for survival in the now open market and farmers remained their employees. The importance of the countryside has risen in terms of its residential value, but severely deteriorated in the economic sense. Traditions surviving with the original rural populations mix with new modern elements of the in-migrating urban populations. A number of these cooperatives have gone bankrupt, with their premises abandoned, neglected and becoming derelict. Others have survived only to see most of their agricultural productivity decline relative to competition, which, too, resulted in many of their buildings being unutilized and neglected. Since these JRDs used to be part of the majority of villages, with 2759 rural settlements in Slovakia, their number is bound to be very high. They have left a deep imprint in the countryside which occupies soil and hinders the villages in their development. Is it therefore necessary for every village to have their own cooperative, if they tend to be either abandoned or utilized only partially? Transformation of this space into an area serving locals, supporting reinforcement of their social bonds and bonds with the village itself. Opening up former cooperatives for the rural populations.

No description available.

Thesis (M. A. (Physiology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is amongst the underlying causes of mortality and morbidity globally. However, lifestyle habits such as frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contributes to its onset. The study was aimed at investigating the association between MetS and SSBs intake among Ellisras rural youth. Additionally, to find the best obesity indices to predict MetS. Methods: The current study included a total of 593 Ellisras rural youth, aged 22 to 30 years (289 males and 304 females). Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure (BP), and biochemical assessment were taken using standards procedures. A validated 24hrs recall questionnaire and food manuals were used to collect SSBs data. Binary logistic regression was applied to determine the association between SSBs intake and MetS components for the adjusted model. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the best single-factor models to predict MetS on commonly selected obesity indices. Results: The SSBs quartile 4 was associated with a high risk of high fasting blood glucose (FBG) for adjusted (OR=2.32; CI=1.15-4.70; p<0.05) and unadjusted (OR=2.34; CI=1.16-4.73; p<0.05) models were a significant linear trend (p for trend=0.049) in males was found. Low risk of reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was associated with the second and fourth SSBs quartiles for unadjusted ((OR=0.40; CI=0.18-0.85; p<0.05; OR=0.37; CI=0.13-0.80; p<0.05) respectively and adjusted model (OR=0.40; CI=0.18-0.85; p<0.05; OR=0.37; CI=0.17-0.80; p<0.05) respectively in females. Moreover, the fourth SSBs quartile was likely to decrease the risk of high triglycerides (TG) for unadjusted (OR=0.12; CI=0.01-0.87; p<0.05) and adjusted (OR=0.10; CI=0.01-0.83; p<0.05) models were the significant linear trend (p= trend 0.006) was observed also in females. There was a significant linear trend association between SSBs quartiles consumption and high TG in males and high waist circumference (WC) in females, but logistic regression analysis didn’t depict any significant association (p>0.05). In males, single model fit built based on WC (comparative fit index (CFI)=1.00; turker lewis index (TLI)=1.05; RMSEA=0.00; akaike information criterion (AIC)=-2680) and waist to height ratio v (WHtR) (RMSEA=0.00, CFI=1.00; AIC=-2662, TLI=1.05;) suggested a better fit index as compared to body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference (NC). Among females, a single model fit built on NC obtained a better fit index (RMSEA=0.05, CFI=0.90, and AIC= -429.21, TLI=0.71). Conclusion: In this study, there was an association between SSBs consumption and some MetS components (high TG, reduced HDL-C, and high FBG). Obesity indices including WHtR, NC, and WC were the best predictors of MetS. Future studies are recommended to further investigate the association of the risk of MetS and the consumption SSBs and the best obesity indices to predict MetS to assist in efforts to help curb MetS and related risk factors in rural areas of South Africa.

