Suchergebnisse

Many of the people who are most vulnerable to the effects of poverty and deprivation reside in informal settlements in Africa. While there is growing evidence of the importance of family resilience, there is little documented evidence of how collective actions undertaken by families in African communities can contribute to this. In‐depth interviews and focus‐group sessions were conducted with single mothers residing in an informal settlement in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa to delineate the factors that contributed to their resilience. We examined the influence of social ties, self‐efficacy and networks they had established beyond their immediate community on enhancing family resilience. Three key themes are discussed: determination to survive, rising above harsh economic conditions and establishing networks within and outside the community. We conclude that the foundation for building strong female‐headed families lies in positive social ties, self‐empowerment initiatives and tapping on established networks within and outside low income communities.

AbstractThis paper reports on a critical systems inquiry into the complexities of the implementation of a District Health System in the KwaZulu–Natal province of post‐Apartheid South Africa. The inquiry process, which was 'governed' by Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and followed the four‐phase learning cycle developed by Kolb, produced 'conceptual models' which enabled participant stakeholders to gain fresh perspectives on the context and, in so doing, to get the implementation process 'unstuck'. At the theoretical/methodological level the paper contributes to the growing literature on the combination of systems methods by illustrating how conceptual models of purposeful human activity, a method intrinsic to SSM, were constructed from the participatory use of Concept Maps and Sign‐graph Diagrams. We also reflect on the interrelationship between methodology/method combination and two other aspects of the intervention that we considered to be important for maintaining the 'systemicity' of the intervention, viz., the inquiry context and boundary critique. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Corruption is a deviant behavior to obtain some things that are socially and / or legally prohibited. All forms of government are prone to corruption in practice. Corruption in politics and bureaucracy can be trivial or severe, organized or not. Corrupt behavior that afflicts almost all political elites has undermined aspects of national and state life, this is a scourge for the general public who thinks that politics justifies any means. The burden of political costs borne by a candidate is very high, even above the fairness rate. The average cost to run for a district or city legislative member is around 150 million to 500 million to be able to occupy a seat in the legislature. These costs include party registration, pre-campaign costs, campaign costs to other costs, including advertising in mass media both electronic and print. This high burden causes legislative candidates to seek sources of funds from all walks of life, which results in them sometimes having campaign finance debts. Even if there is aid, it is usually binding, which at a time will curb legislative candidates if they become members of the council later. While salary and allowance income while serving as a member of the council is not sufficient to pay off debt, this then affects their performance and is caught in the vortex of abuse of power and corruption.

Successful management of a national park cannot be separated from the role of government as the manager. Communities as partners of the government also have important contribution in the area management. Arising problems in the national park area are generally caused by disharmony relationship between the communities and the area manager. Communities support around national park through communities participation in the area management is necessary to preserve the sustainability of national park forest area. A variety of perception and involvement all stakeholders should be known to accommodate the interests of all stakeholders, so overlapping interests that harming one of the stakeholders can be avoided. Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP) is one of the national parks in Indonesia. To strengthen institutional BGNP Authority as area manager, this research is considered important to do. With communities perceptions to BGNP, expected to provide inputs for improvement of the BGNP management. This research aimed to know communities perceptions about BGNP management. The research is carried out on July 2017 at Sirambas Village. This qualitative research is conducted by interviewing informants who have been determined i.e. government official, village representative institution, public figure/religious figure, and communities. In addition to interview, researcher also observate, so the information obtained is suitable to the statement submitted with the reality in the field. Selection of informants in this research using non probability sampling method, i.e. purposive sampling method. The selected informants are people who are considered to have information or knowledge related to research object i.e. conservation sector. Furthermore, data are analyzed in a descriptive. The results showed that the communities perceptions of Sirambas Village to BGNP can be categorized into medium perception.

