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The role of social work in the socio-economic development of Rwanda : a comparative sociological analysis of South Africa and RwandaKalinganire, Charles 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nowadays, members of the global community from various arenas are committed to
promoting social development and removing the obstacles of all kinds of social ills that
have been undermining the quality of people's lives, such as: poverty, social conflicts,
HIV/AIDS, injustice and violence. Is this feasible? If yes, how can we proceed to the full
realisation of human development?
This study made a close examination of the case of Rwanda, and compared it with that of
South Africa, with which Rwanda shares various historical and psychosocial realities
such as colonisation, and the need for reconciliation and reinforcement of communal
solidarity in order to proceed with and hasten the development process. The orientation
of the study is centred on the hypothetical question: "Why and how can social work be
used as a means of addressing social problems and promoting social development in
Rwanda?"
The study, basically of a qualitative nature, constitutes both library and field-based
research. Accordingly, the literature and the empirical investigation were used as key
methods to realise the goals and objectives stated. In the empirical study, a triangulation
of data gathering techniques, namely interviews, focus group discussions and direct
observations, was given the primary emphasis. By this means, enriched information from
both South Africa and Rwanda permitted various insights into crucial socio-economic
challenges, social development agents, the preferred approaches for social development
and the working conditions of social workers. The latter conditions were usually
described as being very difficult and trying.
Overall, the research findings show that:
+ There is a serious need for social development both in South Africa and Rwanda in
order to respond to the legacies of their pasts - especially to the upheavals of apartheid
and the genocide respectively (i.e. poverty, mistrust, social disintegration) - as well as to
a range of other social ills such as HIV/AIDS, violence and unforeseen factors;
+ The developmental approach, well espoused by the South African government which
chose to incorporate it in national policies, particularly in the White Paper for Social
Welfare (1997), is the most suited to foster the attainment of social development;
• Social work, using community work as the preferred method, is amongst the key
professions at the forefront of the operationalisation of social development and hence, of
the promotion of improved social welfare conditions;
• Empowerment, particularly of vulnerable people, is a key to social change;
• Social work, while moving towards a developmental approach - as developmental
social work - needs to consolidate its position by contributing effectively to development
instead of continuing to focus on individual cases Itherapies.
• Introduction of social work training at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) is a
positive omen for the stimulation of social development in the country;
• There is a particular need to update the social work curriculum in Rwanda.
Lastly, specific recommendations are given. The main recommendation is that efforts to
conduct a comprehensive war against social problems be unified. In terms of social work,
it is important that social work professionals be given more consideration and more
stimulation. Conducive working conditions must be also created for them, especially at
local level. Social workers, in tum, have to stand their ground, and work in good
partnership with other professionals and social development agents for the good of all
people, with special focus on the disadvantaged.
For Rwanda in particular, it is recommended that a national welfare policy be set up
urgently to strengthen social work education at university, and that, in the process,
reference be made to experienced countries such as South Africa. In this regard,
educators must ensure that new graduates will effectively become catalysts for social
development. This requires a good fit of theory and practice during the training process.
Above all, it is advisable for Rwanda to promote community work practice through the
community development model. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sosiale ontwikkeling is 'n hedendaagse prioriteit by lede van die globale gemeenskap uit
verskeie gebiede. Hulle streef daarna om die struikelblokke van verskeie sosiale
wantoestande wat mense se lewensgehalte ondergrawe - bv. armoede, sosiale konflik,
MIVNIGS, ongeregtigheid en geweld - te verwyder. Is so-iets haalbaar? Indien ja, hoe
kan ons voortbeweeg na die volle verwesenlikking van menslike ontwikkeling?
Rwanda en Suid-Afrika het albei te kampe met historiese en sosiaal-psigiese realiteite
soos kolonialisme, 'n behoefte aan sosiale versoening en aan die versterking van
gemeenskapsolidariteit ten einde sosiale ontwikkeling te bevorder en versnel. Hierdie
studie sentreer om die vraag: "waarom en hoe kan sosiale probleme in Rwanda
aangepak en sosiale ontwikkeling bevorder word deur middel van maatskaplike
werk?"
Hierdie basies kwalitatiewe studie is op beide bronnestudie en veldwerk gegrond.
