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Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Poverty, which was traditionally a rural phenomenon, has become one of the main drivers behind people migrating to urban areas. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the global population lives in cities while the current annual growth rate of cities in sub-Saharan Africa is almost double the worldwide average. The provision of food for the growing number of poor urban citizens is a major challenge, which needs to be addressed by city authorities. As most of the urbanised poor are exposed to agriculture due to their rural backgrounds, agriculture should be viewed as a possible solution to the challenge of urban food security for the urban poor. Put differently, feeding a growing urban population living in poverty will be one of the major humanitarian and political challenges of the next century. This implies that increased pressure will be put on urban agriculture for food production inside or close to cities, especially in developing countries where poor transportation infrastructure between the cities and rural areas creates problems for food supply. This research explores the significance of urban agriculture as one of the solutions to urban poverty. The aim of this research report is to critically analyse the concept of urban agriculture and how it can contribute to urban renewal and the alleviation of poverty for the urban poor. It focuses particularly on the scope, problems and challenges of urban agriculture in the high density settlements of Khayelitsha-Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town where widespread poverty and high unemployment intensifies the need for low cost food production for poor households. The research takes into account the lessons learned in the past and looks at the role government, individuals, community organisations, NGO’s and corporate South Africa can play in expanding urban agriculture. We look at the different types of urban agriculture and the various success factors and potential pitfalls in implementing strategies of urban agriculture. This research also takes a closer look at the various problems faced by those keen to utilise urban agriculture opportunities. This research indicates that urbanisation is inevitable and has a negative impact on the poverty levels of urban citizens due to the migration of the rural poor. This is relevant to the Western Cape and in particular, to the Cape Town townships of Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain, due to the accelerating migration from the rural Eastern Cape. The City of Cape Town is doing a fair amount of work in the field of urban agriculture through the Urban Agriculture Policy it adopted in 2007. However, this research concludes that urban agriculture in Africa, including South Africa, still does not receive the necessary recognition or support when compared to the developed world.

Persistent poverty, social and economic inequalities are some of the challenges in the process of national development efforts targeted in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet in South Africa, poverty, hunger, social and economic inequalities are still on the increase especially among poor rural to urban migrants. Because of severe poverty in rural areas, large populations of rural poor migrate to urban areas in search of better life. However, the growing energy needs in the urban areas where these people settle and their use of inefficient energy technologies negatively impact on the balance of environmental resources on which their socio-economic development depends. Efficient, affordable and environmental friendly technologies are therefore vital for improving the livelihood conditions and protecting the much needed environmental resources of the country. On the contrary, current practices presently dominating energy provision issues in South Africa are insufficient to solve the problems of socio-economic inequalities, especially for the increasing urban poor population. In addition, they are also failing to protect the environment and natural resources. Electrification of poor urban and peri-urban areas by both grid and off-grid systems through the top-down development practice is doing very little to change the socio-economic conditions of the poor section of the population in the country. Likewise, the provision of modern energy through public sector agencies such as Eskom is inadequate and inappropriate for the rapidly expanding urban and peri-urban poor areas in the country. One major reason that hinders provision of such services to the overcrowded consumer population in these areas is the massive capital investment required and inability to pay electricity bills by urban poor households. Against the above background, this study examined the use of improved wood stoves in two peri-urban areas (Umsilinga and Isnathing) in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa as an alternative modern energy technology on how they would socio-economically benefit the peri-urban poor. It looked at the following: The efficiency of four improved wood stoves (Yamampera, Simunye, Household Rocket and Vesto) in comparison with the three stone open fire, The impact of the efficient burning of the four improved stoves, Factors influencing consumers in choosing a specific energy technology to use, The effectiveness of the improved wood stoves placed in 24 peri-urban households and observed for the specified period, and Additional potentials of such stoves to other prospective users. The key finding of this research is that the use of these improved wood stoves could play a pivital role in household economic growth and improving livelihoods. Participants ranked smokeless burning, low selling price, fuelwood saving and light weight of the stoves as priority preferences for using these stoves. Speed of cooking and less constant attention to the fire were also ranked as important preferences. From women participants view point, the low selling price of the stoves and their considerable fuel saving would reduce strain on the household investment capital, household indoor pollution and tedious work of women’s fuelwood collection. Low investment costs in acquiring the stoves would encourage women’s participation as entrepreneurs in modern energy technologies. However, results from focused group discussions and observations of usage of stoves that were placed in 24 homes showed that the incorporation of consumer preferences in the design of improved wood stoves would be key. This would enable stoves to adequately meet the energy needs of targeted users and be used frequently as an alternative energy solution by both urban and peri-urban poor who are currently lacking electricity and suffering from energy poverty. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermarizburg, 2009.

