Refugees are not a new phenomenon and their plight has been felt the world over. Africa continues to see large numbers of people displaced through armed conflict, producing more refugees on the worlds&rsquo / most poverty stricken continent than any other.<br /> The implications of these displacements of people dislocated from their places of habitual residence create much concern, particularly in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Such dislocations and displacements imply separation from family and communities, including socio-economic benefits that accrue to them. There is an apparent problem of accessing health services, educational services, sources of livelihood and protection from sexual and emotional abuse. Refugee children and women are said to be the most vulnerable, although until recently adolescents in armed conflict were not considered as a<br /> special group of children requiring special attention. The main objective of this research was to investigate levels of risk for HIV among refugee adolescents in Zambia and to determine how location relates to risk. Of particular interest was the difference in risk experienced in rural and urban areas. The researcher&rsquo / s hypothesis was that refugee adolescents in rural camps of Zambia are at greater risk because they lack adequate sources of income, health, and education in comparison to urban areas. The research was located within two theoretical underpinnings namely the social cognitive theory and the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM). The theory posits that a reciprocal relationship exists between environmental contexts, personal factors and behavior. The model explains how people change behavior that reduces risk for HIV by changing perceptions on sexual activity and when they enact the knowledge obtained from HIV preventive programmes. The methodology was located within both the qualitative and quantitative research<br /> approaches. Qualitative because firstly, the research is a comparative case study and secondly, it is the first time such a study is being conducted. The researcher also made use of the quantitative through the survey and secondary HIV/AIDS statistical data.

Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Agroforestry researchers in Eastern Zambia have identified improved fallows as an intervention for soil fertility problems faced by small-scale farmers. In both on-station and on-farm research experiments which have been conducted since 1989, results have shown that improved fallows can mitigate soil degradation and eventually improve land productivity. Both researchers and extensionists have since embarked on disseminating these fallows to the farming community. Researchers were initially entirely dependent on the conventional agricultural extension services to disseminate the technology to the farmers but the process was slow and so was the uptake for the technology by farmers. As researchers were anxious to see that farmers took up improved fallows in a fastest possible way, they opted to use alternative dissemination pathways such as farmer trainers and local leaders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the three dissemination pathways and determine their effectiveness as regards improved fallows. This study assumed that farmers were not taking up improved fallows because they lacked knowledge of it, and also that the lack of knowledge was exacerbated by the ineffective pathway used to reach the farmers. The study was conducted in Chadiza, Chipata and Katete districts of Eastern Zambia. Data were collected using questionnaires in 28 villages across the three districts. Included in the sample were 296 small-scale farmers for whom this technology is intended. Additionally, 51 farmer trainers, 15 local leaders and 14 agricultural extension officers were interviewed as disseminators of this technology. Farmers were randomly sampled; local leaders were systematically sampled while a total enumeration was done for farmer trainers and agricultural extension officers present at the time of the interviews. This study found that 92% of the farmers were aware of the technology, with 68% having only known about it between 1998 and early 2000. This was the period when farmer trainers were already working. Farmer trainers were source of initial information to 41% of the farmers and yet they only started working recently. Although 92% of the farmers had heard about improved fallows, only 33% had ever planted some. Ten percent cf the entire population of farmers could be said to have adopted improved fallows because they have planted more than one fallow. Lack of knowledge is therefore not the only reason that farmers were not taking up improved fallows. Farmer trainers were found to currently be a more effective dissemination pathway as they were able to reach more farmers even in areas where agricultural extension officers had not been before. Local leaders have not been involved with disseminating improved fallows. Agricultural extension officers were hampered by lack of resources but were still trying to assist farmers with resource assistance from external institutions such as NGOs. The findings point to a need for participatory extension approaches as well as participatory monitoring and evaluation systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agrobosbou-navorsers in Oos-Zambië het braaklandbewerking geïdentifiseer as ingryping in