Understanding the role that tourism play in poverty alleviation globally has been a research focus of many studies in different countries. For an extended period the trickle down method of wealth distribution, where it was believed that riches find its way down the value chain to the poor in terms of taxes spent on welfare, infrastructure, grants etc., was globally accepted. In recent years though, focus on tourism as tool for increasing economic growth and poverty alleviation has been placed at the centre. It is true that in many cases tourism made a difference in the lives of the poor but it is also true that in many instances this is not the case. This dissertation analysed the perceived contribution made by tourism to poverty alleviation in Mozambique in general, and Praia de Bilene and Macanetta peninsula in particular. These are pre-eminently tourist destinations and ideally suited for a study of this nature. The primary goal of this dissertation was to determine the contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation in Mozambique by assessing Praia Bilene and Macanetta peninsula. The first objective was to describe and understand the link between tourism and poverty. It was found that the traditional definition of poverty no longer applies to most situations. That it is better to view poverty as a lack of access instead of money, access to natural resources, bureaucratic processes, capital markets and entrepreneurship. The review analysed different research methods, looking in depth at the livelihood analysis, ST~EP and MPI. The three pathways namely direct, indirect and induced levels on how tourism affects the poor were also explored. The most challenging area has to be the quantifying of tourism impacts on communities and local livelihoods. Concluding that the measurement of tourism impacts on poverty alleviation is an intricate debate and not easily accomplished. The second objective was to analyse the current status of the tourism industry in Mozambique. With 48% of sub-Sahara living in poverty, the picture in Mozambique is even drearier, with 54% living under the poverty line and 81% living under the $2 poverty line in the country (OPHI, 2013:1), confirming that it is one of the world’s poorest countries. Mozambique’s profile was analysed on its poverty status, tourism development, growth and the tourism impacts on the local communities of Bilene and Macanetta. It was found that several tourism opportunities are scooped up by foreigners and that this causes a major leakage of resources from regions where poverty alleviation by tourism is attempted. At a 7% GDP growth rate Mozambique is making very good progress, but due to being so poor and behind it is not reducing the poverty fast enough. The third objective was to determine the perceptions of two Mozambique communities on tourism impacts and the impact of tourism on their poverty status by incorporating the multi-dimensional poverty index. A perception analysis was done by means of a structured questionnaire presented to random residents from all walks of life at the two specific locations mentioned. The correlation between MPI and perceptions of the impacts of tourism shown that resident’s perceptions of tourism do not influence their deprivation scores negative or positive. It was however determined in an open question that an overwhelming 4 out of 5 people felt that tourism did contribute to poverty alleviation. The perceptions and reality therefore differ. The last objective was to draw conclusions and make recommendations with regard to the contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation in selected Mozambican communities. Conclusions were drawn as to the effectiveness of tourism as a strategic method in the onslaught against poverty in the selected communities. Amongst these conclusions was the fact that poverty seems to be an increasingly complex phenomenon. Due to the difficulty in defining poverty, a wide variety of research methods need to be used to assess the situation. No single approach to impact valuation of tourism on poverty can present all the answers. Concluding in this analysis into poverty and tourism’s relationship it was determined that not only did the factual data show that tourism did not alleviate poverty at these locations but that the population, in stark contrast to empirical proof, determined in their own mind that they perceived a definite improvement due to tourism. Thus residents do not necessarily receive personal benefits from tourism but they are positive towards the tourism industry. This should be utilised by creating opportunities for higher levels of participation in the industry as well as generating more tangible, positive affects for the local population in Mozambique. / MA (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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Thesis advisor: Richard McGowan / The Fair Trade movement is not new. Its roots go all the way back to the 1940s, and since its inception many Fair Trade organizations have arisen to offer this alternative strategy for doing business. Coffee is most commonly associated with Fair Trade, and it is the product this paper seeks to explore. In a broad sense, this investigation will look at how close Fair Trade Coffee certification programs actually come to being fair. The working definition of fairness is the ability to provide economic opportunities to marginalized workers. A fair economy would properly reward hard-working farmers for their intense labors. Many Fair Trade initiatives argue this is not what exists. As a result, they pay a living wage and offer opportunities to coffee farmers—some of the poorest people in the world—with hopes that this will help advance them out of poverty. To see if this successfully promotes fairness in economics, this paper will focus on the benefits of certification to small-scale farmers, mainly regarding income, and on the development of the Fair Trade Coffee market. Ultimately, this research will demonstrate that this movement is at least somewhat successful at improving the economic situation of marginalized workers. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.