Malaria is a major public health problem in under developed countries especially countries undergoing war or conflict due to breakdown of health system and exposure of the vulnerable population through displacement. The knowledge, practice and attitude (KAP) of community members have direct influences on malaria preventive measures. A quantitative, explorative and descriptive study was conducted among rural communities of Mundri East County using interview schedules to ascertain malaria related knowledge, practices and attitude and the common factors hindering the malaria control measures at house hold level. Data were collected from 68 respondents from the randomly selected household through personal interviews using a pre-tested interview schedule which was analysed using the SPSS version 15 computer soft ware program. Most of the respondents demonstrated some understanding of malaria as a disease, its transmission, prevention and treatment, although there is a need to improve this through the preferable and acceptable community channels as well as the methods of accessing the modern and scientifically proved and acceptable methods. Given the relatively moderate acceptability of malaria control measures used by the participants in Mundri East County, there is need to conduct further research on the practical implemented measure including the local herbs used for preventive and treatment of malaria Understanding the factors that inhibits or promotes the malaria control measures at community level is necessary for better planning and implementation of malaria intervention programme, which keeps complex and sensitive matters such as educational background, religious and cultural beliefs, and political affiliations in mind. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:31:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mauricio Muniz dos Reis.pdf: 1760827 bytes, checksum: 4c46bdf29f0ea57a42da34b7d8bcb5b5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research has the objective to capture, describe and interpret mothers speeches in agricultural families living in rural area about education and care of babies. It integrates the Gender, Race and Age Studies Center (NEGRI) of the Post-Graduate Studies Program in Social Psychology at the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), coordinated by Doctored Professor Fulvia Rosemberg. NEGRI has contributed to the construction of a field of study that aims to take out the early childhood, especially the baby, from the invisibility in which it is immersed and contribute to the policy statement of their right to a quality public education. In Brazil, children from 0 to 3 years of age belong to a social time discriminated by Brazilian society in academic and political field. This research discusses the Early Childhood Education in Rural Area, expanding the visibility of the small child and inserting the issue onto the agenda of public education policies, especially nursery. Based on the literature, we used theoretical social studies of childhood that helped the analysis and interpretation departing from conceptions of childhood as a social construction and the child as a social actor and subject of rights, besides the notion of habitus of Pierre Bourdieu, which allows understanding socialization and its influence on individual choices. In the socio-historical context, it is made an analysis of factors contributing to the need for specific childhood education in the rural area, as well as legislation and public policies of childhood. In the methodological field, we use the concept of Depth Hermeneutics (DH) developed by Thompson (2009), which provides guidelines for studies of symbolic forms in general. The method is the content analysis (CA) proposed by Bardin (1977) and Rosenberg (1981). The prospect of NEGRI is to observe how the various social actors understand the day-care as a space for the extra-family education for children of 0 to 3 years of age. Thus, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three mothers of babies or children of 0 to 3 years of age in the rural area of Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais State. These mothers understand the daycare as an appropriate space for education and baby care and see nursery as a place that provides peace of mind to work without the guilt of subjecting children, still small, to a great burden of suffering. The study conclude that, in addition to gender relations, race and age, household situation also maintains relations of social inequality / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo geral captar, descrever e interpretar discursos de mães pertencentes a famílias agrícolas e residentes em área rural sobre a educação e o cuidado do bebê. Ela integra-se ao Núcleo de Estudos de Gênero, Raça e Idade (NEGRI), do Programa de Estudos Pós-Graduados em Psicologia Social da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), coordenado pela Prof.ª-Drª. Fúlvia Rosemberg. O NEGRI vem contribuindo para a construção de um campo de estudos que tem por finalidade tirar a pequena infância, em especial o bebê, da invisibilidade em que se encontra e contribuir para a afirmação política de seu direito à educação pública de qualidade. No Brasil, a criança de 0 a 3 anos pertence a um tempo social discriminado pela sociedade no campo acadêmico e político. Esta pesquisa discute a Educação Infantil em Área Rural, ampliando assim a visibilidade do bebê e da criança pequena e contribuindo para a inserção o tema na agenda de políticas públicas de educação, em especial a creche. Com base na literatura sobre o tema, utilizam-se como aportes teóricos os estudos sociais da infância, que têm auxiliado nas análises e interpretações que partem de concepções de infância como construção social e da criança como ator social e sujeito de direitos e a noção de habitus de Pierre Bourdieu, que possibilita entender como se dá a socialização e sua influência nas escolhas dos indivíduos. No contexto sócio-histórico, faz-se uma análise dos fatores que contribuíram para a necessidade de uma educação infantil específica para a área rural, assim como da legislação e das políticas públicas da infância. No campo metodológico, utiliza-se