grondvrugbaarheidsprobleme wat ondervind word deur boere wat op klein skaal boer. Die resultaat van eksperimente wat gedoen is as deel van beide proefplaas- en plaasnavorsing sedert 1989 het daarop gewys dat die bewerking van braaklande die agteruitgang van grond kan temper en geleidelik die produktiwiteit daarvan kan verhoog. Navorsers sowel as voorligtingsbeamptes het sedertdien onderneem om braaklandbewerking aan die boeregemeenskap bekend te stel. Navorsers was aanvanklik ten volle afhanklik van die konvensionele landbou-voorligtingsdienste om die verspreiding van tegnologiese kennis onder boere te hanteer. Hierdie verspreidingsproses was egter stadig en die boere het ook te lank geneem om die tegnologie in werking te stel. Aangesien dit vir die navorsers belangrik was dat boere braaklandbewerking so spoedig moontlik begin. het hulle daarop besluit om alternatiewe metodes van kennisverspreiding te gebruik. Hierdie alternatiewe metodes het behels dat inligting versprei is deur opleidingsbeamptes onder boere sowel as deur plaaslike leiers. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die drie kanale wat gebruik is om inligting te versprei, te ondersoek en die effektiwiteit daarvan vas te stel. Hierdie studie het voorveronderstel dat boere nie braaklandbewerking gebruik nie omdat hulle nie oor die nodige kennis beskik het nie, en dat die gebrek aan die nodige kennis veroorsaak en vererger is deur die oneffektiewe kanale wat gebruik is om die inligting onder boere te versprei. Die studie is uitgevoer in die distrikte Chadiza, Chipata en Katete van Oos-Zambië. Data is ingesamel deur die gebruik van vraelyste in 28 dorpe dwarsdeur die drie distrikte. Dié steekproef sluit 296 boere in wat op klein skaal boer en op wie dié tegnologie gemik was. Onderhoude is gevoer met 'n aantal addisionele persone, as verspreiders van tegnologiese kennis, bestaande uit Slopleidingsbeamptes onder boere, 15 tradisionele plaaslike leiers, en 14 landbou-voorligtingsbeamptes. Boere is lukraak getrek vir die steekproef Plaaslike leiers is sistematies getrek, terwyl die totale aantal opleidingsbeamptes en landbou-voorligtingsbeamptes wat teenwoordig was ten tye van die onderhoude, as proefpersone gebruik is. Daar is bevind dat 92% van die boere bewus was van dié tegnologie, waarvan 68% eers tussen 1998 en vroeg 2000 daarvan gehoor het. Dit was die periode waarin opleidingsbeamptes alreeds onder die boere werksaam was. Opleidingsbeamptes was vir 41% van die boere die bron van die oorspronklike inligting, en tog het hulle onlangs eers onder die boere begin werk. Alhoewel 92% van die boere al van die bewerking van braaklande gehoor het, het slegs 33% al ooit braaklande aangelê. Daar kan gesê word dat tien persent van die totale boerebevolking braaklandbewerking prakties toegepas het omdat hulle meer as een bewerkte braakland aangelê het. Die gebrek aan kennis is daarom nie die enigste rede vir boere se traagheid om die praktyk van braaklandbewerking te aanvaar nie. Opleidingsbeamptes blyk tans die mees effektiewe verspreiders van inligting onder boere te wees aangesien hulle daartoe in staat was om meer boere te bereik, selfs in gebiede waar landbou-voorligtingsbeamptes nog nooit voorheen was nie. Plaaslike leiers was nie betrokke by die verspreiding van braaklandbewerking me. Landbou voorligtingsbeamptes is gekniehalter deur'n gebrek aan hulpbronne, maar het steeds probeer om boere by te staan met behulp van bystand wat verleen is deur eksterne instellings soos Nie-Regeringsorganisasies (NRO's). Dié bevindinge dui op 'n behoefte aan voorligtingsbenaderings sowel as monitering- en evalueringstelsels wat deelnamegeoriënteer is.

The 1980s and 1990s saw major changes in the political landscape of the media in many countries that were either reverting or emerging from repressive nondemocratic regimes. Among the notable changes in media industry was the opening up of the national airwaves, which had been a state monopoly, to private sector and community participation. The democratic dispensation also put state broadcasters in the spot-light regarding their editorial content which was previously ‘institutionalised’ as belonging to the ruling regimes. This study set out to investigate the extent to which broadcasting reform legislation meant to address the unfair coverage of contending voices on Zambia’s public broadcaster has had an impact in reversing the situation in the newsroom. Using qualitative methods of investigation, the study established that while the ZNBC staff understand aspects of their role in their newsroom in relation to the principles of public service broadcasting and in line with the enacted legislation, they perceive that, in practice, they have to ensure that the news content still remains a reserve of a few voices in favour of the ruling regime. This was evidenced by testimonies from the news staff’s complaints of continued editorial interference in their work by government leaders and government appointed gatekeepers, as well as selfcensorship. The study recommends, among other things, the full implementation of the recently enacted laws on the operations of ZNBC in order to achieve some minimum levels of being a public broadcaster. It further recommends a serious re-orientation of the ZNBC newsroom and management staff to the current legislative requirements so as to shift their mindset away from their traditionally-held views of thinking that news at that station is only for the ruling regime.