Positive entrepreneurial spirit, attitudes and perceptions among the communities, with specific reference to young South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal province, can improve the lives of many young people and alleviate poverty and unemployment challenges in the province. This paper intends to analyze the entrepreneurial spirit, attitudes and perceptions of young South Africans, in addition to which it will also analyze the most critical factors affecting young South Africans when embarking into business. Primary data were collected by means of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected in eThekweni Municipal areas. The sample consisted of 350 young South Africans between the ages of 18-35, both those who are working, as well as those who are unemployed, with or without tertiary qualifications. Respondents completed a five–point, Likert scale questionnaire, with the assistance of an interviewer. The results disclose that the large number of respondents indicate bank requirements to obtain a loan and financial support as major barriers to starting a business. The findings further indicate start-up capital as another constraint that demoralizes, quelling the entrepreneurial spirit among the young. The results found to be statistical significant at (p = .000*). Further research should aim to examine youth entrepreneurial training programs and entrepreneurial support skills.
Keywords: entrepreneurial, analysis, spirit, attitudes, perceptions, critical, young South Africans. JEL Classification: M21

Background: Malaria infection is one of the leading causes of mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. It pose great health risks especially in pregnant women by increasing the risk of stillbirth, low birth weight and miscarriage. Aims: The study sought to assess the level of use and the barriers to utilization of Insecticides Treated Nets (ITN) among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics at Ikenne and Sagamu Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methodology: The study employed a facility-based cross sectional design where five (5) ante-natal clinics in Ikenne and Sagamu Local Government Areas of Ogun State were visited between January and March, 2015. Three hundred and eighteen (318) pregnant women were selected through a multistage sample technique. The respondents were randomly selected on their antenatal clinic days. Data instrument was a self-administered questionnaire and verbal consent was sought from each respondent before administration. Upon retrieval of questionnaires, the data was coded, entered and analyzed with the use of the IBM SPSS version 21. Results: Study revealed that 86.2% (274) of the respondents had used the ITN before but only 71.5% (196) of that population were currently using one. Bivariate analysis between use of ITN and marital status was statistically significant (p = 0.036). Reported barriers to use included "net too hot" (P = .024); "net not comfortable" (P = .017) and "stressful to spread before bed" (P = .190).Conclusion: There is an urgent need for further research on the barriers to sustained use and acceptability of ITNs by pregnant women.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is a global health issue affecting many countries, especially those in temperate climates. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency and level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in females categorised by age and race.Methods: The study was performed between January 2015 and January 2016. This study consisted of 1 976 females stratified by age into 18, reproductive age (18–45) and 45 years. Demographic variables were recorded and serum 25(OH)D levels measured by chemiluminescent emission.Results: The predictors of lower 25(OH)D levels included age and race, (p 0.0001 for each predictor). Approximately 46% of females had 20 ng/ml 25(OH)D level, the majority of whom were Indian (35%). The 25(OH)D level varied by race (White 27.33 ng/ml; Black 23.43 ng/ml and Indian 15.05 ng/ml; p 0.0001). In the 18-year age category, White and Black women had significantly higher 25(OH)D levels when compared with Indian women (38.25 ng/ml vs. 37.51 ng/ml vs. 13.68 ng/ml respectively; p 0.0001). Similarly, in the reproductive age category (18–45 years); White (27.63 ng/ml) and Black (20.93 ng/ml) women had a significantly higher 25(OH)D level compared with Indian (13.15 ng/ml) women (p 0.0001). Moreover, similar data were observed within the 45-year age category, where the White and Black women had higher 25(OH)D levels compared with Indian women (25.46 ng/ml vs. 22.73 ng/ml vs. 17.04 ng/ml; p 0.0001) respectively. Irrespective of age category, severe vitamin D deficiency was highest amongst Indian females.Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant difference in 25(OH)D concentration in healthy females living in Durban, with Indians presenting with the highest vitamin D deficiency. These findings clearly highlight the need for a policy on vitamin D supplementation and/or fortification of food. Further studies are under way to assess the genetic predisposition of women to vitamin D deficiency.