Women’s income-generating projects are regarded as a critical area in promoting sustainable livelihoods in the lives of the poor. This study centres on a cattle project in Sadomba village in Nyanga District, Zimbabwe. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role and contributions of income-generating projects with regard to women; the necessary conditions for a successful cattle production project; the major challenges in women’s income-generating projects, and how income-generating projects can be strengthened, all in relation to this cattle project.The study is underpinned by the sustainable livelihood approach and literature on micro-financing of women’s projects in various countries. The study is based on qualitative methodology using a case study design and methods of data collection included semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and sub-themes that arose in the study and thereafter all the data was grouped by a process of coding. The results indicated that the Sadomba cattle project has benefited the project members in terms of income generation by the selling of cattle and milk, for agricultural purposes (draught power) and also income they obtained from hiring their cattle to other community members in rainy seasons. The income generated has assisted them to send their children to school and attain higher education.In addition, it promotes community engagement when they share paddocks and dip tanks. However, despite these benefits, they face a number of challenges such as long distances to the market, a lack of microcredit and the unavailability of exotic breeds. Therefore, there is need to integrate the conditions that are necessary for successful income generating projects to the Sadomba cattle project.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy , April 2017 / This study examines the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of female elderly headed households in Gutsa village, Murape Ward, in Goromonzi District of Mashonaland East province in Zimbabwe. It is based on intensive ethnographic fieldwork that I undertook for close to nineteen months in Gutsa village. The key questions that I sought to answer in this thesis were: How is local knowledge about weather and climate change constructed? What is the nature of contestations surrounding this knowledge, and in particular surrounding the attribution of climate change to particular causes or events? How are livelihoods organized in response to the impact of climate change? I examined elderly women heads of households' perceptions and understandings of weather and climate change, issues of conflict and consensus regarding attribution and causality of weather and climate, the concepts that are used to refer to climate change, elderly women’s struggles to make sense of, and respond to climate change and to organize livelihood activities in response to the ongoing impact of climate change. In order to answer my research questions I adopted the use of Participatory Rural Appraisal, participant observation, archival research, life-history interviews, narrative research and in-depth interviews as data gathering approaches. I focused on the situated experiences of ten elderly women heads of households in Gutsa village existing in a wider community. In doing so this thesis explored these women’s complex understandings and interpretations of weather and climate dynamics as well as the relationship between climate change and their multiple and competing responsibilities. The thesis also analyses the implications of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme in the district, peri-urban development, resource commoditization and commercialization, rapidly shifting markets, changing property relations, social networks, livelihood opportunities, gender relations, changing household structure, the politics of local authority and governance and the dynamics of ecosystems and interspecies interaction. The thesis argues that there is a central vernacular climatological theory that is widely shared among the elderly as well as among other situated individuals in the village and the wider community. / MT2018

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Management Science: Public Management (Peacebuilding), Durban University of Technology, 2017. / The thesis examines the operations and outcomes of the Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Matetsi ward. It examines the causes of conflicts and consequences of the conflicts in the SHGs. This is achieved by adopting the conflict transformation approach. Succinctly, the theory views conflict as not necessarily destructive, but as a vehicle for change. This therefore, has implications for one’s understanding of the causes of conflicts. SHGs have been adopted by rural women so that they can work collectively to address their socio-economic problems. The study was conducted in Matetsi ward, Hwange District where conflicts within the groups were broadly detected. The information used in the study were produced from face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, minute books and testimonials throughout field work in the designated ward. The study exposed that conflicts in the study location emanated from delays in loan repayments by SHG members. Individuals’ failure to fulfil their obligations of saving and returning loans on time created tensions which in turn resulted in conflict among the group members. The conflicts became complex and recurred due to unaddressed animosity, fear and anger, resulting in frustrations in the groups. Conflicts in the groups also led to the collapse of some of the groups. The research findings indicated that SHGs were not only sources of income for rural women, but also represented a yearning for self-sufficiency among rural women in spite of the socio-economic strife in Hwange District. / M

Girls in rural areas face a number of challenges in their pursuit of basic education, empowerment and gender equality. This thesis explores the extent to which gender equality and empowerment of women have been achieved in education in ward 33 of Mt Darwin. At the centre is what Zimbabwean government and civil society organisations such as Campaign for female education (Camfed) have done to implement strategies addressing challenges affecting implementation and achievement of MDG 3. A multi-method research strategy, including focus group discussions, questionnaires administration and interviews, was used in the data collection process. The findings of the study show reciprocal linkage between education, empowerment and gender equality. Ward 33 requires integration in approach from assisting agencies and the general populace if Millennium Development Goal 3 is to be achieved. Results showed the multiple barriers girls face in the process of accessing education within the homes, along the way to school and within the school system itself. Camfed and government’s interventions have been pointed out to contributing to the achievement of MDG 3 in the ward. Women’s quest for equality is evident. Specific actions recommended after this research include the need for MOESAC to strategically post qualified teachers in rural areas, sensitization and empowerment programmes targeting men, civil society organisations and government ministries working with women to intensify advocacy, capacity building and leadership trainings for women. Overall recommendation is that there is need to implement MDG 3 beyond 2015 if rural women are to be integrated into the MDG 3 empowerment and gender equality agenda. / Development Studies / M. Admin. (Development Studies)

Girls in rural areas face a number of challenges in their pursuit of basic education, empowerment and gender equality. This thesis explores the extent to which gender equality and empowerment of women have been achieved in education in ward 33 of Mt Darwin. At the centre is what Zimbabwean government and civil society organisations such as Campaign for female education (Camfed) have done to implement strategies addressing challenges affecting implementation and achievement of MDG 3. A multi-method research strategy, including focus group discussions, questionnaires administration and interviews, was used in the data collection process. The findings of the study show reciprocal linkage between education, empowerment and gender equality. Ward 33 requires integration in approach from assisting agencies and the general populace if Millennium Development Goal 3 is to be achieved. Results showed the multiple barriers girls face in the process of accessing education within the homes, along the way to school and within the school system itself. Camfed and government’s interventions have been pointed out to contributing to the achievement of MDG 3 in the ward. Women’s quest for equality is evident. Specific actions recommended after this research include the need for MOESAC to strategically post qualified teachers in rural areas, sensitization and empowerment programmes targeting men, civil society organisations and government ministries working with women to intensify advocacy, capacity building and leadership trainings for women. Overall recommendation is that there is need to implement MDG 3 beyond 2015 if rural women are to be integrated into the MDG 3 empowerment and gender equality agenda. / Development Studies / M. Admin. (Development Studies)