Over the last century, developing countries have undergone rapid urbanisation resulting in marked social, economic and environmental changes. Africa is the least urbanised continent in the world but trends indicate that it is also the most rapidly urbanising region, accompanied by rising urban poverty. Urbanisation processes are often most pronounced in smaller urban centres since they experience the most severe pressures of population growth. Little is known about the role natural resources play along the rural-urban continuum and even less is known about the contribution of these resources within an urban context, particularly in small urban centres. In many sub-Saharan African cities, urban agriculture (the informal production of food in urban areas) has been used as a strategy to cope with increasing poverty levels but its role remains widely debated and uncertain. This thesis seeks to analyse the impacts of urbanisation on livelihoods and natural resource use, including home gardening and the collection of wild resources, in two South African towns and data was collected along the rural-urban continuum in Queenstown (Eastern Cape province) and Phalaborwa (Limpopo Province). Practices and contributions associated with agriculture and wild resource use were found to be significantly higher in Phalaborwa and this could be attributed to favourable environmental conditions and accessibility to wild resources due to the surrounding Mopani Bushveld. Rural households in Queenstown and Phalaborwa were more reliant on natural resources than their urban counterparts, but still diverse and incorporated a number of land-based and cash income generating strategies. Urban households tended to rely on one primary cash income strategy such as wage employment or state grants. However, natural resources did appear to play a subtle role in urban settings and particularly in the townships, where exclusion of natural resource contributions saw poverty levels increase up to 5%. Home gardening was practised by a wide range of people and not restricted to any one income group and, not surprisingly, wealthy cultivators who had access to resources such as land, water and fertilizer enjoyed increased benefits such as high produce yields. The results obtained suggest that rural-urban dynamics are complex and natural resource use in local livelihoods is contextualised within environmental settings, social preferences and historical contexts. Increasing pressures from the influx of people into small urban centres calls for a better understanding to how these processes are affecting livelihoods and natural resources to ensure sustainable management in the future.

Thesis (MTech (Architectural Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Informal settlements are increasing in the cities of the global South in line with the rapid rate of urbanisation that is taking place in countries of this region. The growth of informal settlements in these countries has been exacerbated by factors that are unique to this region, factors such as scarcity of resources, colonial legacies and rapid urbanisation. Cape Town, a city that relates to the global South both in terms of geographical location and socio-economic context, has also seen a rapid growth of informal settlements, particularly in the last two decades. Like other cities in this region, Cape Town has ambitions of being regarded as a global city. Global cities are modelled on cities of the global North such as London, New York and Tokyo. Beyond the economic prestige that is generally associated with the cities of the global North, the imagery that they conjure up is also seen as an inspiration to be emulated by cities across the world, and it does not include informal settlements. As such, informal settlements generate a host of attitudes. Attitudes towards informal settlements don’t just emanate from political authorities, but emanate from across the spectrum that constitutes inhabitants and interest groups in these cities, including the creators of informal settlements themselves. These individuals and interests, according to their social standing and thus influence, have varying degrees of agency in the matters related to informal settlements. The aim in this study is to probe the effect of these attitudes on housing delivery to the poor. Attitudes not only influence the choice of what is regarded as the norm, but also how any entity that is regarded as the ‘other’ is evaluated. Almost without exception, cities that have been characterised by large numbers of informal settlements have attempted, without success, to eradicate informal settlements from their urban fabrics. An overarching assumption in this study is that the resilience of informal settlements says something about their necessity, and the failure by some, to recognise this necessity or the utilitarian value of informal settlements is influenced by attitudes. This research is done by first using a literature review to elucidate on: • the social condition, that is, the phenomenon of informal settlements, • the relevant theories applicable to the academic field the thesis is anchored in (architecture) and other social orders impacting architecture such as modernism, • the construct of attitudes and its impacts on beliefs, evaluations and perceptions on the affect of objects. The Joe Slovo informal settlement is then used as an analytic case study to investigate the effects of attitudes on the dynamics that have seen the site being transformed into what had been conceived as a prototype for transforming informal settlements to formal housing. The study shows that such transformations, although often carried out in the name of changing the lives of the inhabitants of informal settlements, do not necessarily entail them remaining at the site post its transformation. In the case of Joe Slovo, it actually resulted in a sizeable number of the original inhabitants being relocated to a new, less favourable site.

