A critical assessment of the implementation of community development projects in mitigating youth unemployment: A case of Mashonaland West province Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mafa, Dennyford
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- Evaluation Poverty -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17473 , vital:41079
- Description: The aim of the study was to critically assess the implementation of community development projects in mitigating youth unemployment in Mashonaland province of Zimbabwe. The study used the mixed method which dwells beneath a social phenomenon in order to draw substantiated findings. Data was collected using three method and these include, individual face-to- face interviews, focus group discussion and questionnaire administered to youth, government officials and the local authorities. The study was underpinned by the asset based community development theory and sustainable livelihood approach. Findings highlighted that the participants and the respondents meet the characteristics and criterion for selected community development projects aimed at mitigating youth unemployment. The study revealed that there has been lack on youth involvement in the planning and initiation of the youth community development projects which aim to mitigate youth unemployment and poverty eradication. It has been found out that the implementation process of the youth community development projects was surrounded by lack of knowledge and lack of the involvement of the youths, which resulted in the failure of mitigating youth unemployment and eradication of poverty. Although accessibility (to youth) of these community development projects was for all the community youth who were unemployed, it emerged that the access was not as indicated due to factors like, lack of funding, partisan distribution of resources. The study also realized that due to lack of involvement and proper implementation, the youth community development projects were not sustainable, which was evidenced by the high rate of youth unemployment and poverty levels. Furthermore, the study revealed that effectiveness of youth community development projects in v alleviating youth unemployment in the province has also been marred with pitfalls. Thus, there has been an increase of youth unemployment and poverty. Last but not least, the findings of the study revealed that there were a couple of challenges, which are rooted in partnerships, lack of youth inclusion and involvement, as well lack of involvement of other stakeholders with expertise on implementation of youth community development projects to eradicate poverty and alleviate youth unemployment. Regardless of the brilliant ideas and strategic interventions, the government lacks the practicality of the implementation of these intervention strategies. The study found that interventions were there. However, intervention entails a process which has different facets and obligates the government to function systematically to avoid default in the process of service delivery. It is recommended amongst others that the government and various stakeholders should take cognizance and develop mechanisms and strategies for poverty alleviation, growth, development and employment creation for the youth.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mafa, Dennyford
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- Evaluation Poverty -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17473 , vital:41079
- Description: The aim of the study was to critically assess the implementation of community development projects in mitigating youth unemployment in Mashonaland province of Zimbabwe. The study used the mixed method which dwells beneath a social phenomenon in order to draw substantiated findings. Data was collected using three method and these include, individual face-to- face interviews, focus group discussion and questionnaire administered to youth, government officials and the local authorities. The study was underpinned by the asset based community development theory and sustainable livelihood approach. Findings highlighted that the participants and the respondents meet the characteristics and criterion for selected community development projects aimed at mitigating youth unemployment. The study revealed that there has been lack on youth involvement in the planning and initiation of the youth community development projects which aim to mitigate youth unemployment and poverty eradication. It has been found out that the implementation process of the youth community development projects was surrounded by lack of knowledge and lack of the involvement of the youths, which resulted in the failure of mitigating youth unemployment and eradication of poverty. Although accessibility (to youth) of these community development projects was for all the community youth who were unemployed, it emerged that the access was not as indicated due to factors like, lack of funding, partisan distribution of resources. The study also realized that due to lack of involvement and proper implementation, the youth community development projects were not sustainable, which was evidenced by the high rate of youth unemployment and poverty levels. Furthermore, the study revealed that effectiveness of youth community development projects in v alleviating youth unemployment in the province has also been marred with pitfalls. Thus, there has been an increase of youth unemployment and poverty. Last but not least, the findings of the study revealed that there were a couple of challenges, which are rooted in partnerships, lack of youth inclusion and involvement, as well lack of involvement of other stakeholders with expertise on implementation of youth community development projects to eradicate poverty and alleviate youth unemployment. Regardless of the brilliant ideas and strategic interventions, the government lacks the practicality of the implementation of these intervention strategies. The study found that interventions were there. However, intervention entails a process which has different facets and obligates the government to function systematically to avoid default in the process of service delivery. It is recommended amongst others that the government and various stakeholders should take cognizance and develop mechanisms and strategies for poverty alleviation, growth, development and employment creation for the youth.