Gevolglik was die gebruik van beskikbare literatuur en empiriese navorsing die
sleutelmetodes om bg. doelwitte te bereik. Wat betref die empiriese studie is 'n
drievoudige tegniek gebruik, nl. onderhoude, fokusgroep-besprekings en direkte
waarnemmg. Verrykte inligting uit beide Suid-Afrika en Rwanda het dit dus moontlik
gemaak om verskeie insigte m.b.t. kemvraagstukke betreffende sosio-ekonomiese
uitdagings, sosiale ontwikkelingsagente, gewenste benaderings tot sosiale ontwikkeling
en die werksomstandighede van maatskaplike werkers - wat gewoonlik as erg moeilik en
uitputtend beskryf word - te bereik.
Oor die algemeen bewys die navorsingsresultate die volgende:
• Beide Suid-Afrika en Rwanda ondervind 'n ernstige behoefte aan sosiale ontwikkeling
om op die erfenis van hul verlede te reageer (veral die omwentelings van apartheid en
volksmoord, respektiewelik) - d.w.s. armoede, wantroue en sosiale verbrokkeling, en
daarby nog MIVNIGS, geweld en ander onvoorsiene faktore.
• Die ontwikkelingsentriese benadering word duidelik geïllustreer deur die Suid-
Afrikaanse regering, wat 'n nasionale beleid vanuit hierdie oogpunt aangepak het - soos
veral spreek uit die Witskrif vir Sosiale Ontwikkeling ["White Paper for Social
Development"] (1997). Hierdie is die mees gepaste benadering tot sosiale ontwikkeling.
• Maatskaplike werk (veral d.m.v. gemeenskapsinisiatiewe) is een van die sleutelberoepe
m.b.t. die operasionalisering van sosiale ontwikkeling en die gevolglike
verbetering van sosiale welsynstoestande;
• Bemagtiging, veral van kwesbare persone, is die sleutel tot sosiale transformasie;
• Maatskaplike werk behoort, terwyl dit na 'n ontwikkelingsentriese benadering (d.m.v.
maatskaplike ontwikkelingswerk) beweeg, breedweg tot sosiale ontwikkeling by te dra,
eerder as om op individuele gevalle ofterapieë te fokus;
• Die instelling van opleiding in maatskaplike werk by die Nasionale Universiteit van
Rwanda (NUR) is 'n goeie teken wat dui op sosiale ontwikkeling van hierdie land;
• Daar is veral 'n behoefte daaraan om die Rwandese kurrikulum vir maatskaplike werk
te moderniseer.
Laastens word spesifieke aanbevelings gemaak. Dit word veral aanbeveel dat
verskillende pogings om sosiale wantoestande aan te pak, saamgesnoer moet word. In
terme van maatskaplike werk is dit belangrik dat professionele maatskaplike werkers
meer aandag en aanmoediging behoort te kry. Daar moet ook aandag gegee word aan hul
werksomstandighede, veralop plaaslike vlak. Op hul beurt moet maatskaplike werkers
hulleself laat geld, in samewerking met ander beroepslui en bydraers tot sosiale
ontwikkeling - tot voordeel van alle burgers, en met 'n fokus op sosiaal-benadeelde
persone.
Vir Rwanda in die besonder word aanbeveel dat 'n nasionale welsynsbeleid dringend in
werking gestel word om universiteitsopleiding in maatskaplike werk te verstewig, na die
voorbeeld van lande soos Suid-Afrika wat ondervinding van so 'n proses het. In hierdie
verband moet opvoeders verseker dat nuwe graduandi effektiewe katalisators van sosiale
ontwikkeling sal wees. Om dit te bewerkstellig word goeie passing tussen teorie en
praktyk benodig. Dit is veral raadsaam dat maatskaplike werk in die praktyk deur die
gemeenskapsontwikkelingsmodel gerugsteun sal word.