This study assesses the effects of an agribusiness collapse, on the contracted growers and their surrounding communities in Lusaka Province, Zambia. In 2004, Agriflora Limited, a Trans-Zambezi Industries Limited (TZI) agribusiness in Lusaka Zambia was sold off. Agriflora Limited was one ofthe largest fresh vegetable exporters in Africa. It had contracted almost 500 small-scale farmers with 1-4 hectares of land within 50 km radius of Lusaka to grow vegetables for export. Makeni Cooperative Society was one of the targeted groups of growers. It grew baby corn, mangetout peas, and sugar snap and fine beans for export. The case study relied on both primary and secondary data. I undertook two months of ethnographic fieldwork utilising observations, in-depth interviews and informal discussions with some community members in Makeni. I also reviewed the literature on contract farming schemes (documenting both the negative and positive effects for growers) in developing countries. The case study showed that the impact of the collapse of Agriflora on the growers has been severe indeed; there has been a significant reduction in production with only a few farmers producing for export. Those that are producing are limited to one crop, baby corn. The effect on the local labour market (farm workers) has been quite drastic with a drop in employment. A new agribusiness company, York Farm, was sourced by the government for the contract growers of Makeni. York Farm has signed a procurement contract under which only sale and purchase conditions are specified. This means that, services such as extension services are no longer provided. It was also found that despite the price for baby corn at York Farm being better than what Agriflora used to offer the farmers, farmers are not producing peas which have a higher turnover than baby corn because York farm does not buy peas from the farmers. However, the farmers are hopeful that they will soon start producing peas after they pass the Eurep gap requirements. Furthermore, the farmers are still interested in contract farming as they are convinced that it can lead to higher farm incomes. While the neoliberal critique of the pre- Structural Adjustment agricultural policies was based on the need to improve rural farming income and productivity, my study shows that the contract farmers are not the "traditional" peasant farmers but retired civil servants or former public sector employees who lost their jobs during the contraction of the sector. In conclusion, my field work revealed that the collapse of Agriflora has had negative effects on the growers of MCS in terms a significant decrease in crop production, decline in farmer income, lack of technical assistance such as extension services, transportation problems (to take produce to the new market-York Farm) and reduced contraction in employment opportunities for farm workers.

No description available.

The enrichment of B-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, in the local sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars is an attractive option in order to improve vitamin A intake in Zambia. The study was conducted to: 1) identify sweetpotato genotypes high in B-carotene content and high root dry mass (RDM) and to determine their combining ability, as measured through their progeny performance; and 2) screen progeny for root characteristics, yield, B-carotene content, and RDM. Firstly, a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) was conducted to determine the consumer preferences for sweetpotato. These preferences would form the basis for selecting desirable genotypes. Secondly, five selected parents were crossed in a full diallel for genetic variance studies. A selected subset of the diallel progeny were evaluated in three environments. Thirdly, 15 polycross progeny were evaluated for stability in five environments using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI). The PRA revealed that consumers preferred high RDM combined with high fresh root yield. The diallel crosses recorded significant general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for B-carotene, RDM, harvest index (HI) and root fresh yield (RFY). The ratios of GCA to SCA variances were large (0.68-0.92). Two high B-carotene parents exhibited positive high GCA effects, indicating that additive gene effects were predominant in the inheritance of B-carotene. Reciprocal mean squares were not significant for RDM but they were significant (p=0.01) for B-carotene content. The estimate of narrow sense heritability of RDM (76.3%) was high; but heritability of B-carotene (20.9%), HI (29.1%) and RFY (34.9%) were much lower. These results suggest that rapid genetic gains should be possible with mass selection breeding techniques based on the phenotype of the parent for RDM but progress will be slow for B-carotene content HI, and RFY. The AMMI analysis identified progeny G2 (B-carotene content = 5.0 mg 100 g-1 and RDM = 37%), G6 (B-carotene content = 4.7 mg 100 g-1 and RDM = 37%), and G8 (B-carotene content = 4.7 mg 100 g-1, RDM = 35%) from the polycross as stable across environments for both B-carotene content and RDM. Genotype G3 was best suited to one of the test environments and had the highest B-carotene content (9.421 mg 100 g-1) and a high RDM (35.47%). / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Zambia is one of the Southern African countries that experienced drought between 2001 and 2003. As a result the country had low levels of maize harvest, which is the country's main staple food. The Zambian population depends on maize for both household food security and cash. For this reason the Government of Zambia appealed for help from the international community in order to meet the shortfall of maize with a view to feeding its starving population, particularly in the rural areas. In response to the government's appeal, World Food Programme, (WFP) a United Nations Food agency brought assistance