Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2016 / This study seeks to investigate the impact of Child Support Grant with special reference to Moletjie Moshate Village. The government in its efforts to alleviate poverty to the previously disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of our communities, introduced several poverty alleviation strategies such as the Child Support Grant which replaced the Maintenance Grant. The Child Support Grant has proven to be successful as it was able, according to the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, to help millions of poor children. However, as successful as it may be, the Child Support Grant as a social welfare strategy is inadequate. People are still facing poverty due to lack of job opportunities. The findings of the present study show that a lack of family planning that unprotected sex, moral degeneration and absent fathers are challenges which derail any positive impact. The study further reveals that the majority of the respondents experience hardships in terms of property ownership, employment, and education, training and skills development, emotional and financial support. The main aim of this study was to investigate if the grant was used properly and to make recommendations towards a solution. The study also sought to answer the question whether there was any alternative to Child Support Grant. It also asks if it is important to get support of grant even after the child has reached 18 years. Quantitative methods were used. Questionnaires were used as Interview schedules. The research was focusing on two phases being the impact on recipients and on the beneficiary himself/herself. The government helps through other poverty alleviating mechanisms like food parcels, school nutrition systems and free health services, which are complementary to poverty alleviation. This is a challenge for the government and the community at large; if the situation is not changed it will cost government huge amounts which could be used for other projects.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the poverty alleviation strategies post mine closure in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The study also focuses on the legislative framework of mine closure in South Africa, to guide the mining operations, downsizing and retrenchment processes. The study is qualitative in design, and semi-structured interviews were used for the mining officials, municipal officials as well as the retrenched employees. The literature review looks at how other countries of the world are effectively making use of the available resources in combating poverty in their respective countries, including African countries. It is evident that natural resources are the most important international commodity and thus play a major role in the socio-economic development. The study critically analysed how effective are the strategies to alleviate poverty currently implemented in the research community. This analysis includes the impact faced by mining communities post mine closure, owing to the depletion of Copper and phosphates ores which are the most mined natural resources in the area. The findings of this study reveal that mining companies are profit-making entities, and their survival depends on both their production and favourable market forces. Some of the key findings are that poverty alleviation projects are there but the administration of those projects is poor, and thus do not address their primary goal; and the partnership between the municipality and mining companies is not mutual. Recommendations made in this study are that there should be proper approach towards the implementation of those strategies; reinforce future plans of mining companies during downscaling and a complete closure; and also ensure that a municipality provides support to viable Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) that are linked to tourism sector to unlock socio-economic activities within the community.

Drought related problems are a major stress source on the livelihood of communities in several areas of the world. Due to inefficient water resources management people leave their traditional habitat in search for security in larger agglomerations. This creates a big stress on the carrying capacity of urban centers and leaves deserted rural areas incapacitated. Setting Sustainable Development Goals as targets to reach, using Resilience Thinking to provide for resilience, adaptability and transformability, and planning for Integrated Water Resources Management can be a solution to reduce this outmigration. Rajasthan is a state in India where communities have been surviving with very little available water for ages. Contemporaneous implementations in parts of Rajasthan fulfill the framework set for this study. After identifying a promising SES in terms of drought resilience a field investigation was conducted for adequate assessment and model of resilient SES was reverse engineered from the findings. Reading thru this document one can explore the uniqueness of Rajasthan water governance from pasts long gone and to the current date. In the end of the study strategic adaptive planning recommendations can be found for creating a similar SES.

This study strives to examine how microfinance activities can be successfully applied in the developed world. This is done through a field study in New York City. Throughout interviews and observations with three of the largest actors in New York: Acción USA, Grameen America and Project Enterprise, as well as interviews with their clients, the lending processes and key characteristics of the organizations have been mapped. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has been interviewed on the general opinion of microfinance in the US. Previous theory elaborates on some of the major challenges with implementing microfinance activities in the developed world, such as lack of funding and cultural differences hindering the lending processes to be carried out as they are in the developing world. Henceforth, problems regarding regulation, awareness and outreach are discussed. Throughout the observation of the institutions we can confirm that some of the challenges brought up in theory actually are apparent. We do, however, question the criticism towards the use of group-based lending programs in the developed world. Our study does, in contrast to previous research, imply that the concept does work as well in the US as it does in developing countries. Since this is a case study based on the observations of only a few organizations, it is precarious to draw any general conclusions based upon the findings. Indications of key success factors are, though, group-based lending programs, non-financial services, creating awareness, financial sustainability, savings as funding, standardized regulations and increased transparency. Finally we advocate focus on job creation to obtain acknowledgement.