Trees in natural forests are widely known for their essential contribution to rural livelihoods in developing countries, providing both consumptive and non-consumptive products to rural inhabitants. These benefits are also obtained from trees in urban forests and used by urban households. In the past decades, the role of urban trees to urban livelihoods, municipalities, local and global environment has often been overlooked by researchers and development agencies, and hence are poorly documented, especially in Africa. In South Africa, the increase in urbanisation and urban poverty means many urban residents are expected to be dependent on trees and tree products from homesteads, neighbourhoods and edges of towns. There is however a paucity of literature on the potential of trees in sustaining livelihoods and poverty alleviation in urban areas. This study determined the magnitude and nature of the direct contribution of trees and tree products to local livelihoods in different urban residential areas (informal, Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), and township) in three South African towns (Tzaneen, Bela Bela and Zeerust) which cover a rainfall gradient from relatively higher (775 mm p.a.) to low (575 mm p.a.). The results showed that most (90%) households had an interest in planting and managing trees on homesteads, given the high proportion (71%) of residents who had planted trees on their homesteads. The abundance of trees followed the moisture gradient, with Tzaneen having a larger share (46.4%) of trees, followed by Bela Bela (27.5%) and Zeerust (26.1%). Larger plots in the informal residential area accounted for the larger proportion (42.8%) of trees on homesteads, followed by the township (32.9%) and RDP households being the least because they were recently established. Tree density was also higher in the high rainfall town but the pattern did not follow the moisture gradient between Bela Bela and Zeerust due to little rainfall difference. However, tree density across residential areas was similar to the proportion of trees on homesteads in residential areas. The most common tree species were alien, and mainly exotic fruit trees made up two-thirds of the trees encountered. Most households collected various products from urban trees, particularly fuelwood, from edges of towns. This was especially by households with lower cash income. However, fruits were collected from homesteads regardless of the wealth status. Tree products had a significant contribution to the total annual household income, with fuelwood alone contributing up to R5 663 per household per annum, equivalent to two-three month household cash income. Tree products added 20% to total household income, which represents the amount of money households save by collecting tree products for free. Therefore, trees within and around urban areas contribute significantly to livelihoods and reduce poverty in urban areas. There is need therefore to encourage urban residents to plant trees on homesteads and policy makers to come up with policies that promote sustainable harvesting of tree products from areas surrounding urban areas.

The war on poverty is South Africa's priority and challenge. Many poverty alleviation programmes have been established in South Africa in an effort to overcome poverty. However, poverty alleviation projects have had little impact on the poverty profile of the country. Poverty continues to be pervasive, intractable, and inexcusable. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the personal definition of poverty as constructed by the poor themselves. In this study the researcher's main argument was that sustainable poverty reduction calls for effective strategies based on clear and consistent concepts and approaches. Different ways of understanding poverty lead to different ways of dealing with it. A common and clear understanding of poverty helps build a common agenda with development partners, linking specific causes of poverty in each setting with sustainable policies and action. A qualitative study was conducted with fifteen (15) poverty-alleviation projects participants from three (3) different projects. Data was collected with the use of an interview guide. The participants' responses revealed that poverty, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. The participants attached varying and interesting meanings to explaining the concept of poverty. The study also shed some light on the current state of the poverty-alleviation projects. / Social Work / M.A. (Social science)