in the form of 27,000 tonnes of genetically modified (GM) maize into the country in July 2002. The Zambian government, however, rejected GM maize in both grain and milled forms, citing health, environmental and trade concerns with the European Union. Thus the focus of the research was to understand, on one hand the government's action of rejecting GM maize as food aid, while on the other hand accepting that drought-stricken small-scale farmers would go hungry as a result of this decision. Understanding the perceptions of government action was therefore essential to understanding the situation the situation fully. In other words, was it a good scientifically based government decision, or was it one made for political gain? Moreover, the purpose of this research was to present arguments about the safety and benefits of Genetic Modification technology for the world, particularly the developing countries. The findings of the study were that the levels of GM technology awareness in Zambia low among technocrats and too low among the rest of the population. To this end, government officials, relevant NGOs and small scale farmers were interviewed. In addition, small scale farmers in Chongwe and Magoye participated in focus group discussions. The findings were that although the Chongwe community experienced drought in their area, they were of the view that the government was justified in rejecting the GM maize from 2001-12 because they did not want to contaminate their land which they regarded as very suitable for farming. On the contrary, the Magoye people were among the communities that had been anxious to get food and were therefore not happy with the government's decision. The hunger suffered at the time in this community caused them to loot the government stores of GM Maize (provided as food aid) before the government could recall the stocks. The issue of access to the GM maize was apparently more important than debating on the potential impacts that might have occurred to their community. Other findings were the Zambian government's decision to reject GM maize (as food aid) impacted negatively, both economically and socially, in these areas. The majority of small-scale farmers experienced food shortages and resorted to various coping strategies such as picking wild-fruits and roots in the bush in order for them to survive. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

African widows experience physical, emotional and spiritual traumas induced by cultural/psycho-social factors, which are further exacerbated by environmental and socioeconomic determinants. These circumstances make both the mourning process and its aftermath - coping with life after the death of their spouses - extremely difficult. Oppressive cultural practices and perceptions can aggravate or intensify the suffering for many of these women. Certain rituals expose women to possible HIV infection, and in the case of Christian widows, are also incompatible with their faith. Compounding this is the cultural stigma attached to widowhood, and the added possibility of the AIDS stigma whether or not her husband did indeed die of HIV and AIDS. This dissertation examines the experiences of Christian widows from multicultural and multi ethnic backgrounds and proposes the way in which the Church can respond, given a context of African cultural practices and HIV prevention initiatives. It responds to the question of the implications of the transition into and the state of widowhood in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia. This is a church operating in an environment where African cultural practices are esteemed, and some widowhood cultural practices have turned out to be risky in a context of HIV and AIDS. Chapter 1 introduces the study giving the background to and motivation for the study. It discuses the feminization of HIV and AIDS in Zambia, and that situation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia which gave the impetus to undertake the study. It also elaborates on the methodology used to conduct this research. Chapter 2 reviews the literature on related research that has already been done on widowhood, showing the reason to study a subject that has received so much attention. It also shows how strands of African Christianity have contextualized the gospel in Africa. Chapter 3 describes Lutheran theology on widowhood and the theology that Lutheranism has developed from Luther's views on widowhood. Chapter 4 describes the methods used in collecting data from the sampled interviewees and informants. Chapter 5 presents the results of the research and these are interpreted in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 presents a proposed Christianized cleansing ritual, giving justification and the procedure for the ritual. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

There is growing acknowledgement that forests and forest products are central to rural livelihoods, but their role in lifting households out of poverty remains contentious. This study tested the assertion by proponents of forest based poverty alleviation that changing conditions in the use and management of forests and forest products has created opportunities for poor rural households to lift themselves out of poverty. The study used detailed annual income data from various household sectors in two contrasting sites in Zambia, namely Mufulira and Kabompo districts, analyzing the relative contribution of forest income to household livelihood, the effect of household wealth status on forest use, factors driving household participation in forest product trade, and the influence of distance to urban markets on trends in the use of forest products. The study found that forest based activities play a central role in the livelihoods of households in the two study sites, contributing close to half of total household income, and dwarfing the contribution of agricultural sectors such as cropping and livestock rearing which