Dayspring Children’s Village, which is located about 66 km northwest of Johannesburg, has been experiencing a chronic shortage of water for over 30 years. Five out of seven boreholes that are scattered within the school property are dry and there is evidence of contamination in one of the two wells that are producing water at two depths. The presence of bluegum (Eucalyptus globulus) trees is suspected to be the principal cause for the depletion of the aquifer(s) because of their documented high rate of transpiration. The purpose of this project is to determine the complex interaction between the plants and structural elements of the various aquifers, site wells for clean water, and assist with explaining the existing contamination. This study involved parallel studies by other students. My focus was the use time-lapse DC resistivity to map preferential pathways of groundwater so that the impact of the bluegum trees could be determined. Other geophysical studies included time-domain electromagnetics, gravity and magnetics. These methods were used to map geological contacts, lithologies, geological structures, and the distribution of groundwater. Hydrogeology results from a parallel study have shown that there at least two aquifer system at Dayspring School. Time-lapse resistivity and gravity measurements were collected towards the end of rainy season and towards the end of dry season. The results show that groundwater at Dayspring School is largely structurally controlled. The impact of the bluegum trees is not obvious, but it was concluded that the trees are not the cause of apparent groundwater depletion because their root lengths do not reach the mapped geologic structures.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This study is an assessment of participatory monitoring and evaluation in NGOs: a case study of SOS Children’s Village,Cape town, South Africa. The aim of the study is to examine the process of application of PM&E framework in the SOS Children’s Village Project, with a view to ascertaining its impact on the project and to provide suggestions and recommendations to SOS and NGOs in South Africa. There were four primary objectives of this study:to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework, through the discussion and/or analysis of applicable PM&E theories and concepts; to provide an overview of organizational structure of the project implementation team of SOS; to identify the different stakeholders involved in the monitoring and evaluation process; to empirically assess the process of PM&E in the SOS Project. The theoretical and conceptual framework of participatory development approach and the child rights based approach is used in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research are used throughout the study and measurement of key variables are made. While the systematic random sampling technique is utilised to collect data for the quantitative research, purposive sampling was used to select respondents for semi-structured interviews in the qualitative research. The study identified that the monitoring and evaluation process in SOS Children’s Village, Cape Town, South Africa is participatory in which the relevant stakeholders, especially the beneficiaries i.e. children participate in the monitoring and evaluation process. However, the study recommended that there should be an updated training and seminar for the staff to empower them to enhance their understanding of participatory monitoring and evaluation

The purpose of this study is to understand how a children's village in Israel is working to secure children's basic needs. Studies of the Israeli case give increased knowledge about children's villages as out–of–home care. Through a case study, material in the form of interviews and observations has been collected. The study has an ethnographic approach and is based on the result from five semi–structured interviews with a social worker, a children's group leader, teachers and a contact person for the children's village. The material is also based on the authors' observations. The result shows that there are different approaches to secure children's basic needs in a children's village, that every profession has an important role in each method and that stability is the most important need for a child regardless of the form of care. The result also shows that a children's village in relation to other intervention is a quick way to secure children's needs in terms of housing, food and education.

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Narrative therapy provides an opportunity for children to identify what is important to them. The aim of therapy in this research is to open up space for Nguni speaking children, who in their culture, are not allowed to express their feelings freely. The researcher has found that stories allow children an opportunity to realise that they are all human and that we have come through a process where we have to acknowledge that our existence today is largely dependent on the fact that we are not denying our stories as Nguni speaking people. From looking at the results of study, it would appear that these children have benefited from the therapy sessions. From three clients a sense of pride and self-worth was often evident at the end of a session and the overall comment made was that each one felt far better than when they had started the sessions. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (specialisation in Guidance and Counseling)

Narrative therapy provides an opportunity for children to identify what is important to them. The aim of therapy in this research is to open up space for Nguni speaking children, who in their culture, are not allowed to express their feelings freely. The researcher has found that stories allow children an opportunity to realise that they are all human and that we have come through a process where we have to acknowledge that our existence today is largely dependent on the fact that we are not denying our stories as Nguni speaking people. From looking at the results of study, it would appear that these children have benefited from the therapy sessions. From three clients a sense of pride and self-worth was often evident at the end of a session and the overall comment made was that each one felt far better than when they had started the sessions. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (specialisation in Guidance and Counseling)

This dissertation deals with the position of foster-mother in SOS children's villages. The first part focuses on the legislative background of the operation of these facilities for foster care in the context of the development organization SOS Children's Villages in the Czech Republic and the international organization SOS Kinderdorf International. It discusses the problem of Czech SOS Children's Villages, when foster-mother is responsible for the child entrusted to foster care, which is the difference from the Czech villages than villages in the other countries. The second part analyzes the role of the SOS foster-mother. It offers a reflection on the meaning of the concept of the archetypal mother and changes of maternal role. The dissertation maps a question of motivation and readiness for fostering.Step by step are described SOS foster-mothers's career stages and are development cycles of SOS families. The work deals with the controversial topic, such as support for an SOS foster-mother. It introduces the concept of an integrated following educational community youth, boarding facilities for teenagers and young adults from the SOS villages. Work thinks how sustainability cyclic replenishment of children and families in the SOS families and possibilities and individualized needs of clients in the SOS...

Key words Forms of alternative care, institutional care, children's home, substitute family care, foster care, SOS Children's Village, a complex developmental trauma, abuse, deprivation, and child needs, parenting style. Summary This diploma work deals with the characterization of complex development trauma as the cause of placing children in foster care. The diploma work describes the foster care system in the Czech Republic and the specifics educational environment and educational process in the SOS Children's Villages. Includes a comparison of some factors and circumstances of educational conditions children's home and SOS Children's Village. Descriptive studies are concrete stories of children who passed the foster care system. 2