There is consensus that the majority of South African citizens, as a result of being unable to participate in local economic activities, are poor and it is increasingly difficult to bridge the divide between the rich and the poor. Apart from being a challenge for the South African government, poverty reduction is a challenge to most African countries as well. Though there are interventions by international development agencies to assist African countries reduce poverty, such efforts are derailed by, amongst other factors, lack of resources to provide for the multiple needs of the poor in countries. Poverty is a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon that needs to be clearly measured to allow governments to design appropriate measures to reduce it. In South Africa the prevalence of poverty is associated with the legacy of apartheid and amongst other initiatives, the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) approach, is seen as a distinctive local government initiative to help municipalities in reducing poverty. Municipalities, through this initiative are central to development planning. This study used a quantitative research method consisting of both the survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, respectively targeting households’ heads in the broader community of the KSD and directors of departments in the KSD municipality. From the findings of this study, King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality's IDP contributes towards achieving the goals of poverty reduction. Like in most municipalities, the KSD municipality started implementing the IDP in 2000. Though the municipality has made a significant progress in the provision of services, it still is faced with many challenges such as an insufficient IDP consultation process, poorly maintained infrastructure, budget constraints, poor coordination of activities between municipal departments and lack of monitoring and evaluation. / Public Administration & Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

Thesis (MSc (Dietetics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to contribute to the nutritional well-being of 0 - 24 month old children who attend primary health care clinics (PHC) in Duncan Village, an urban slum. This was to be achieved by first formulating essential nutrition-related message topics and second by formulating recommendations for optimising the accessibility of services, including nutrition-related messages, aimed at mothers attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village. In order to formulate targeted and relevant nutrition-related messages for mothers attending the PHC clinics (Phase I of the research) the need for more information on the six focus areas for intervention that were identified in the previous Duncan Village Day Hospital (DVDH) study" was determined. This was done through key-informant interviews and studying other relevant published research. Eleven research questions related to the six focus areas were subsequently formulated to guide further research. Non-scheduled structured interviews were conducted with mothers with children in specific age groups until data saturation was achieved. A total of 31 interviews were thus conducted at the homes of participants and observation data was also collected at the same time. Three focus groups with corresponding participant categories were also conducted to check the information obtained through the interviews. Two focus groups were conducted with grandmothers to serve as a further form of checking research but also to obtain a different perspective on the research questions. The data available for the formulation of the message topics was analysed qualitatively by hand. The focus areas and the research questions gave a specific focus to the analysis process and the unprocessed data was available in these broad predetermined categories. All the information from all sources (DVDH study, the non-scheduled structured interviews with mothers, focus groups with mothers and grandmothers and observation data) was studied, interpreted and integrated for each identified category. During this process key-factors, which need to be addressed in nutrition-related messages essential for the well-being of infants attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village, were identified. The final step in the analysis process was the formulation of message topics based on these key-factors. During the analysis process it became clear that some of the identified key factors were not suitable for the formu lation of nutrition-related message topics but rather give insight into the total context of the mothers attending the clinics in Duncan Village. It was evident that the information contained in the key factors could be used by health workers to identify and assist vulnerable mothers. These key-factors led to the formulation of relevant help topics. Eighteen main message topics and 16 help topics were formulated. The message topics included topics on: self-development, household food security, breastfeeding, good feeding practices, mothers' health and nutrition and hygiene practices. in Phase 2 of the study the accessibility of services, including nutrition-related messages, to mothers attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village was determined. This was done by determining how mothers inDuncan Village experience the clinics where they could be exposed to nutrition-related messages and by determining the experiences of health care workers with mothers as clients as well as with service delivery. This information was obtained through focus group discussions with different participant categories. These categories included mothers with children in the same age groupings as in Phase I who had either attended clinic for all the child's immunisations or who had not attended clinic for all the child's