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Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This study explores the informal saving institutions, with a particular focus on the Kobuakisa Carte practice, which is an informal financial institution that mobilizes savings for poverty reduction among low-income people in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The research investigates the extent to which the Kobuakisa Carte serves the purpose of mobilizing savings for poverty alleviation. It is hypothesized that Kobuakisa Carte influences informal savings, enables the poor to satisfy their basic material needs, reduces poverty and consequently leads to individual empowerment and development. This study integrated the case study methodology in its research design. It applied both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative research data comprised document analysis, interviews with Kobuakisa Carte’s clients and officers. In addition, a questionnaire was utilized to gather quantitative research information from 50 informal traders. The findings of the study reveals that Kobuakisa Carte has not have a positive impact towards poverty reduction. Informal savings were incapable of helping the poor to increase their income because they were small in amount and were mainly used for fulfilling basic needs rather than financing income-generating activities. Savings from Kobuakisa Carte were used for survival rather than for poverty reduction. The majority of the poor favor Kobuakisa Carte due to its flexibility and adaptation to local culture and values. The study finds that the most positive impact of the scheme on the welfare of the poor was in the areas of education, health, food and housing. The scheme has the potential to empower the poor and to develop local finance system in following bottom up approach. This study recommends the partial integration of Kobuakisa Carte into formal financing channels and should be given proper recognition and adequate consideration in the nation’s financial system. The study concludes that Kobuakisa Carte is an active and dynamic saving scheme. It has demonstrated the potential to alleviate poverty. It needs to be studied and requires support in order to make it more effective.

There is a tendency amongst scholars to view comedic elements common to Roman Comedy, such as the tricky subordinate or the nagging wife, as part of a developing Western Comedic Tradition. The appearance of these characters in Medieval Japanese Kyōgen, a comedic art-form unconnected with Western Comedy, challenges this viewpoint and suggests that they are part of a wider comedic identity. This thesis compares and contrasts Roman Comedy and Kyōgen through their techniques of fear-alleviation, exploring the manner in which each culture addresses social anxieties. The first chapter explores the comedic master-slave/servant relationship through the medium of the tricky slave/servant. It examines how the motif of the tricky subordinate is used to alleviate contemporary fears of authority figures. Chapter 2 considers the other half of this relationship, focusing on authority’s fear of rebellion and how this is addressed through the loyal and/or stupid slave/servant. Chapter 3 explores the depiction of religious and supernatural figures in the two comedic forms and examines the methods by which these awe-inspiring beings are portrayed humorously and rendered harmless. The fourth chapter reflects on the treatment of illness in Roman Comedy and Kyōgen. It discusses how contemporary social anxieties regarding blind men (Medieval Japan) and the stigma of insanity and epilepsy (Rome) are alleviated through the humorous comedic depiction of blind and insane/epileptic characters. Chapter 5 explores the comedic presentation of professional figures. This chapter contrasts the boastful character of the comedic soldier of Roman Comedy with the braggart priest of Kyōgen. In Chapter 6, the focus is on the misogynistic treatment of wives in both comedic art-forms. This chapter explores contemporary fear of wives and how this fear is alleviated through their negative portrayal in comedy. This thesis finds that there is a strong correlation between Roman Comedy and Kyōgen, both in the types of social anxiety which they seek to alleviate and the methods by which they seek to accomplish this. It also finds that the motif of the tricky subordinate and the nagging wife are not just Western phenomena but that they are also present in the Eastern Comic Tradition. The comparison of Roman Comedy with Kyōgen, an unrelated comedic form, leads to an enhanced understanding of the role which these characters play in alleviating social anxiety. It also enables the consideration of stock characters in Roman comedy from a wider viewpoint, presenting an opportunity for scholars to re-evaluate characters such as the tricky subordinate and the nagging wife as products of a wider, universal comic tradition.