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Women's empowerment in the post-1994 Rwanda: the case study of Mayaga RegionHategekimana, Celestin January 2011 (has links)
This research looks at the process of women’s empowerment in post- 1994 Rwanda, with special focus on twelve cooperatives working in Mayaga region and the way these cooperatives empower women, their households and the community at large. Traditional Rwandan society has been always bound by patriarchy which has not valued the reproductive roles of women as economically productive in their households and the society as a whole. On the one hand, this understanding was reversed in the post-1994 Rwanda by the commitment of the government to gender equality at the highest level of political leadership through progressive policies and legislation. On the other hand, in Mayaga region, cooperatives brought about socio-economic development and changed relationships of gender and power in a patriarchal post-conflict society. The findings from cooperatives in Mayaga region show that to prevent women from reaching their full potential is economic folly. If women are empowered, they can generate important development outcomes such as improved health, education, income levels and conflict resolution. The findings further indicate how women’s empowerment is determined by the livelihood strategies women adopt themselves to respond to their vulnerability, and by the ways in which they express their agency in making a living in a sustainable way, with the available community assets that they have access to (financial, social, human, natural and physical). This research highlights that the accessibility of the community assets used by women in Mayaga region and in Rwanda as a whole is also determined by policies, institutions and processes that are able to influence their livelihoods positively.
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Impact of farmer support and socio-economic factors on agricultural production in Gikongoro Province, Rwanda.Bizoza, Alfred Runezerwa. January 2005 (has links)
Rwanda, in its transition phase since 1994, has had the support of major international
development organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), the United Nations Development Program, the US Agency for
International Development (USAID), and other development organizations. The aim
of this support is to promote Rwandan agriculture in which 45 percent of the
Rwandan GDP and 90 percent of employment share originate. The possible role that
farmers can play in this process through their small-scale farmers' associations is well
recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture in Rwanda.
Farmers in Gikongoro province, the study area, are constrained by many factors, such
as soil infertility, small land areas, and lack of access to modern inputs (e.g., seed,
fertilizer and lime) and agricultural credit. In addition, land degradation in the form of
soil erosion, soil acidity, and nutrient depletion undermines soil productivity leading
to poor crop yields, and keeps farmers dependent on potential support from
government and non-governmental projects. Between 2000 and 2004, farmers in
Gikongoro province received support from the Development Activity Program (DAP)
under the umbrella of World Vision International, Rwanda. The DAP supports
farmers mainly in land terracing for soil erosion control, and supported farmers also
receive modern inputs (fertilizer, seed and lime), storage facilities, and training.
This study analyzes the impact of agricultural assistance afforded by the DAP and
socioeconomic characteristics of households on agricultural production in Gikongoro
province. Data for this study were collected from July to August 2004 using a
stratified multistage sample of 204 household heads who are members of 24 farmers'
associations of which 10 are supported by the DAP in the three districts;
Mudasomwa, Kivu, and Nyamagabe. The study compares DAP supported and
unsupported farmers in terms of differences in household incomes and crop yields.
Descriptive statistics indicate that DAP supported farmers have significantly higher
yields, household income, and better access to modern inputs and terraced land than
unsupported farmers. These results seem to indicate that DAP support has had a
significant impact on agricultural production and household incomes in Gikongoro
province. However, these results are based only on a univariate analysis.
The relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and household potato
production in Gikongoro province was also analyzed to identify other factors that
affect food production. A recursive system of linear and log-linear equations was
estimated to analyze the effects of DAP, cultivated potato area, liquidity, gender of
the household head (producer), years of schooling, family size, and age of the
producer on farmers' productivity as measured by potato yields. Investment in
operating inputs (fertilizer, seed, and lime) was used as a determinant of potato yields.
Results indicate that cultivated potato area, liquidity, family size, and age (greater
experience and lower transaction costs) of the household head significantly increase
the use of operating inputs, which in turn has a significant positive impact on potato
yield. The study suggests that DAP may need to be more selective in supporting
farmers, focusing more on the farm size, education and family size profile of
association members when deciding where to channel support. The study also
recommends more research into the efficiency of land rental and credit markets to
better understand land and liquidity constraints to improved household production in
Gikongoro province. A networking model for supporting farmers' associations is
proposed, in which a joint role for the Rwandan government, academic and research
institutions, NGOs, and the private sector is expected to lead to sustainable
agricultural development in Gikongoro province, Rwanda. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.
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