immunisations or who had attended clinics outside Duncan Village for immunisation purposes. Pregnant women who had either attended antenatal clinics or had not attended antenatal clinics were also included. The last participant category involved health workers. This category included health workers from the obstetric unit where mothers from Duncan Village give birth, the primary health care clinics and community health care workers. The data obtained was analysed with ATLAS/ti, computer software specifically designed for qualitative data analysis. Twelve code families were created during the analysis process, each family referring to a specific aspect of accessibility of services provided at the PHC clinics. A detailed description of each code family is presented after which six networks were compiled. The data and networks were used to create a framework for data interpretation. According to the framework it is proposed that the final elements in the process of providing accessible nutrition-related messages to clients at clinics are (1) that the clients must attend the clinic and (2) that appropriate nutrition-related messages must be available. Problems with interpersonal and organisational aspects of service delivery were found to be two of the most important aspects that influence accessibility of clinic services and therefore nutrition-related messages at the clinics. The last phase of the study (Phase 3) involved the formulation of recommendations to the relevant authorities about targeted and relevant nutrition-related message topics to be included in the education of mothers and pregnant women as well as recommendations to optimise accessibility of nutrition-related messages at the three PHC clinics in Duncan Village and the obstetric unit where mothers of Duncan Village give birth. A total of fifteen recommendations were formulated based on the frndings and recommendations of Phase I and Phase 2. These recommendations focus especially on the necessity for the municipality to create a health empowering environment at the clinics, on the provision of appropriate nutrition-related messages at the clinics and on the need to reach vulnerable mothers. The importance of involving the community in these processes was also emphasised in the recommendations. It is concluded that the implementation of the recommendations will contribute to the nutritional well-being of all young children in Duncan Village and could play an important role in realising the rights of children living in the area. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n bydrae te maak tot die voedingswelstand van 0-24 maandoue kinders wat prirnere gesondheidsorg (PGS) klinieke in Duncan Village, 'n verarmde stedelike gebied, besoek. am die doel te bereik is daar eerstens beplan om essensiele voedingsverwante boodskappe te formuleer. Tweedens is daar beplan om aanbevelings vir die optimalisering van die toeganklikheid van gesondheidsorgdienste vir rna's wat die klinieke bywoon, insluitend die toeganklikheid van voedinsgverwante boodskappe, te maak. Voordat relevante voedingsverwante boodskappe vir rna's wat die klinieke in Duncan Village besoek, geformuleer kon word, was meer inligting nodig oor die ses fokusareas vir intervensie wat in die vorige Duncan Village Daghospitaal studie bepaal is. Die bepaling van watter inligting nodig was, is gedoen deur sleutelinformantonderhoude en die bestudering van ander relevante gepubliseerde navorsing. Na aanleiding hiervan is elf navorsingsvrae wat verband hou met die ses fokusareas geformuleer. Nie-geskeduleerde, gestruktureerde onderhoude is vervolgens met 111a's met kinders in spesifieke ouderdomsgroepe gehou totdat dataversadiging bereik is. 'n Totaal van 31 onderhoude is met respondente gehou by hul huise, waartydens die onderhoudvoerder ook sekere waamemingsdata ingesamel het. Drie fokusgroepe is ook met rna's met kinders in ooreenstemmende kategoriee gehou om die inligting na te gaan wat deur die onderhoude ingesamel is. Twee fokusgroepe is ook met oumas gehou om die data verder na te gaan maar ook om 'n ander perspektief op die navorsingsvrae te verkry. Die data wat verkry is, is kwalitatief met die hand geanaliseer. Die fokusareas en die navorsingsvrae het 'n spesifieke fokus aan die analiseproses gegee en die ongeprossesseerde data was beskikbaar in hierdie bree vooraf gedetermineerde kategoriee. Die inligting van aile bronne (DVDH-studie, die nie-geskeduleerde gestruktureerde onderhoude met die rna's, die fokusgroepe met die rna's en oumas asook die observasie data) is bestudeer, geinterpreteer en geintegreer vir elke geidentifiseerde kategorie. Gedurende hierdie proses is sleutelfaktore geidentifiseer wat aangespreek moet word in essensiele voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe wat gemik is om die voedingswelstand van klein kinders wat die PGS-klinieke in Duncan Village besoek te verbeter. Die finale stap in die analiseproses was die formulering van boodskaponderwerpe. Die onderwerpe is gebaseer op die geidentifiseerde sleutelfaktore Dit het duidelik geword tydens die analiseproses dat sommige van die sleutelfaktore nie geskik was vir die formulering van voedingsverbandhoudende boodskaponderwerpe nie, maar dat dit eerder insig