- Full Text:
Exploring the underpinning factors that contribute to the involvement of children in criminal behaviour: A case of King William’s Town”
- Authors: Mbomvana, Anelisa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: juvenile delinquency Parent and child
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16220 , vital:40700
- Description: Crime, in its daily occurrence, makes everyone a victim; whether of primary, secondary or of tertiary victimization, which has connotations of either direct or indirect victimization. It affects everyone and every sector. The involvement and the perpetration of crime by children, owing to a number of social dynamics, has serious implications and repercussions on children and how they later on conduct themselves. The aim of the study was to explore the factors that underpin criminal behaviour in children. The qualitative research method was adopted in the study and it informed the data collection and analysis processes of the study. Interviews and a focus group discussions were, therefore used to gain insight into the experiences of the participants. Through the use of purposive sampling, thirty five (35) participants comprising key and focus participants who were children in conflict with the law, their parents, the community members, social workers, probation officers and youth care workers from a certain Child and Youth Care Rehabilitation centre in King William’s Town were selected. The findings revealed that it was a variety of multi-factorial components that influenced criminal behaviour in children, and amongst those were individual, family, community and school factors. However, it was found that the impact of these detrimental factors identified was not comparable to the impact of the parent in the life of a child. The propensity and the extent to which these factors can affect a child was found as less probable where strong relationships were maintained between the parents and their children. This further implies that nurture was found to be very pivotal, as the role of the parents and of family support were found to be the most significant in children. Single parenting, father absence, undisclosed paternal identities, parental ignorance, poor parenting, and divorce were issues that emerged and were indicated in the study to be potentially harmful in the lives of children. A strong correlation was found between ignorant parenting and ill behavior in children as it was also found that parental conduct was very important as it defined the family’s wellbeing. A corresponding relationship was also established between dropping out of school and crime due to the fact that an overwhelming number of child offenders who participated in the study had dropped out of school. It was v further concluded that in spite of the social work profession’s adoption of the developmental approach, the propensity and timing the interventions took place was compared to those of the residual approach wherein the welfare system intervened as a measure of last resort. The study recommends that emphasis needs to be stressed on family based programmes in order to protect and secure the spontaneous growth of children
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mbomvana, Anelisa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: juvenile delinquency Parent and child
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16220 , vital:40700
- Description: Crime, in its daily occurrence, makes everyone a victim; whether of primary, secondary or of tertiary victimization, which has connotations of either direct or indirect victimization. It affects everyone and every sector. The involvement and the perpetration of crime by children, owing to a number of social dynamics, has serious implications and repercussions on children and how they later on conduct themselves. The aim of the study was to explore the factors that underpin criminal behaviour in children. The qualitative research method was adopted in the study and it informed the data collection and analysis processes of the study. Interviews and a focus group discussions were, therefore used to gain insight into the experiences of the participants. Through the use of purposive sampling, thirty five (35) participants comprising key and focus participants who were children in conflict with the law, their parents, the community members, social workers, probation officers and youth care workers from a certain Child and Youth Care Rehabilitation centre in King William’s Town were selected. The findings revealed that it was a variety of multi-factorial components that influenced criminal behaviour in children, and amongst those were individual, family, community and school factors. However, it was found that the impact of these detrimental factors identified was not comparable to the impact of the parent in the life of a child. The propensity and the extent to which these factors can affect a child was found as less probable where strong relationships were maintained between the parents and their children. This further implies that nurture was found to be very pivotal, as the role of the parents and of family support were found to be the most significant in children. Single parenting, father absence, undisclosed paternal identities, parental ignorance, poor parenting, and divorce were issues that emerged and were indicated in the study to be potentially harmful in the lives of children. A strong correlation was found between ignorant parenting and ill behavior in children as it was also found that parental conduct was very important as it defined the family’s wellbeing. A corresponding relationship was also established between dropping out of school and crime due to the fact that an overwhelming number of child offenders who participated in the study had dropped out of school. It was v further concluded that in spite of the social work profession’s adoption of the developmental approach, the propensity and timing the interventions took place was compared to those of the residual approach wherein the welfare system intervened as a measure of last resort. The study recommends that emphasis needs to be stressed on family based programmes in order to protect and secure the spontaneous growth of children
- Full Text:
The gendered nature of intra-household decision making in the use of social grants and its impact on selected households in Zimbabwe and South Africa
- Authors: Makosa, Nigel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Social security Grants-in-aid
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15781 , vital:40523