are generally regarded as the main income sources for rural households. Forest based sectors were also found to be particularly valuable sources of household cash, often coming at critical times to meet basic needs. The findings also revealed that without the contribution of forest income, the proportion of households that would fall below the poverty line would increase sharply in both study sites. Wealthier households earned higher magnitudes of both subsistence and cash income from forest based activities than their poorer counterparts. Even the share of total household income coming from forest based activities was also higher among these better-off households, confirming that these activities are lucrative and they are improving the wealth status of households. Household participation in forest product trade was found to be influenced by demographic factors such as number of productive household members, age and the education level of the household head. Economic factors such as the level of income from wage labour, household poverty level, and ownership of key assets such as a bicycle were found to be important. Distance of homestead from the forest was also found to be an important contextual variable. The influence of urban demand on the use of forest products by rural households was significant in the study area. Although local sales played an important part as a source of cash for households, the most preferred channels for trade were linked to urban markets, either through roadside markets, middlemen or direct sales to urban buyers. The study concluded that with improved local organization and support for product development and marketing, some forest based activities provide a viable poverty alleviation option for poor rural households who otherwise have limited economic opportunities to escape poverty.

Submitted in compliance with the requirement for Degree of Doctor of Technology: Radiography, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The shortage of radiologists in Zambia has persistently made the provision of equitable access to optimum radiological services unattainable in the current radiological service delivery system, while equity in distribution of cost-effective and quality healthcare service as closer to the community as possible is at the core of Zambia’s vision in the National Health Strategic Plan. This vision is maintained in Zambia’s Sixth National Development Plan, for the period 2011 to 2015. The number of radiologists as low as three radiologists, for a population of thirteen million people, makes the possibility of ever providing optimum radiological services equitably accessible to the community unattainable, without launching and upholding a precise remedial intervention. The purpose of the study was to develop a framework for sustainable radiographic human capital developmental guidelines embracing advanced radiographic practice and optimum radiological services, with special focus on hospitals without radiologists. The objectives were to: a) analyse the existing radiographic services and/or practices in rural Zambian hospitals without radiologists; b) examine the views of radiographers, physicians, and patients in hospitals without radiologists, regarding adequacy of radiological service delivery; (c) determine desirable competencies for frontline radiographers in comprehensive radiological service delivery, as well as the benefits of such competencies to the community and the health service facilities; d) analyse the healthcare managements’ expectations regarding frontline radiographers’ capabilities in rendering comprehensive radiological services in healthcare settings without the radiologists, e) formulate, implement, and evaluate a training programme for radiographers for comprehensive radiological services; with specific references to client (physician and patient) satisfaction and radiographic competencies; and (f) develop a framework for human capital development for frontline radiographers in providing comprehensive radiological services. The Accenture Human Capital Development Framework (AHCDF) was employed as the theoretical framework to link all key aspects of the inquiry (Thomas, Cheese and Benton, 2003). An Action Research design was used involving multidisciplinary participation, including patients, in the five cyclical phases of the Action Research design; diagnosing, planning, acting, evaluating, and specifying learning. The route of knowledge generation and application was guided by retroductive or abductive cyclical logical process. The interviews, document analysis, and questionnaires were applied to obtain data, whereas a designed training programme for frontline radiographers was piloted and evaluated within this study. The study’s data management and analysis were largely by qualitative methods, though quantitative aspects involving percentages as in descriptive statistics were also involved where appropriate. The discussion, integrates the research findings under appropriate themes of the theoretical framework. An investment perspective in AHCDF is linked to ways of investing in radiographers’ education and training towards extended roles is discussed. The radiographers’ extended roles are seen as a catalyst to desirable radiological technology, radiological service designs, and corresponding radiological service outcome. The benefit of this proposed investment is seen as promoting equitable access to radiological services, with averted or reduced costs ascribed to referrals of patients among hospitals. Consequently, incomes of households and healthcare institutions would be preserved for poverty reduction by reduced referral-related costs. The researcher-devised frontline radiographic human capital developmental (FRHCD) conceptual framework is developed and a way forward recommended. / African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship International Development Research Center (IDRC) Ford Foundation