Determinants and contribution of participation in farming to rural households’ welfare in Nyandeni Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Qange, Siphesihle
- Date: 2020-06
- Subjects: Agricultural systems , Rural development , Community development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20849 , vital:46634
- Description: Participation in farming has been the main livelihood strategy for, especially in rural areas, where homesteads used to produce the majority of their basic food basket. Participation in farming is one of the strategies that can be used to address the food insecurity and poverty in rural areas. Participating in farming seems to be key in the improvement of rural households’ livelihoods, especially in the developing countries, however nowadays, participation in farming is declining from year to year. Rural households tend to invest more of their time in non-agricultural activities. Rural homesteads now behave like their urban counterparts; they purchase more food from the markets than they produce for themselves. Consequently, there are high levels of poverty and food insecurity in rural areas. Government and non-governmental organisations implemented a variety of agricultural projects with the intention of empowering subsistence farmers in rural areas. Despite these interventions, farming in rural areas has continued to decrease as rural dwellers have realised other livelihood strategies. Moreover, the decline in farming activities results in increased unemploymentrates, hunger, and food insecurity in rural areas, resulting in the depreciation of the economy. Therefore, the objective of the study is to investigate the determinants and contribution of participating in farming to the welfare of rural households. The study was conducted in Nyandeni Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in the survey and the data was obtained from 176 rural households comprising both those who participate in farming and those who do not. The study employed a cross-sectional research design, and purposive sampling was used to select the sample prior to the data collection. Data was collected and captured in Excel and then analysed using the Stata version 15. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the socio-economic characteristics of rural households, the probit model was used to determine the factors affecting farming in rural areas and Two stage least squares was used to determine the contribution of farming to the welfare of rural households. In reference to the descriptive statistics, the results indicated that 62 percent of the rural households were headed by females and 51 percent of the household heads were married. The average age of the household heads was 55 years old and above, and the average household comprised 5 persons. Moreover, 50 percent of the rural households had only obtained primary education and 55 percent were unemployed. The average farming experience was 12 years and 12 percent of the households confirmed that they receive extension services from the Government. The probit model was fitted to estimate the factors affecting rural households’ participation in farming. The empirical results indicated that education level, income and Participation in Agric. Project a negative influence on the participation of household in farming and they were significant at 0.01 and 0.05 significance level respectively. Access to extension services had a positive influence on households’ participation in farming and were significant at 5 percent. Farming experience had a positive influence on household participation in farming and was significant at 5 percent and farming experience had a positive influence on participation in farming and was significant at 1 percent significancelevel. Two stage least squares regression was used to measure factors affecting the contribution of household farming to rural household welfare. The study measured the contribution of household farming in terms of income generated from farming. The results indicated that Educational level, Household size and Condition of Infrastructure indicate a positive significant effect on income. The remaining variables, Age, Marital status, Participation in Agric. Project and Access to extension services have a negative significant effect on income. The study concluded that households headed by married individuals fared better than households headed by single individuals. Educated individuals have easy access to various sources of information that could help them with income-generating farming skills. Employment, more especially formal employment, results in higher income, and it is stated that the higher the income the better the welfare of the household. Therefore, the study recommends that Government must promote farming in rural areas through the initiation of support programmes and agricultural community projects. Rural households have the potential to succeed in farming but they lack input and proper equipment, and therefore it is recommended that Government should put more focus on household farming rather than their current primary focus on commercial farming. , Thesis (MSc) (Agricultural Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
