Includes bibliographical references. / This study examines childcare practices among employed Ugandan fathers with working spouses. The researcher adopted a dominant quantitative design as well as a qualitative design (mixed methodology). A survey was used to obtain quantitative descriptive data. Random cluster samples of 200 fathers (100 in Kampala and 100 in Mpigi) and 200 mothers (100 in Kampala and 100 in Mpigi) were interviewed with questionnaires.

Youth are able to respond to their needs for an income through entrepreneurship. However, some who operate informal businesses face challenges that may hinder the progress of their businesses and ultimately their income generation. In the light of this, there are support initiatives by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for small businesses to address some of the challenges they may meet. The question remains whether young people have knowledge of these initiatives and whether they benefit from them. The current study explored the experiences as well as business aspirations of young people running their own informal businesses in Gugulethu. There were fifteen (15) salon owners who participated. These participants were identified using purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data as part of a qualitative, explorative approach. The findings revealed that participants face a number of challenges during the start-up and the running stage of their salons. These challenges differed in nature; but there was a common challenge of the lack of financial support by the government. Those that had no financial problems were those who received financial and emotional support from family and friends. Even though young people were faced with these challenges, they came up with strategies to deal with each identified challenge. These showed how determined these hairdressers were to see their businesses succeed and grow. There are indeed policies, programmes and organizations aimed at ensuring the smooth running of informal businesses. Despite this, most young people were not aware of any association, programmes or service that they as hairdressers could benefit from. The findings also revealed that in spite of their struggles, young hairdressers aspired to expand their businesses, but to do this they required both financial and emotional support.

This research study explores ‘Challenges faced by Non-Profit Organisations in South Africa'. The study was informed by a qualitative approach and an exploratory design. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect the data, with participants selected from twenty purposively sampled NPOs. A semi-structured interview schedule was utilised and data was analysed using Tesch's (1990) process for data analysis. Ethical clearance was received from the Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town. The research study found that NPOs do face a number of challenges that are prevalent in their start-up phase, relating to organisation leadership, financial sustainability and resource management. Organisation leadership challenges revolve around a lack of leadership, knowledge, experience and/or skill; managing and monitoring service delivery; the impact of the pressure to survive; and growth complications. Challenges in terms of financial sustainability and navigating the funding landscape pertain to are donor attraction; fundraising knowledge; donor relationships and the power dynamics; donor perceptions; the impact of sources of funding; and the influence of immediate survival needs on long-term planning and sustainability. Resource management is also a challenge in terms of physical and human resources, such as staffing, role ambiguity, cost of salaries and the effect of reliance on alternative streams of income, the tension between the finances available and the quality and/or experience of the person that the NPO is able to afford, and the impact of high staff turnover. Any one of these challenges can cause start-up NPOs to become vulnerable, unsustainable and likely to fail. The contribution that this study makes to knowledge building is an enhanced evaluation of the challenges that NPOs face in South Africa, and the factors that they may employ to mitigate these challenges and increase their likelihood of success. It recommends practical alternatives to the way that NPOs operate in terms of organisational leadership and financial sustainability, that may improve their chances of survival and success. The main recommendations talk to the need for consulting, in-depth reviewing of the NPO landscape, partnerships and collaboration, and financial self-sufficiency.