Abstract: The South African government has boldly set a target for economic growth at 6 percent annually in an effort to reduce unemployment, create wealth and prosperity – effectively working towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in 2015. While there are several other measures already put in place to achieve these goals, another aspect that could help the country reach its target for economic growth and development could be the successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The aim of this research is to interrogate ways in which the preparation and the subsequent hosting of the event could be managed in a manner that would enable the country to achieve its growth targets through infrastructure development and effective allocation of resources

World food security will be one of the greatest global challenges in the 21st century and utilisation of an increased range of food crops is generally regarded as being vital to meeting this challenge, including the use of legumes. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is an African indigenous legume that shows great potential to improve the food and economic security of small scale farmers living in semi-arid regions of South Africa. This study sought to investigate the potential for Bambara groundnut to enhance the food and economic security of small scale farmers in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. A total of 43 Bambara groundnut producers were interviewed about Bambara groundnut production and their perceived enablers and barriers of utilizing Bambara groundnut. The study found that the majority of Bambara groundnut producers were old (>65 years of age), female small scale farmers who produced the crop for primarily household use. There were however a small number of farmers who produced Bambara groundnut on a larger scale, mostly to sell. Most farmers perceived that local demand was higher than supply and were able to obtain a high market value for Bambara groundnut. There appeared to be potential economic opportunities for many of the farmers to sell Bambara groundnut. The main reason why most farmers in this study did not sell Bambara groundnut was because the yields they obtained were too low. The main enablers perceived by farmers for Bambara groundnut production were a) The high nutritional value of Bambara groundnut; b) The good taste of the seeds; c) The nitrogen fixation properties of this legume and its ability to improve soil fertility; d) The legume intercrops well with maize; e) Bambara groundnuts high drought resistance; f) Cultural traditions associated with Bambara groundnut; and g) Use as animal feed. The main barriers were a) Low yielding characteristics of Bambara groundnut; b) Lack of available farmland; c) Lack of irrigation; d) Poor land management practices; e) Low soil fertility; and f) The crop's susceptibility to water logging. Overall the farmers were positive about Bambara groundnut production and could potentially benefit from advancements made in this sector of agriculture. The study concludes with recommendations to help improve small scale farmers' production of Bambara groundnut with the aim of improving their food and economic security.

Submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Community Work) at the University of Zululand in the Department of Social Work, South Africa, 2008. / This study is about the impact of Ugu Community Foundation in uplifting the community of Mtubatuba. The study was conducted on the progress of the Ugu Community Foundation in uplifting the community .As an evaluative research, unstructured interviews were conducted. A sample of twenty projects members was drawn and interviewed from a number of projects fall under Ugu Community Foundation. Related literature has been reviewed that focuses on poverty alleviation and community upliftment through income generating projects. The findings of the study revealed that the projects were able to generate income to alleviate poverty. The findings also revealed a need for the advanced training for the project members and the market. Recommendations based on the findings were made.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the The University of Zululand, South Africa, 2009. / The study investigated the poverty alleviation involving Land Reform Program (LRAD) Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development at Nhlahlayethu Farm (Umkhanyakude District). Besides land that has been taken back from White farmers and given to Black people; very little has been done to show the difference in poverty alleviation. Observations indicate that agricultural activity in land reform projects (LRAD- Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) decrease significantly on land that was commercially viable under previous management. Large numbers of people presently own land that was initially owned by one person. Therefore, the first aim of the study was to investigate challenges and opportunities of land reform projects. The second aim of the study was to determine the general perspectives of the target farmers on agricultural farming. The third objective of the study was to investigate the general causes of non- functionality of land reform projects. The fourth objective of the study was to investigate how the whole group of farmers could work the farm up to its full potential and to determine how the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture, could collaborate to improve development efforts towards sustainable land reform projects. The findings revealed that farmers experience a lot of challenges caused by the lack of funds and farming equipment after the land has been transferred. This ends up making the program of land reform not fully effective in alleviating poverty. Positive perspective of farmers towards farming is hindered by the lack of' farming management skills accompanied by the rate of illiteracy. Policies between the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs need to be aligned so that after transferring the farm to beneficiaries, resources are available for supporting the target farmers. On the basis of the findings of this study, recommendations to the Land Reform Program (LRAD- Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) as well as for directing future research were made.