a noção de Hermenêutica de Profundidade (HP) proposta por Thompson (2009), que oferece orientações para os estudos das formas simbólicas em geral. O método será a análise de conteúdo (AC) proposta por Bardin (1977) e Rosemberg (1981). A perspectiva do NEGRI é observar como os diversos atores sociais compreendem a creche pública como espaço destinado à educação extrafamiliar para crianças de 0 a 3 anos de idade. Assim, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com três mães de bebês ou crianças pequenas de 0 a 3 anos de idade na região rural de Pouso Alegre, Estado de Minas Gerais. Estas mães compreendem a creche pública como espaço apropriado para a educação e o cuidado do bebê e da criança pequena, além disso, veem a creche como local que proporciona tranquilidade para trabalhar sem a culpa de submeter os filhos, ainda pequenos, a grande carga de sofrimento. Conclui-se do estudo que, além das relações de gênero, raça e idade, a situação de domicílio também sustenta relações de desigualdade social

Submitted by Maria Aparecida (cidazen@gmail.com) on 2017-11-23T18:05:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Cruz.pdf: 1367481 bytes, checksum: 113ec1645b31e2c7b76dcca4cda1ca47 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-23T18:05:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Cruz.pdf: 1367481 bytes, checksum: 113ec1645b31e2c7b76dcca4cda1ca47 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-07 / The present dissertation addresses a historical, perverse and persistent problem, whose combat is part of the global international agenda, that is, contemporary slavery in rural areas. Considering the broad scenario in which the theme is inserted, the research hereby presented aims to characterize the particularities of the of slave labor currently occurring in the tocantina region in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The aim is to assess the extent to which the actions perpetrated by the 16th region Brazilian Government Agency for Labor Law Enforcement (MPT in Portuguese) are effective. In order to do so, the first chapter systematizes the different normative formulations and the international and national juridical framework destined to describe, regulate and curb this historical modality of human being exploitation, in order to identify the normative and legal elements conducive to the investigation that the study aims to proceed. From the identification of these elements, the second chapter proposes to characterize the particularities of slave labor that occurs in the context of the tocantina region, one of the regions with the highest incidence of slave labor, not only in the State of Maranhão, but also in Brazil. Based on this characterization, which dialogues with historical, economic, social and cultural variables, the study analyzes, in the third chapter, the 16th region MPT performance and to what extent this performance is effective in repressing contemporary slavery in rural area that occurs in the tocantina region. In this regard, the approach given to the Public Civil Action instrument is justified since it is the one that has the greatest coercive force among the legal instruments used by the body. The main conclusions are that the municipalities that make up the tocantina region, despite having activities focused on economic development, continue with a high rate of poverty, marginalization and illiteracy, which contributes to the significant incidence of slavery labor in the region, especially in activities like livestock, with a predominance of degrading work and debt bondage. It also notes that the MPT's performance is not in itself capable of reducing slavery in this region, since, based on the Public Civil Actions filed, it is observed that the reality of the workers rescued from the slavery regime is not modified by the MPT´s action, maintaining a high recurrence rate. / A presente dissertação aborda problemática histórica, perversa e persistente, cujo combate faz parte da agenda internacional global, qual seja, o trabalho escravo rural contemporâneo. Diante do amplo cenário no qual o tema se insere, a investigação ora apresentada objetiva caracterizar as particularidades da incidência do trabalho escravo que ocorre atualmente na região tocantina maranhense, a fim de avaliar em que medida as ações de combate promovidas pelo Ministério Público do Trabalho - MPT da 16ª região são eficazes. Para tanto, no primeiro capítulo, o estudo sistematiza as diferentes formulações normativas e o arcabouço jurídico internacional e nacional destinado a descrever, regular e coibir essa modalidade histórica de exploração do ser humano, no intuito de identificar os elementos normativos e jurídicos propícios à investigação que se quer proceder. A partir da identificação destes elementos, o segundo capítulo se propõe a caracterizar as particularidades do trabalho escravo que ocorre no contexto da região tocantina, uma das regiões de maior incidência de trabalho escravo não só do Estado do Maranhão, mas também do Brasil. Com base nesta caracterização, que dialoga com variáveis históricas, econômicas, sociais e culturais, o estudo analisa, no terceiro capítulo, a atuação do MPT da 16ª região e em que medida essa atuação é eficaz na repressão ao trabalho escravo rural contemporâneo que ocorre na região. Neste particular, o enfoque dado ao instrumento Ação Civil Pública se justifica uma vez que é o que possui maior força coercitiva dentre os instrumentos jurídicos utilizados pelo órgão. O estudo traz como principais conclusões que os municípios que compõe a região tocantina maranhense, apesar de contarem com atividades voltadas ao desenvolvimento econômico, prosseguem com elevado índice de pobreza, marginalização e analfabetismo, o que contribui para a expressiva incidência de trabalho escravo na região, sobretudo na atividade pecuária, com predominância de trabalho degradante e servidão por dívida. Constata ainda que a atuação do MPT não é capaz, por si só, de reduzir a escravidão nessa região, pois, com base nas Ações Civis Públicas ajuizadas, observa-se que a realidade dos trabalhadores resgatados do regime de escravidão não é modificada pela atuação do órgão, mantendo-se elevado a reincidência.