Employee turnover can have devastating consequences on an organisation's efficiency and productivity, as it has cost implications, affects the human and social capital investment of an organisation, and can lead to employee burnout. Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) provide valuable services in South Africa by addressing social and economic development issues. Should NPOs have a high employee turnover, it can impact their sustainability, growth, and performance. Consequently, this can influence the contribution they make to the social and economic development of the country. Retention strategies are used to prevent and combat employee turnover, with the aim of increasing organisational performance and sustainability. Therefore, the study sought to identify and explore the factors that lead to employee voluntary and involuntary turnover, the retention strategies NPOs use, and the effectiveness of these strategies. The study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. The quantitative phase of this approach involved identifying current trends relating to staff turnover and retention strategies used by NPOs in Cape Town. The key themes that emerged through the quantitative phase of the study were explored in more depth by the qualitative phase of the study, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute towards employee turnover and the retention strategies used to retain employees. The study's population was staff in leadership and/or management positions (CEO/Director and Human Resource Manager) at NPOs that provide social development services in Cape Town. The non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to draw a sample from the population for the quantitative phase of the study, of which 40 NPOs responded. The nonprobability purposive sampling technique was again used to draw a sample of 8 participants from the quantitative responses to participate in the qualitative phase of the study. The main findings of the research suggest that NPOs are aware that leadership styles and practices, and organisation culture and cohesiveness are strong contributing factors that lead to voluntary turnover, low performance, and deviant behaviour. NPOs experience that a goaldirected and people-orientated culture implemented by transformational leaders and organisational cohesive practices that make it clear what is expected of employees are the most effective ways of increasing employee motivation, satisfaction, commitment, and performance. Although these are strong retention practices, NPOs experience funding as a huge barrier to retain staff and implement retention strategies. In addition, NPOs implement strong stress reducing practices to address the emotional and psychological stress and burnout that is associated with NPO work. NPOs have a high focus on providing their employees with training and development opportunities to increase their performance but lack the ability to promote employees due to the size of the organisation. The findings suggest that NPOs are aware of the organisational factors that impact employees' performance, behaviour, and desire to leave. The effectiveness of retention strategies used by NPOs can be increased by addressing the barriers that prevent NPOs from implementing retention strategies.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of mental health challenges among university students from marginalised backgrounds. The intention was to understand the effects of a university student's socio-economic background and circumstances on their mental health, as well as their access to the necessary mental health resources and services. South Africa continues to be plagued by high levels of poverty and inequality. The legacy of Apartheid persists post 1994, and many black South Africans still face financial and social exclusion (Marais, 2013). Poverty and inequality inhibit young people from having the material and non-material resources they need in order to complete university successfully (Rothmann and Van Zyl, 2012). When focusing on students' mental health challenges, we see that the transition from high school to university is a challenging time and without the relevant support structures, it can lead to an individual experiencing high levels of anxiety and other mental health challenges. The main objectives included determining the ways in which a student's financial and social exclusion affect their transition to university, mental health and the way in which they cope with stress. Ward's (2009) definition of social exclusion and Gamble and Brennan's (2005) stress vulnerability model were used as the lens' to examine the links between socio-economic deprivation and their experiences of mental health challenges. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 students from marginalised backgrounds enrolled at an institute of higher learning. All 18 students were receiving financial assistance in order to cover their university costs. A semi-structured interview schedule was used as the instrument to guide the interviews. This instrument contained open-ended questions and enabled the researcher to gain a detailed picture of a participant's beliefs and experiences. The findings reveal that since inception, NSFAS has played an important part in the transformation of the student population and addressing the inequality in South Africa. However, students from marginalised backgrounds continue to face unique socio-economic challenges at university and require support structures. The findings have also determined that the concept of black tax remains relevant and that the legacy of Apartheid still effects many young black South Africans. This material and non-material related stress renders a student prone to facing mental health challenges and their struggles to cope with their academics. Daily stress combined with previous major life events and predisposed genetics, contribute to mental health challenges. It was also found that although there was still a stigma, most students still sought professional help. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that universities need to involve students in finding practical, long-term solutions to the mental health crisis on campuses. It is also recommended that the university environment and staff be inclusive and also reflect the experiences of university students of colour. In addition, it was recommended that the government include higher learning institutes in their national policy regarding mental health in South Africa. The study aims to create further understanding and interest, as well as the need to better address these inequalities which manifest throughout a student's university life.

This study explored the role played by civic organisations in policy formulation through public participation. A qualitative research design was used in which two sample sets were purposively selected to participate in the study. The first sample set comprised of general members of civic organisations, while the second comprised of stakeholders in the community such as members of the business community, nongovernmental organisations, and the municipal council. In-depth interviews were conducted and facilitated through a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were guided by the overall aim and objectives of the study which included exploration of participants' perceptions regarding the following: their understanding of public participation, different forms of public participation, roles of civic organisations in policy making, influence of public participation in decision-making at local level, ways in which public participation can be improved at local level; and public participation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study found that civic organisations' roles were indispensable in policy formulation as they facilitate meaningful public engagement with local government structures, legislatures, and key stakeholders in their communities in the context of policy making. Further, civic organisations enhance democracy through holding local authorities and policy-makers accountable for their actions in development. The findings also show that public participation is a fundamental and inclusive process for citizens in decision-making processes, whether directly as interest groups or individuals, or indirectly through their elected representatives. Participants from civic organisations perceived different forms of public participation as voting, public meetings, and petitions. However, key informants highlighted that most public participation practices were ‘tick-box' exercises because they did not facilitate meaningful participation for citizens. Finally, the study found that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic severely affected public participation processes. Because many civic organisations' activities had to stop, service delivery in some communities was affected. The study's major recommendation is that local government authorities such as ward councilors and municipal managers should aim to facilitate collaborative governance with civic organisations and citizens. This could be done through forming meaningful partnerships between civic organisations, stakeholders, and the local government. The study argues that this will ensure working towards an Integrated Development Plan and a people-centered approach to development in policy making.