verskaf in die totale lewenskonteks van die rna's. Die inligting in hierdie sleutelfaktore kan wei gebruik word deur gesondheidswerkers om kwesbare ma's te identifiseer en by te staan. Hierdie sleutelfaktore het dus tot die formulering van relevante hulpboodskappe gelei. Agtien voedingsverbandhoudende en 16 hulpboodskappe is geformu leer. Die boodskaponderwerpe sluit in onderwerpe oor selfontwikkeling, huishoudelike voedselsekuriteit, borsvoeding, goeie voedingspraktyke, gesondheid van die rna en voeding- en higienepraktyke. Tydens Fase 2 van die studie is die toeganklikheid van PGS dienste, insluitend voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe vir rna's, bepaal. Dit is gedoen deur te bepaal hoe mas in Duncan Village die kliniekdienste ondervind, waar hulle aan hierdie boodskappe blootgestel kan word asook die ondervindinge van die gesondheidswerkers met die rna's en die diensleweringsproses. Hierdie inligting is deur middel van fokusgroepbesprekings met verskillende deelnemerskategoriee ingesamel. Hierdie kategoriee het rna's ingesluit wat die klinieke in Duncan Village besoek het vir a.l die spesifieke kinders se immunisasies maar ook ma's wat nie kinders geneem het vir al hul immunisasies nie of wat hul kinders na klinieke buite Duncan Village geneem het. Swanger vroue wat die voorgeboortelike klinieke besoek het asook die wat nie die klinieke besoek het nie, is ook ingesluit. Die laaste kategorie wat betrek is, was gesondheidswerkers. Hierdie kategorie het werkers van die kraamafdeling van die nabygelee hospitaaI en die primere gesondheidsorgklinieke ingesluit. Beide professionele verpleegpersoneel en gemeenskapsgesondheids= werkers van die klinieke is betrek. Die data wat verkry is, is met ATLAS/ti, 'n rekenaarprogram spesifiek geskep vir die analise van kwalitatiewe data, ontleed. Twaalf kodefamilies is geskep tydens die analiseproses. Elke familie verwys na 'n spesifieke aspek van toeganklikheid van dienste by die klinieke. 'n Gedetailleerde beskrywing van elke kodefamilie is gegee asook ses netwerke. Die data en die netwerke is gebruik om 'n raamwerk vir data-intepretasie te skep. Die raamwerk postuleer dat die finale elemente in die proses van die verskaffing van toeganklike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by klinieke die volgende is: (1) kliente moet die kliniek besoek en (2) toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe moet beskikbaar wees. Probleme met interpersoonlike en organisatoriese aspekte van dienslewering is geidentifiseer as die twee belangrikste aspekte wat toeganklikheid van kliniekdienste en daarom ook toeganklikheid van voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe beinvloed. Die laaste fase van die studie (Fase 3) het die formulering van aanbevelings aan die relevante owerhede behels Die aa.nbevelings handel oor die insluiting van toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by die gesondheidsonderrig van ma's en swanger vroue sowel as aanbevelings oor die optimalisering van toeganklikheid van dienste by die PGS klinieke en die kraamafdeling waar Duncan Village rna's geboorte gee. Vyftien aanbevelings gebaseer op die bevindinge van Fases I en 2 is geformuleer . Die aanbevelings fokus veral op die nocdsaaklikheid vir die plaaslike owerheid om 'n atmosfeer van gesondheidbemagtiging by die klinieke te skep, die nodigheid om toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by die klinieke te verskaf en die belangrikheid daa.rvan om kwesbare rna's te bereik. Die noodsaaklikheid om die gemeenskap te betrek in hierdie prosesse is ook benadruk. Samevattend kan gese word dat die implementasie van die aanbevelings sal bydra tot die voedingswelstand van alle jong kinders in Duncan Village en dat dit 'n belangrike bydrae kan lewer tot die realisering van die regte van kinders in die area.

The war on poverty is South Africa's priority and challenge. Many poverty alleviation programmes have been established in South Africa in an effort to overcome poverty. However, poverty alleviation projects have had little impact on the poverty profile of the country. Poverty continues to be pervasive, intractable, and inexcusable. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the personal definition of poverty as constructed by the poor themselves. In this study the researcher's main argument was that sustainable poverty reduction calls for effective strategies based on clear and consistent concepts and approaches. Different ways of understanding poverty lead to different ways of dealing with it. A common and clear understanding of poverty helps build a common agenda with development partners, linking specific causes of poverty in each setting with sustainable policies and action. A qualitative study was conducted with fifteen (15) poverty-alleviation projects participants from three (3) different projects. Data was collected with the use of an interview guide. The participants' responses revealed that poverty, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. The participants attached varying and interesting meanings to explaining the concept of poverty. The study also shed some light on the current state of the poverty-alleviation projects. / Social Work / M.A. (Social science)