The thesis focuses on the survival mechanisms of the rural poor elderly in Zimbabwe. The situation of the rural elderly is looked at in the context of the ravaging HIV/AIDS pandemic. The focus is specifically directed on the increasing numbers of orphans who are generated following the rampant deaths of their parents (sexually active individuals). With Africa failing to effectively withstand the forcefulness of the pandemic, the community structures in Zimbabwe are being heavily shaken to the detriment of all social groups. It is within this continuum that the research is laid out to investigate the situation on the ground. In this case, a fieldwork exercise was carried out in the Hobodo ward of Mangwe district in Zimbabwe. An intensive and in-depth examination of the critical situation was pursued under the case study model. To make the study more focused, the elderly were placed under investigation with regards to their new role of providing familial care for the orphans. The manner in which they face such a towering task under strained resources and limited knowhow was explored. The well-being of the orphans was also investigated in close relation to the welfare efforts of the elderly guardians. The investigations were made in respect of the contribution of the local resources towards the innovativeness of the elderly guardians. The adaptivity of the elderly and the versatility of the orphans were examined within the confines of the social and the economic capitals of the Hobodo ward. It is within the natural, social and economic capital dimensions of the Hobodo rural locality that the applicability of the sustainable livelihoods framework in explaining the dire social situation of the elderly and the orphans was brought under spotlight. The study was pursued through the qualitative research paradigm. This was done to capture the social perceptions, beliefs and the innovative capabilities of the elderly in their natural environment; and under the fieldwork setting. Several data collection techniques were employed to unveil the subject under study. These included interviews, questionnaires, participant observations, focus group discussions. Sampling was used to produce the research framework. Participants in the research were largely identified through random sampling. In special circumstances, purposive sampling was used. Tape recording and note taking were largely used to capture the responses of the research participants.

South Africa is experiencing increasing urbanisation and an increase in the number of the poor in urban areas and thus the number of food insecure households in these environments. Formal economic opportunities however often fail to keep pace with increase in urban population and this result in increases in informal but not officially recognised activities. Formal urban planning service provision therefore does not enhance the potential of such opportunities. Urban agriculture (UA) is viewed as one such an opportunity not sufficiently activated in urban development strategies. Urban population depends largely on cash income to access food and with unemployment increasing more urban households are unable to access food to meet their needs. Alternative ways of accessing food has become necessary. In Soshanguve close to Pretoria, South Africa, some poor families engaged farming within the township to earn a living. This study has investigated the impact of such farming on household’s food security and income generation. The study investigated an agricultural project launched in 1996 by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in collaboration with Gauteng Provincial Department of Agriculture (GPDA). Forty-eight participants from nine participating groups in Soshanguve were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Farming in urban environment has been found to benefit poor households through direct saving on food purchases, income generation through sale of produced and provision of a varied range of nutritious foods. The hypothesis adopted by this study was that “urban agriculture is often not considered an “urban land use” activity by urban planning authorities and the potential of this economic rationale strategy to support urban food security is not sufficiently exploited. This result in lack of adequate land use planning for urban agriculture and weak support to urban farmers. Urban agriculture is therefore constrained by lack of integrated development approach. The theoretical framework for this study includes the following: (i) UA is derived from the rational resource allocation of (poor) urban dwellers who are not in a position to earn sufficient income from non farming to provide a sustainable urban family livelihood; (ii) UA can be explained by cost saving and reduction in transaction costs from a consumer viewpoint (point of consumption to point of food acquisition); (iii) UA is often a temporary survival strategy to allow a fall back position if sufficient urban income is not generated; (iv) UA is practised mainly to address household food security with surpluses sold in the market. Major finding of this study includes the findings on approach and operation applied by the farmers. The project has the potential to be successful because the benefits are tangible and direct. Farmers in Soshanguve experienced a host of interlinked problems but the project only addressed the information and input problems. The project lacks monitoring and evaluation framework. The development of small farmers should not only focus on short-term assistance through technical training and input supply. The following recommendations were proposed for the development of a sustainable and viable UA sector. The main recommendation is the need to create an enabling environment through the development of appropriate policies. Such policies should <ul><li> Recognize agriculture as a land use activity in urban environments and provide sufficient support services to the urban small-scale agricultural sector.</li> <li> Encourage investment on infrastructure and technology development required for UA development</li> <li> Co-ordinate agricultural activities within urban and between urban and rural areas</li> <li> Involve beneficiaries in the planning and implementation of projects</li> <li> Establish permanent structures and institutions that will promote urban agriculture activities and develop measures to counter negative impacts of UA</li> / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / M Inst Agrar / unrestricted