This study explored psychosocial rehabilitation programmes in mental health and investigated the perceived impact of participation in a psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) programme on the recovery of persons with a history of mental illness. The study focused on how their participation in psychosocial rehabilitation programmes impacted the well-being of the mental health users individually and socially as well as their perceptions of the benefits and or disadvantages of participation in the programmes as well as their recommendations for improvements. A qualitative explorative research design was applied. Sixteen participants were selected using purposive sampling and data collected by means of face-to-face semi-structured interviewing. The data obtained was analysed using qualitative methods. Most significantly the findings of this study further supports the value of psychosocial rehabilitation programmes for mental health users. Most notably improved individual personal development and independence. Social wellbeing improvements were found with an emphasis on growth in confidence to approaching further socialisation, improvements in the quality of individual relationships and the expansion of support networks. No significant critique of the programmes was identified and the most significant improvements recommended related to the expanding of interactive activities such as more peer socialisation and recreational activities to further the therapeutic value experienced in them. The most important recommendations from the findings include expanding PSR, incorporating PSR programmes into the public service, encouraging PSR programmes through supportive legislation, integrating families more in PSR programmes, expanding research on the outcomes of PSR within a South African context and exploring research that includes the perspectives of the family members living and caring for individuals with mental illness

Bibliography: leaves 123-130. / This study examined management development at the University of Cape Town (UCT), with specific reference to the Associate in Management (AIM) course offered at the Graduate School of Business. It is a part-time course offered to people already in employment at different levels from across various industries. Some of the recruits enrolled are working full-time in the public sector. UCT as an employer also has had some of its staff enrolled on a part-time basis on this course Further, this study descriptively analysed training and development in general at UCT, particularly regarding junior and middle layers of management. In addition, it assessed any noticeable changes in skills, knowledge and attitudes (attributes) that may have resulted from the AIM intervention. At the heart of this study also are the institutional structural complexities that have a direct bearing on the success of any development program.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-143). / South Africa is faced with many developmental challenges such as poverty, unemployment and inequality. The post-apartheid government has tried to face some of the injustices inherited from the apartheid era, but the choice of a neo-liberal economic approach seems to have worsened the situation. There is therefore a significant need for a social development approach in South Africa. Social development aims to link social welfare to economic development. One way of doing this is to support the development of small and micro enterprises. The majority of these enterprises belong to the second economy, and by supporting them the government also supports the poorest of its population. The South African government has put in place support systems to strengthen the small and micro enterprise sector. It also constantly reviews the regulatory environment in order the ease the regulatory burden on this sector. This research aimed to explore how the micro enterprises experience these efforts. It looked at the reasons behind compliance and/or non-compliance with regulations, and the reasons for the utilisation, or lack thereof, of support systems. Langa was chosen as the geographic area in which the research was carried out. In Langa, 20 micro business owners, both formal and informal, agreed to undergo qualitative interviews where they shared their experiences with regard to regulations and support systems. Nonprobability sampling was used to identify the participants. The interviews were guided by the use of semi-structured interview schedules, which included the main questions of the research. An audio recording was used, and the interviews were transcribed into text. Coding procedures from grounded theory methodology were used. Findings were drawn from the responses of the participants, and compared to findings from previous research studies. It was found that the participants to a very little degree complied with regulations. Despite the fact that most of the participants regarded complying with regulations as the right thing to do, they did not see their own enterprises as important enough to take steps towards compliance, and thought it only to be relevant to larger enterprises.

Includes bibliographical references. / In this qualitative study mothers’ perceptions of their experience of a local parent-infant home visiting programme were described. Research has shown positive results for home visiting programmes which are being implemented increasingly throughout the world. International and local research on home visiting programmes, psychodynamic theory including attachment theory, and systems theory underpin this research.