Perceptions of the community members on agriculture as a poverty alleviation strategy: a case study of tamara administrative area
- Authors: Nqana, Bongani https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5074-4862
- Date: 2019-06
- Subjects: Poverty -- Prevention , Community-supported agriculture , Community development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26951 , vital:66205
- Description: This study is conducted to address the perceptions, opinions, and feelings of rural community members with regard to agriculture as poverty alleviation strategy at Tamarha Administrative area, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study intended to uncover the community members feelings, reactions, opinions they might be having as the area is no longer relying on agriculture as their source of income as well as their poverty alleviation strategy as well as the impact it is having on their everyday life. Lastly, the study sought to examine support services rendered by the professionals working directly with communities to ensure development in rural areas. The researcher adopted both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Purposive and snowball sampling was employed to recruit 20 community members from Tamarha Administrative area. The age of the community members was between 25 and 65. In addition, purposive sampling was adopted to recruit six professionals who are directly working in developing community members. Data was collected using face-to-face, semistructured individual interviews, one interview per research participant, and using one focus group discussion with professionals working with. Regarding quantitative method, the researcher has utilized questionnaires to collect data The researcher analysed data through thematic content analysis for qualitative method as well as SSPS for quantitative method. The study findings indicate that youth are not interested in agriculture and only elders who have been involved in agriculture that are seeing the value and importance of using agriculture again. Majority of the community members especially (elders) are seeing agriculture as poverty alleviation strategy, and that they have benefited a lot from agriculture as most people were working and had income. There were few youths who were not working nor schooling and there was low rate of crime and low rate of drug abuse. The youth seemingly are having different perception and opinions about agriculture as they are not familiar with the system. The recommendations from the findings that there should be continuous empowerment in skills development from professionals working with agriculture. The government departments who are directly funding the agricultural projects, should monitor and evaluate the projects to ensure sustainability to the agricultural projects. The youth should be encouraged to use the resources that are available within the community. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2019
- Full Text:
An investigation of Raymond Mhlaba municipality indigent policy on water service delivery: a case study of free basic water policy (FBWP) in selected areas of Golf Course and Bhofolo.
- Authors: Ncube, Mary Silibaziso
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Community development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Development Studies)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16974 , vital:40799
- Description: The study was looking at the Free Basic Water policy (FBWP) in the Eastern Cape which was introduced in July 2001 in South Africa. FBWP was introduced to all provinces, however people living in rural areas, poor areas and villages are still suffering from lack of clean and safe drinking water. People lack adequate supplies of water and this creates conditions under which the diseases thrive. The researcher used mixed research methodology which comprises of qualitative (interview) and quantitative (questionnaire) approaches. The reason for the use of mixed methodology was to get adequate information both from the municipality (the provider of water) and the residents (the receivers of the services provided by the municipality) in order to assess how the unreliable water provision affect residents and the challenges being faced by the municipality in providing water. The findings of the study are that both people under Golf course and Bhofolo have little knowledge about FBW and most of the residents are unable to pay their water bills. Residents in the two research areas suffer from medical problems due to unreliable water provision. The study is therefore, of view that South Africa needs to prioritise improvement of access to water in rural areas, poor areas and villages. There is a need to educate people about FBW and on how to save water.