The full text of this thesis/dissertation is not available online. Please <a href="mailto:upetd@up.ac.za">contact us</a> if you need access. Read the abstract in the section 00front of this document. / Thesis (DPhil (Consumer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

In post-Apartheid South Africa the issues relating to poverty and specifically missional engagement with the poor remains a priority. In order to foster creative imaginations for this missional task, this research focuses on the discourse on four Early Church Fathers’ engagement with the poor. This discourse was brought into dialogue with four Afrikaans Johannesburg churches through phenomenological interviews. Using Susan Holman’s interpretive framework of sensing, sharing and embodying the kingdom dialogue between the teachings and praxis of Clement of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Augustine and four Johannesburg churches were explored in order to develop proposals for the Johannesburg church’s mission towards the poor. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

This research deals with poverty as a context in which pastoral care is developed and practiced. The research is done from the “belly of the whale” as liberation theologians usually say. Efforts are made to study poverty from the painful reality as experienced by the poor. It is theology (pastoral care) from the “underside of history.” The research:</p - Studies poverty from the perspective of the poor, with specific reference to their pastoral care needs. - Critically reviews pastoral care literature, with specific focus on the stand taken on poverty in the past and present. - Consolidates what emerged from literature with the empirical, qualitative research that is conducted amongst the poor. This is in view of developing a pastoral care model that is contextual, relevant and liberating. Having listened to the poor as the “living human documents” and having compared that with literature this research proposes a model of pastoral care that is contextual and liberating. The proposed model takes the following seriously: -African worldview, which is communal and systemic in contrast to the Western worldview, which is individualistic. -Socio-economic and political conditions and context of the poor. This model takes seriously the socio-economic and political dimensions of life as experienced by the poor. These conditions are to be addressed pastorally by a holistic and multi-dimensional model that is proposed in this research -The poor as “living human documents” are not only read and understood, as if they merely passive participants but are taken seriously and regarded as central to the both the pastoral action and the liberation process. Pastoral care has to help establish an environment of empowerment in which the poor play a central role in uprooting socio-economic and political roots of their problems and troubles. -Liberation theology and its methodology. -The preferential option of God, which should be adopted by the church and by pastoral care. Both the church and pastoral care should also be politically committed to the poor and be in solidarity with the poor The proposed model is referred to as holistic-multi-dimensional pastoral care / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / PhD / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the 00front part of this document / Thesis (M Inst Agrar (Land-Use Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Mercantile Law / unrestricted

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The purpose of this thesis was to examine how liberalization and the introduction of pro-poor policies can be successful in post-conflict countries using the Rwanda coffee market as a case study. My research supports the notion that economic development, political stability and peace can be a result of liberalization when policies that are pro-poor and focus on the largest sector of the population are created. The study examines why and how Rwanda chose to liberalize their economy in the way they did by focusing on the intentions of the actors and the effects their actions have had on the coffee market and country as a whole. The findings suggest that Rwanda’s coffee market liberalization has been successful and has contributed to stability and economic development in Rwanda. The conclusion indicates that pro-poor liberalization policies with the assistance from a variety of actors and institutions can lead developing countries on the path to development in ways the international community has not seen before.