This study strives to examine how microfinance activities can be successfully applied in the developed world. This is done through a field study in New York City. Throughout interviews and observations with three of the largest actors in New York: Acción USA, Grameen America and Project Enterprise, as well as interviews with their clients, the lending processes and key characteristics of the organizations have been mapped. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has been interviewed on the general opinion of microfinance in the US. Previous theory elaborates on some of the major challenges with implementing microfinance activities in the developed world, such as lack of funding and cultural differences hindering the lending processes to be carried out as they are in the developing world. Henceforth, problems regarding regulation, awareness and outreach are discussed. Throughout the observation of the institutions we can confirm that some of the challenges brought up in theory actually are apparent. We do, however, question the criticism towards the use of group-based lending programs in the developed world. Our study does, in contrast to previous research, imply that the concept does work as well in the US as it does in developing countries. Since this is a case study based on the observations of only a few organizations, it is precarious to draw any general conclusions based upon the findings. Indications of key success factors are, though, group-based lending programs, non-financial services, creating awareness, financial sustainability, savings as funding, standardized regulations and increased transparency. Finally we advocate focus on job creation to obtain acknowledgement.

Thesis (LLM. (Development)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / The purpose of the investigation is to research the contribution of Fetakgomo Local Municipality in alleviating poverty through poverty alleviation projects. Poverty and inequality have reached unacceptable proportions and the most hit are people living in rural areas and as a results the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Eighty respondents filled in the questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with Fetakgomo Local Municipality management and other relevant stakeholders. The research findings indicate that the communities around Fetakgomo Local Municipality specifically Nkwana, Nchabeleng, Strydkraal, Apel, Mohlaletse and Mashilabele are partly benefiting from Fetakgomo Local Municipality. The findings also show that Fetakgomo Local Municipality is partly contributing positively towards poverty alleviation within the municipality. The major findings of this research study are that poverty alleviation projects are partly effective in alleviating poverty, especially among needy families. The final results from the study show that most of the rural poverty alleviation projects are not sustainable. The main reasons leading to poor performance of rural poverty alleviation projects are lack of participation of key stakeholders, lack of financial management, inefficient management and lack of planning. The study recommends that committed stakeholders, individuals and poverty alleviation projects who take part in poverty alleviation projects should be considered for funding and training rather than providing state grants only to groups of people. Resources such as transport should be provided to poverty alleviation projects in local areas to access any type of market. All the local economic development projects should install palisade, surveillance systems and electric security fences around the projects to prevent theft. The study also recommends that a stipend of R1500.00 should be paid to each project member to encourage and attract those who are interested. The research study also recommends that there must be a continuous monitoring and evaluation of poverty alleviation projects on a regular basis by government officials.

Since the end of the Current Wars in the 19th Century, alternating current (AC) has dominated the production, transmission, and use of electrical energy. The chief reason for this dominance was (and continues to be) that AC offers a way minimize transmission losses yet transmit large power from generation to load. With the Digital Revolution and the entrance of most of the post-industrialized world into the Information Age, energy usage levels have increased due to the proliferation of electrical and electronic devices in nearly all sectors of life. A stable electrical grid has become synonymous with a stable nation-state and a healthy populace. Large-scale blackouts around the world in the 20th and the early 21st Centuries highlighted the heavy reliance on power systems and because of that, governments and utilities have strived to improve reliability. Simultaneously occurring with the rise in energy usage is the mandate to cut the pollution by generation facilities and to mitigate the impact grid expansion has on environment as a whole. The traditional methods of transmission expansion are beginning to show their limits as utilities move generation facilities farther from load centers, which reduces geographic diversity, and the integration of nondispatchable, renewable energy sources upsets the current operating regime. A challenge faces engineers - how to expand generation, expand transmission capacity, and integrate renewable energy sources while maintaining maximum system efficiency and reliability. A technology that may prove beneficial to the operation of power system is high voltage direct current transmission. The technology brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages, which are in many ways the complement of AC. It is important to update transmission planning processes to account for the new possibilities that HVDC offers. This thesis submits a discussion of high voltage direct current transmission technology itself and an examination of how HVDC can be considered in the planning process. / Master of Science