- Full Text:
The effect of indigenisation on the empowerment of rural youth in Zimbabwe: a case of Shurugwi district in the Midlands Province
- Authors: Nyoni, Effort
- Date: 2015-07
- Subjects: Affirmative action program , Community development , Zimbabwe -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25449 , vital:64276
- Description: This research investigated the effect of indigenisation on the empowerment of rural youth in the Shurugwi district in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. Using thematiccontent analysis, the thesis demonstrates that the effect of indigenisation on the empowerment of rural youth is a perturbing issue, as most of the youths upon whom the study focused are being marginalised and are not participating in the indigenisation program at all. Lacks of human and social capital and socio-economic environment as well as the unavailability of capital have all been cited as factors hindering the effective empowerment of rural youth through the indigenisation program. Examining the perceptions of the participants led to the conclusion that the program has failed to cater for the needs of rural youth. This conclusion in turn resulted in the assessment that although the indigenisation program attempts to correct past imbalances in the ownership of resources through the equitable redistribution of wealth to those groups which have been marginalised, the problems created by the program‟s lack of success still constitute a domain which requires a great deal of attention from academics and researchers. On the basis of the findings of this research, appropriate recommendations are offered to various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, policy-makers, researchers and the government. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
Opportunities and challenges for socio-economic transformation in rural Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mutami, Cephas
- Date: 2014-10
- Subjects: Economic development--Social aspects , Rural development , Community development
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26459 , vital:65338
- Description: The focus of the thesis is the impediments of rural development in Zimbabwe and how opportunities for socio-economic transformation can be enhanced in the current setting. The study embarks from a conceptualization of rural poverty in Zimbabwe using theoretical and empirical evidence. Poverty in rural Zimbabwe has a historical legacy of deprivation and dispossession and is concentrated in communal areas which have low resources bases with low agriculture potential due to low rainfall and poor soils. The myriad of challenges in rural Zimbabwe point to the incoherent of rural development polices which are distorting markets for inputs and produce. Thus the study sought to address the rural development policy bottlenecks and develop a policy agenda for development.Using mixed methods approach, the study considered household economic conditions, their production practices and their vulnerability contexts in three selected districts which represent communal, old resettlement and small scale A1 and A2 areas. The household data is blended with interview data of rural development practitioners in both private and public agencies to produce comprehensive information on the impact of rural development policies. Archival research method was also used to do content reviews on government policy papers and programs so as to provide a holistic approach to analysis. Naturally mixed methods produce large volumes of data which requires thorough analysis. This was only possible through the use of analytical computer software packages for qualitative and quantitative data such as Atlas Ti and Excel spreadsheet, respectively. The study revealed that rural households in Zimbabwe are farmers. The majority of these farmers are smallholders who are located in remote communal areas and resettlement areas. Communal farmers constitute the bulk of rural citizens and live on less than a dollar a day. They are engaged in mixed farming methods and other non-farm activities especially during off-agriculture season. Communal households basically produce staples, with a low percentage producing cotton and groundnuts. Production choices and methods are shaped by subsistence needs of households but more so by risks and vulnerability contexts which they operate in. Farmers in resettlement areas face a different set of opportunities and threats to their livelihoods as they are located in prime agricultural land. However they are still challenged with the rural development approaches of central government. On the policy front, there is no pronounced rural development policy in Zimbabwe. The current setting has numerous pronouncements and programs which all seek to alleviate underdevelopment in Zimbabwe. These programs are replicating each other in practice and in most cases benefit the political elites and large scale commercial farmers. The multiplicity of government institutions which deal with rural development results in incremental decisions and programs which further impoverishes rural households. The study posits a rural development policy framework which is based on a comprehensive policy agenda which takes into cognizance the production requirements of households. Such a policy needs to be inclusive to the rural households in terms of governance and programs. A rural development policy agenda and framework would require the harnessing of resources from both the government and private players in well-articulated market friendly approaches. This would stimulate high productivity, enhance off-farm activities, raise incomes and foremost create appropriate social protection programs. Thus the potential for sustained economic growth and development in Zimbabwe lies with smallholder agriculture based rural development framework which can impact on the 67% population who live and work in rural areas. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
- Full Text:
Perspectives of communities on use of alcohol among children in rural areas
- Authors: Noganta, Nandi Manako
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Children -- Alcohol use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Substance abuse -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Families -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Alcohol use , Community development , Ecosystems approach , Rural areas , Children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11760 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005631 , Children -- Alcohol use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Substance abuse -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Families -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Alcohol use , Community development , Ecosystems approach , Rural areas , Children
- Description: Globalisation raises hopes that communities will become self reliant through development success and thus become an integrated whole (Offiong 2001). But the creation of global village leads to fragmentation of communities, a loss of norms and local values. This study focuses on communities of the Eastern Cape Province, exploring the nature of and extent to which children use alcohol as a consequence of cultural rituals. The researcher aims to develop a culturally sensitive psycho-social approach to address alcohol use among children. The purpose of the research was to investigate the extent to which certain cultural practices contribute towards alcohol use among children in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. Thus exploring the nature and extent to which children use alcohol as a consequence of cultural rituals and to explore whether families and communities are aware of the impact of alcohol use by children in the community. The research was qualitative in nature and through semi-structured interview schedules the researcher was able to gain insight in the area of substance use amongst children in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. Community members, learners from schools, educators and probation officers formed part of the research sample. The research findings suggest that community members are aware that the traditional rituals that are carried out in the rural areas have been contributing to the issue of children using alcohol. However, the community members feel challenged as they become conflicted by their traditional rituals and this impacts upon children using alcohol.