- Description: The study aimed at undertaking a comparative investigation of the gendered nature of intra-household decision making in the use of social grants and to ascertain its impact on selected households in Zimbabwe and South Africa as a comparative study. A methodological triangulated approach was used in the study where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. A total of 250 heads of households were selected as a sample from the study population. Herein, 200 respondents were given the survey questionnaire (100 respondents from Zimbabwe and another 100 from South Africa). A larger number of respondents were sampled for quantitative data in order to improve validity and generalisability of the results. Interview participants for this study were conveniently selected from communities benefiting from cash transfers and social grants. The researcher then interviewed a total of 50 participants (25 from Zimbabwe plus another 25 from South Africa). The samples for the study were arrived at using the multi stage sampling techniques. From these samples two data sets were obtained namely quantitative and qualitative. The study yielded that there are more social grants that are targeted at benefiting older people in Zimbabwe whereas there are a variety of social grants that are aimed at benefiting people from all age groups in South Africa. The study also established that the nature of intrahousehold decision making is determined by the variations of the recipients’ age variations. In Zimbabwe It was revealed that most of the recipients who were younger than 65 years bought basic needs, while in South Africa the recipients mostly used the money for entertainment, savings and clothes. The current economic situations in these two countries determine their spending patterns. Both in Zimbabwe vi and South Africa, recipients older than 65 years used their money to buy agricultural inputs. In both countries most of the beneficiaries were female because there are the primary caregivers and also because of the increased number of female headed households precipitated by high divorce rates. It also emerged in the study that there are many factors that influencethe gendered nature of intra household decision making dynamics such as cultural, available resources, number of dependents. These factors have the potential to either reinforce or offset the impact of social grants. Furthermore, the decision-making roles for men and women in both Zimbabwe and South Africa were determined by income and economic activities, food security and basic needs; marital status, family and social structures. But on the whole, it was revealed in the study that the responsibility of the head of household to provide leadership and make crucial decisions such as using social grants money. In both countries members from outside the nucleus family were also involved in making decisions on behalf of the beneficiaries. Elderly people retained the majority of the decision-making power in most of the households in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. It also emerged that in most households in both countries, decision making on the use of social grant money was arrived at after consultations particularly between spouses. In order to enhance productive decision making and optimise the social grants usefulness, the study recommends that there should be monitoring and evaluation on how the social grants are being used and who is behind the decision-making process. More so, a conceptual framework was also suggested to explain intrahousehold decision dynamics.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Makosa, Nigel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Social security Grants-in-aid
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15781 , vital:40523
- Description: The study aimed at undertaking a comparative investigation of the gendered nature of intra-household decision making in the use of social grants and to ascertain its impact on selected households in Zimbabwe and South Africa as a comparative study. A methodological triangulated approach was used in the study where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. A total of 250 heads of households were selected as a sample from the study population. Herein, 200 respondents were given the survey questionnaire (100 respondents from Zimbabwe and another 100 from South Africa). A larger number of respondents were sampled for quantitative data in order to improve validity and generalisability of the results. Interview participants for this study were conveniently selected from communities benefiting from cash transfers and social grants. The researcher then interviewed a total of 50 participants (25 from Zimbabwe plus another 25 from South Africa). The samples for the study were arrived at using the multi stage sampling techniques. From these samples two data sets were obtained namely quantitative and qualitative. The study yielded that there are more social grants that are targeted at benefiting older people in Zimbabwe whereas there are a variety of social grants that are aimed at benefiting people from all age groups in South Africa. The study also established that the nature of intrahousehold decision making is determined by the variations of the recipients’ age variations. In Zimbabwe It was revealed that most of the recipients who were younger than 65 years bought basic needs, while in South Africa the recipients mostly used the money for entertainment, savings and clothes. The current economic situations in these two countries determine their spending patterns. Both in Zimbabwe vi and South Africa, recipients older than 65 years used their money to buy agricultural inputs. In both countries most of the beneficiaries were female because there are the primary caregivers and also because of the increased number of female headed households precipitated by high divorce rates. It also emerged in the study that there are many factors that influencethe gendered nature of intra household decision making dynamics such as cultural, available resources, number of dependents. These factors have the potential to either reinforce or offset the impact of social grants. Furthermore, the decision-making roles for men and women in both Zimbabwe and South Africa were determined by income and economic activities, food security and basic needs; marital status, family and social structures. But on the whole, it was revealed in the study that the responsibility of the head of household to provide leadership and make crucial decisions such as using social grants money. In both countries members from outside the nucleus family were also involved in making decisions on behalf of the beneficiaries. Elderly people retained the majority of the decision-making power in most of the households in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. It also emerged that in most households in both countries, decision making on the use of social grant money was arrived at after consultations particularly between spouses. In order to enhance productive decision making and optimise the social grants usefulness, the study recommends that there should be monitoring and evaluation on how the social grants are being used and who is behind the decision-making process. More so, a conceptual framework was also suggested to explain intrahousehold decision dynamics.
- Full Text:
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