Various governments in post-independent Ghana have attempted to alleviate poverty among the citizenry. In furtherance of this, several poverty reduction strategies have been employed with different results. Even though the rate of poverty has fallen over the years, it is still high at 21,4% (Molini and Paci, 2015) with women unfortunately bearing most of the brunt of this (National Development Planning Commission, 2012). This dissertation looks at filling the gap in information by exploring the role women can play in poverty reduction, using Ghana as a case study. In doing that, the study analyses poverty and the underlying reasons for endemic poverty among Ghanaians. The objective of this study was to contextualize and make a dimension of poverty broadly in Africa and Ghana in particular. It also sought to critique the current policy alleviation policies and programmes, in relation to various factors contributing to endemic poverty among Ghanaian women, with the aim of identifying the roles that women can play in poverty reduction and making recommendations. In this regard, a descriptive research design coupled with qualitative research methodological technique was employed, where relevant publications in the form of government reports, journals, textbooks and internet were used to collect data. Inferences were extracted based on the requirements of the research topic. The study found that women play an important role in food production, trade, and business. It also emerged from the study that there are numerous factors inimical to the reduction of poverty among women in Ghana. They included their inability to negotiate labour matters; a lack of, or limited education; patriarchal culture or customs; and economic sabotage. In addressing the aforementioned factors, the study recommended that in its pre-assessment of NGOs, government tailor their intervention to synchronize with the development strategies to alleviate poverty among women. It also advised educational awareness and public-public partnerships in the establishment of schools targeted most especially at women for empowerment purposes. Finally, there was an emphasis on advocacy for the reservation of land exclusively for women through land reforms. / Public Administration and Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

The primary aim of this study was to ascertain whether teacher burnout is accompanied by physiological, psychological and behavioural symptoms. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to ascertain the levels of burnout among a sample of 282 Indian teachers of all ranks in ex - House of Delegates schools in the Kwazulu - Natal region. The Burnout Manifestations Scale was used to elicit those symptoms which burned out subjects exhibited the most. While 23 % of the sample appeared vulnerable to burnout, 7% appeared to be already burned out. It was found that with a few exceptions, the sample was susceptible to a lesser or greater degree to almost all of the symptoms listed in the Burnout Manifestations Scale. As no significant differences between the groups was detected in the selected demographic variables, it can be concluded that anyone, irrespective of their sex, marital status or any other variable, can become vulnerable to burnout. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Can rural renewable energy projects simultaneously meet the multiple goals of sustainable development, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation? If so, under what conditions? Rural communities throughout Latin America have increasingly suffered the impacts of climate change and few policies exist to help them adapt to these impacts. The basic infrastructure and services that they frequently lack can be provided by low carbon technologies, potentially funded by international carbon finance flows that could enable the Millennium Development Goals of economic growth and poverty alleviation to be met while minimizing carbon emissions. This research will focus on this interrelationship among development, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation policies and practices using political ecology to analyse community renewable energy projects in rural Central America. I assess fifteen community-owned renewable energy projects in Guatemala and Nicaragua to analyse whether current renewable energy projects are achieving these goals in an integrated way. The projects were established primarily as development, emissions reductions, climate change adaptation and disaster relief. The projects are evaluated on economic, development and climate change indicators that include sustainable development, poverty alleviation, emissions reductions, and climate vulnerability. I examine how the type of common property governance, local historical and environmental background and project implementation process influence the project success in meeting multiple objectives of climate adaptation, mitigation and development. Research methods include participatory poverty assessment techniques, semi-structured interviews, stakeholder analysis, and a combination of rapid and participatory methods. The analysis of sustainable development and vulnerability used the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach methodologies and emissions reductions were calculated using standard carbon reduction methodologies. The results show that, under certain conditions, renewable energy projects can simultaneously meet these three objectives, and thus that responses to climate change can be integrated with poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Small scale hydroelectric and solar systems can reduce emissions, enable adaptation and help local livelihoods although there are numerous problems that limit the success of projects including poor design, inequitable distribution of benefits, and poorly designed governance and maintenance structures.