- Full Text:
Community participation and food security in rural Zimbabwe: the case of Marange area in Mutare district
- Authors: Swikepi, Chiedzwa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Community development , Rural development projects -- Zimbabwe -- Citizen participation , Community development -- Zimbabwe -- Citizen participation , Rural development -- Zimbabwe , Food security -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Dev)
- Identifier: vital:11845 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007303 , Community development , Rural development projects -- Zimbabwe -- Citizen participation , Community development -- Zimbabwe -- Citizen participation , Rural development -- Zimbabwe , Food security -- Zimbabwe
- Description: The chief purpose of this study was to determine the role of the rural communities in the food security initiatives of the government in alleviating food shortages in the Marange communal area of Mutare district in Zimbabwe. The focus was on local community empowerment; ownership of food security initiatives by the communities; communities‟ independent analysis of needs and priorities; their involvement in designing food security programmes and the role of the government in linking with the communities. The data was gathered using a case study research design with the qualitative method being the main research approach. The primary data was obtained from focus group discussions held in three wards of Marange area and some in-depth interviews conducted with selected key informants. The findings indicate that the government designs food security strategies without considering the input of communities. The communities are introduced and expected to adopt these pre-conceived food security plans at the implementation stage. The results also show that poor community participation in the food security initiatives of the government, specifically during the initial stages, is a significant contributing factor to the continual shortages of food in the communal lands of Marange. It is the view of this study that unless community input in decision making at the planning and designing phases is given preference in the food security interventions of the government in rural Zimbabwe, food security will seldom be achieved. While the government has a significant role to play in food security measures, such interventions can make an important contribution if the use and development of community participation is made central to food shortage alleviation strategies. The principal conclusion of this study is that if food security is an intended ultimate goal in rural Zimbabwe, the communities must participate fully in the conceptualisation, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the government-initiated food security programmes.
- Full Text:
An evaluation of the integrated approach to community development: case study of Alfred Nzo Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Manqina, Nzaliseko Erasmus
- Date: 2009-01
- Subjects: Community development
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25162 , vital:63984
- Description: Development in South Africa during the apartheid era was characterized by separate development, where social welfare services and programmes for individuals and communities were fragmented and administered along racial lines (White Paper for Social Welfare, 1997). The segregated social policies prevented inter-sectoral collaboration and a holistic approach to the development of communities. This lack of integration resulted in fragmentation, duplication of services, inefficiency and ineffectiveness in meeting the needs of the majority of individuals and communities. This legacy continues to impact on the implementation of social services in the current context of democratic South Africa (White Paper for Social Welfare, 1997:5-6). This study examined how integration and the integrated approach by stakeholders/role players is applied in community development in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality. Alfred Nzo District was chosen as the case study area since it is one of the nodal points for the implementation in 2004 of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Program (ISRDP) initiated by the National government to address poverty in the rural areas of the Province. The research was qualitative in nature. The sample comprised of nine managers, fourteen practitioners and sixty two community members in eight focus groups. Data was collected through self administered interview schedules for managers and practitioners while focus group interviews were conducted by the researcher for community members involved in community development projects. The findings suggest varied understanding of the concepts of integration, ISRDP, community development and collaboration. The findings also revealed challenges in terms of integration and co-ordination by stakeholders in community development. The study established that there is a need for improvement of the integration efforts for community development processes that involves a number of role players. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2009
- Full Text: