Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deforestation in Malawi is said to reach 2.3% per annum and negatively affects agricultural production, the backbone of the country's economy. High dependence on indigenous wood for sale as fuelwood or charcoal by rural communities due to poverty largely contributes to this deforestation. Women and children suffer most because they spend more time collecting firewood than men, affecting other activities like child-care and education. The study, aimed at investigating ways to alleviate deforestation by increasing rural people's economic benefits from non-destructive indigenous fruit utilisation, was conducted in Mwanza District from February to June 2001. The district's customary forests which contain a wide variety of wild fruit species are currently deforested due mainly to charcoal production. Five out of 16 villages facing deforestation were randomly chosen by the lottery method. Group, individual and key informant interviews focused on the utilisation of preferred fruit species by communities while participatory resource assessment was used to determine availability and distribution of fruit trees. A market survey to assess fruit trade in the country was conducted in Balaka, Blantyre, Mangochi, Mwanza and Zomba Districts in early June 2001. Twenty-six wild fruit species were found to be utilised by villagers in the study area but Adansonia digitata (Baobab) was the most commonly found near villages and the most preferred fruit by 90% of respondents. Other preferred species were Tamarindus indica (Tamarind), Diospyros kirkii, Flacourtia indica and Vangueria infausta. Most fruit trees except for baobab were found to be of small size classes because of being young stems regenerating while others were shrubs. The poor largely depended on fruit as a meal and for sale. Mainly children and women sold baobab and tamarind within the villages while only men sold fruit at distant markets for more income. Middlemen largely benefited from fruit sales compared to villagers who sold at low prices and lacked marketing information. Fruit rot affected retailers outside the study area. Tree climbing to harvest fruit was mainly done by boys and destructive harvesting methods were associated with commercial use. Large, sweet tasting fruit were mainly chosen by rural communities for subsistence use. Land clearance, mast fruiting, perishability and seasonality of fruit seemed to have affected harvest both for subsistence and for sale. However, 89% of households owned fruit trees in homesteads and agricultural fields, said to be more protected than in communal lands with open access. Preferred wild fruit trees were rarely cut by the communities. Local fruit processing, mainly by women, included porridge and juice making and fruit drying while careful storage enabled baobab fruit to be stored for up to a year. Wild fruit plays an important role in the lives of rural communities mainly the poor. Communities attach value to the preferred fruit species but it is difficult to convince most of them to sell wild fruit unless value is added and price incentives are initiated. Regular marketing information could be provided to rural communities and policy makers should set fruit pricing guidelines to create price incentives. Domestication of the preferred fruit trees should be encouraged for continuous fruit supply. Simple fruit processing technologies for commercial purpose could be initiated for women mostly. Research is needed to determine sustainable harvesting levels of wild fruit and ways for participatory monitoring of the levels and harvesting methods used. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ontbossing in Malawi beloop 2.3% per jaar, wat beteken dat landbouproduksie, die ruggraat van die land se ekonomie, negatief geaffekteer word. Wat grootliks bydra tot hierdie ontbossing is dat die plattelandse gemeenskappe as gevolg van armoede hoogs afhanklik is van inheemse hout wat as brandhout of as houtskool verkoop word. Vroue en kinders ly die meeste omdat hulle meer tyd as mans spandeer om vuurmaakhout bymekaar te maak. Dit affekteer ander aktiwiteite soos kindersorg en opvoeding. Hierdie studie het ten doelom maniere te ondersoek waarvolgens ontbossing verlig kan word deur mense op die platteland se ekonomiese voordele uit die benutting van inheemse vrugte te vermeerder sonder dat daar enige omgewingskade aangebring word. Die studie is uitgevoer in die Mwanza Distrik vanaf Februarie 2001 tot Junie 2001. Die distrik se inheemse bosse wat 'n wye verskeidenheid wilde vrugtespesies bevat, word tans ontbos - hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die produksie van houtskool. Vyf uit die 16 dorpies wat ontbossing in die gesig staar, is op 'n lukrake wyse met die loterymetode gekies. In die onderhoude met groepe, individue, en sleutelinformante is gefokus op die benutting van vrugtespesies wat deur die gemeenskappe verkies word. Hulpbronevaluering is gebruik om die beskikbaarheid en verspreiding van vrugtebome te bepaal. Die gemeenskap is by hierdie evaluering betrek. Marknavorsing om vrugtehandel in die land te evalueer, is vroeg in Junie 2001 in die Balaka, Blantyre, Mangochi, Mwanza en Zomba distrikte gedoen. In die studie is bevind dat die inwoners van die area wat bestudeer is 26 wilde vrugtespesies benut. Adansonia digitata (Baobab/Kremetartboom) is egter die meeste naby die dorpies aangetref, en is deur 90% van die respondente as hulle gunsteling vrug aangedui. Ander gewilde spesies is Tamarindus indica (Tamarinde/Suurdadelboom), Diospyros kirkii, Flacourtia indica en Vangueria infausta. Die meeste vrugtebome, behalwe die baobab, val in die laer klasse wat grootte betref, omdat dit die jong lote is wat regenereer, terwyl ander struike is. Die arm mense is grootliks afhanklik van vrugte as 'n maaltyd en as verkoopsartikels. Hoofsaaklik kinders en vroue verkoop baobab- en tamarindevrugte in die dorpies, terwyl vrugte by verafgeleë markte slegs deur mans vir 'n groter inkomste verkoop word. Die middelman trek grootliks voordeel uit vrugteverkope, in vergelyking met die inwoners van die dorpies wat vrugte teen lae pryse verkoop as gevolg van 'n tekort aan bemarkingsinligting. Kleinhandelaars buite die studie-area is deur vrugteverrotting geaffekteer. Dit is hoofsaaklik seuns wat die bome klim om vrugte te oes, en destruktiewe oesmetodes is met kommersiële gebruik geassosieer. Plattelandse gemeenskappe verkies hoofsaaklik groot, soet vrugte vir bestaansgebruik. Dit wil voorkom of grondopruiming, die vrugvorming van byvoorbeeld akkers (mast fruiting), die bederfbaarheid en seisoensgebondenheid van vrugte, die oes affekteer vir bestaansgebruik sowel as vir verkope. Vrugtebome word egter deur 89% van die huishoudings besit en die bome by hierdie huise en in landbouvelde word beter beskerm as dié in gemeenskaplike lande met vrye toegang. Die gemeenskappe kap selde hulle gunsteling wilde vrugtebome uit. Plaaslike vrugteverwerking, hoofsaaklik deur vroue, sluit in die maak van pap en sap, asook die droog van vrugte, terwyl sorgvuldige bewaring daartoe kan lei dat baobabvrugte vir tot 'n jaar lank gebêre kan word. Wilde vrugte speel 'n belangrike rol in die lewens van plattelandse gemeenskappe, veral vir die armes. Die gemeenskappe heg waarde aan hulle gunstelingvrugtespesies, maar dit is moeilik om die meeste te oortuig om wilde vrugte te verkoop - behalwe as waarde bygevoeg word en prysaansporings ingestel word. Gereelde bemarkingsinligting kan aan plattelandse gemeenskappe voorsien word, en beleidbepalers behoort riglyne vir vrugtepryse daar te stelom prysaansporings te skep. Die mense behoort aangemoedig te word om hulle gunstelingvrugtebome by hulle huise te plant om 'n voortdurende vrugtevoorraad te verseker. Eenvoudige vrugteverwerkingtegnologie kan vir kommersiële doeleindes vir hoofsaaklik vroue ingestel word. Navorsing is nodig om volhoubare oesvlakke van wilde vrugte te bepaal, sowel as maniere vir die deelnemende monitering van hierdie vlakke en die oesmetodes wat gebruik word.

Women’s involvement in the fishing sector has been overlooked. The underlying cause of many global conflicts is a lack of access to natural resources. For that reason, it is important to empower women in natural resources. Empowering women to work leads to better growth in third-world countries. Moreover, studying women’s empowerment and gender equality is fundamental to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Women and girls in Tanzania are subjected to discrimination and violence. This study aims to understand women’s role in the fishing sector, their challenges, and how civil society organization works with women’s empowerment in Mwanza, Tanzania. To understand these questions, this study will be based on a case study and use qualitative method to answer the questions. The analytical framework used in this thesis is Kabeer (1999:2005). To understand women's challenges and the view on gender equality in the fishing sector in Mwanza, 28 respondents were interviewed. The study came to the conclusion that women are facing serval challenges for that reason, they can not participate in the fishing sector. However, the government and the village councilors can overcome these challenges.

<p>The general aim of this essay is to situate the AIDS-epidemic in its socio-economic context, in order to see how HIV/AIDS affects households at a micro level. The material for the study was gathered during a minor field study conducted in Mwanza City, Tanzania.  The majority of the population in Tanzania is not part of the formal economic sector and does not enjoy the security of public health care, pension and other forms of support. Instead of being employed in the formal sector these people draw on different informal sources to secure their livelihoods. This has created a context where people are vulnerable in a situation of crisis. Since the 1980s - when the first cases of HIV were recorded in Tanzania - the epidemic has grown and HIV now constitutes one of the major threats to livelihood security.  But what impact does HIV/AIDS have on livelihood strategies in an urban setting? And how does the AIDS-epidemic affect society in general? Theses questions are investigated using qualitative methods and the data is analyzed by means of a livelihood framework.  From the gathered material I could conclude that HIV/AIDS indeed affects the livelihood strategies of afflicted households. Social capital – in the shape of support from family, friends and other networks – turned out to be an important resource. There is, however, an inequity in access to this resource. Stigmatisation has a negative impact on the social capital and increases the vulnerability of the afflicted households.  The essay deals with these issues in a wider perspective in relation to the role of the state and other actors and it is concluded with a discussion on the role of livelihood studies in the prevailing discourse on HIV/AIDS.</p>

The general aim of this essay is to situate the AIDS-epidemic in its socio-economic context, in order to see how HIV/AIDS affects households at a micro level. The material for the study was gathered during a minor field study conducted in Mwanza City, Tanzania.  The majority of the population in Tanzania is not part of the formal economic sector and does not enjoy the security of public health care, pension and other forms of support. Instead of being employed in the formal sector these people draw on different informal sources to secure their livelihoods. This has created a context where people are vulnerable in a situation of crisis. Since the 1980s - when the first cases of HIV were recorded in Tanzania - the epidemic has grown and HIV now constitutes one of the major threats to livelihood security.  But what impact does HIV/AIDS have on livelihood strategies in an urban setting? And how does the AIDS-epidemic affect society in general? Theses questions are investigated using qualitative methods and the data is analyzed by means of a livelihood framework.  From the gathered material I could conclude that HIV/AIDS indeed affects the livelihood strategies of afflicted households. Social capital – in the shape of support from family, friends and other networks – turned out to be an important resource. There is, however, an inequity in access to this resource. Stigmatisation has a negative impact on the social capital and increases the vulnerability of the afflicted households.  The essay deals with these issues in a wider perspective in relation to the role of the state and other actors and it is concluded with a discussion on the role of livelihood studies in the prevailing discourse on HIV/AIDS.

This essay has two aims. The first is to provide a better understanding of how youths in urban Mwanza envision a deepening of the democratic system in regard to the deliberative democracy theory by Jürgen Habermas and the agonistic pluralism by Chantal Mouffe. The second aim is to connect the empirical material – the democratic deepening visions of youths in urban Mwanza – to a theoretical discussion, transforming the democratic models into democratization chains. The theoretical contribution in this essay is to apply these theoretical models to an emerging democracy such as Tanzania, and to to transform the agonistic pluralism and deliberative models into democratization chains. The empirical material in this essay has further been gathered through semi-structured interviews with 19 youths in urban Mwanza. The results presented in the first analytical chapter shows that youths in urban Mwanza leans towards a vision of a deliberative model of democracy rather then an agonistic pluralism, but that a social class dimension could be seen as affecting the lean. Particularly less-educated females raised concerns that a deliberative approach would segment an unsatisfying political status quo. The theoretical discussion showed that the implications visions of a deepened democracy from youths in urban Mwanza theoretically could have on the democratization process changes if the theories are seen as models or chains.

Children engage in paid and unpaid work that is damaging to them daily all around the world. They are categorized as child laborers, however when they are either too young to work or are engaged in dangerous activities that may jeopardize their physical, mental, social or educational development (Unicef 2021). The topic of Child labour relates to the broader area of peace and development due to child labour being a development issue. The theoretical frameworks selected for this thesis are Amartya Sen’s ‘capabilities’ theory. The aim with this field study is to recognize the strategies of NGO’s combat against child labour and their challenges as well as their improvements. To gain an understanding of child labour in relation to hazardous environments and their impacts on a local level in Mwanza, with the help of key informant interviews and stakeholders. Indirect data was chosen rather than direct data, because it would be unethical to interview children. The fact that children suffer makes child labor a touchy subject. It is impossible for me to discuss every aspect of child labor because the subject is so vast and sensitive. I therefore only have knowledge that is applicable to my research. I have come to the conclusion that the factor of child labour is mainly poverty. The strategies of the NGOs to prevent child labour differs from one another, but many of them use awareness as a strategy. Their challenges are lack of resources and the community’s perception.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-174).

A high proportion of urban residents in Tanzanian cities are tenants who rent rooms in privately owned houses in unplanned settlements. However, in housing policy and in urban planning rental tenure gets very little attention. This study focuses on the reasons for and consequences of this discrepancy between policy and practice. Perspectives and actions of different actors involved in the housing provision process in Mwanza City, Tanzania, have been central to the research. The examined actors are residents in various housing tenure forms as well as government officials and representatives at different levels, from the neighbourhood level to UN-Habitat. The main methods have been interviews and discussions with actors as well as studies of policy documents, laws and plans. Among government actors, private rental tenure is largely seen as an issue between landlords and tenants. Tanzanian housing policy focuses more on land for housing than on shelter. This means that house-owners who control land have a more important role in urban planning and policies than tenants have. In Tanzania in general and in Mwanza in particular, housing policy focuses on residents’ involvement in upgrading unplanned areas by organising in Community Based Organisations. This means that owners who live for a longer period in an area benefit more from settlement improvements than tenants. Tenants are relatively mobile and do not take for granted that they will stay in the same house for long. This raises the question of tenants’ possibilities to influence as well as their rights as citizens as compared to that of owners. The question of citizens’ rights for dwellers in informal settlements has received increased attention during the last years in international housing policy discussions. There is an evident need to intensify and diversify this discussion.

A quantitative, explorative, descriptive contextual study was conducted to determine to what extent the malaria control measures proposed by the Tanzanian government had been implemented by parents of children between the ages 0-5 years who lived in Bukumbi village. Structured interviews were conducted with 40 parents of children who had been admitted for malaria treatment during 2007, and the data analysed by computer. Although respondents had a basic knowledge of preventive measures they did not implement actions preventing the anopheles mosquitoes’ breeding in this tropical area. The vicious cycle of poverty, malaria episodes and lack of proper malaria health education hampered the implementation of control measures such as the spraying of houses with insecticides. Although the government of Tanzania subsidises insecticide treated bed nets the respondents did not maintain these nets and did not renew the insecticide treatment of these nets. The incidence of malaria is unlikely to decline in the Bukumbi village unless all identified factors are addressed. / Health Studies / M.A.

A quantitative, explorative, descriptive contextual study was conducted to determine to what extent the malaria control measures proposed by the Tanzanian government had been implemented by parents of children between the ages 0-5 years who lived in Bukumbi village. Structured interviews were conducted with 40 parents of children who had been admitted for malaria treatment during 2007, and the data analysed by computer. Although respondents had a basic knowledge of preventive measures they did not implement actions preventing the anopheles mosquitoes’ breeding in this tropical area. The vicious cycle of poverty, malaria episodes and lack of proper malaria health education hampered the implementation of control measures such as the spraying of houses with insecticides. Although the government of Tanzania subsidises insecticide treated bed nets the respondents did not maintain these nets and did not renew the insecticide treatment of these nets. The incidence of malaria is unlikely to decline in the Bukumbi village unless all identified factors are addressed. / Health Studies / M.A.