27 research outputs found
Emerging issues on the sustainability of the community based rural water resources management approach in Zimbabwe: A case study of Gwanda District
No full textAlthough there is considerable on-going debate about the suitability and sustainability of community based water resources management (CBWRM) in Africa as a water provision strategy, evidence shows that this approach has gone a long way in promoting access to clean water amongst rural African communities. CBWRM provides an alternative approach to water provision for rural communities. This paper examines how the strategy has been operationalised in Gwanda District in Zimbabwe. The paper examines the experiences of rural communities in using CBWRM. Data was collected using focus group discussions, key informant in-depth interviews and a survey of 685 households in Gwanda district across five wards. The findings of this study are that 67% of the surveyed rural
communities in Gwanda depended on community managed water resources mostly in the form of boreholes and protected wells. High rates of nun-functional sources were reported at 60-70% in most wards. Several system weaknesses were noted in the current CBWRM set-up including a depletion of committee memberships, inadequate community resources, limited agency and government support. This paper makes several recommendations on strengthening the capacity of CBWRM in Zimbabwe and Africa
Negotiating Fieldwork Politics in Development Evaluation: A Case Study of a Women’s Empowerment Project
No full textThis paper is an experiential review of two major challenges faced by the author in carrying out fieldwork in development evaluation for a women’s project. The paper reviews two particular challenges that are common but often neglected in field work of this nature. The first challenge is being male and studying projects meant for female beneficiaries in an African culture. The second challenge comes from eliciting information from donor dependent communities who understand the value of information given to donors as far as their livelihoods are concerned. Despite the importance of the latter issue, this area of study has a dearth of information. The article is based on experience from development projects evaluation in Zimbabwe, but more specifically from a gender project evaluation exercise in Matabeleland North Province in Zimbabwe. Recommendations are made on how to safeguard the reliability of collected field data in the face of these challenges
The Impact of Climate Change on Agro-Ecological Based Livelihoods in Africa: A Review
No full textSeveral local studies have been carried out on the impact of climate change on livelihoods and development especially in developing countries. However, there is a general scarcity of literature that makes a comparative appraisal of the impacts of climate change on agro-ecological based livelihoods across the African continent. This paper seeks to address that gap by making a comparative analysis of the effects of climate change on agro-based livelihoods across the African continent, focusing on Eastern, Western, Southern Africa and the Sahel region. A cross continental perspective on this issue is important in informing current global climate change negotiations and response strategies both at global level and national levels. While some studies have been conducted at individual country levels about the projected and recorded impacts of climate change, there remains a dearth of literature that reviews and consolidates these findings to give an overall holistic picture about continental and sub-continental impacts in Africa especially as relating to local agro and ecological based livelihoods. This study finds out that the impact of climate change is invariably negative across the whole of Africa as it leads to failing agricultural yields and a reduction of bio-diversity. The paper recommends an intensification for the support of livelihood diversification strategies in rural development planning. It further recommends policy strategies that particularly targets the poor and vulnerable communities whose livelihoods hinge on agriculture and natural ecosystems as these will suffer the most from the impact of climate change
The socio-economic effects of cross-border migration on Zimbabwe’s border lying communities - A case study of Beitbridge and Plumtree
No full textZimbabwe has in the past decade (since the year 2000) undergone what some commentators have called ‘the largest migration event in the region’s recent history…’ driven by deteriorating economic conditions. This paper seeks to assess the nature and magnitude of the emigration patterns and the implications that this migration has on the demographic structure of the communities and on various socio-economic sectors. A specific focus is made on education and agriculture. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the effect of migration on border lying communities in Beitbridge and Plumtree specifically focussing on the demographic structure of the communities, agriculture and education. The paper concludes that outward migration in the areas studied in this paper has fundamentally altered the age structure of the population with important implications for population growth rates, business, politics, agriculture and education. The paper argues that chronic food insecurity, high failure rates in schools and declining population growth rates may be partly attributed to the migration phenomenon. Contrary to common belief that migrants improve their former households’ welfare through remittances, the paper concludes that most of the non-skilled migrants originating from these rural areas often struggle to meet their own survival needs
Towards a Framework for the Integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Meteorological Science in Seasonal Climate Forecasting: The Case of Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe
No full textGlobal evidence shows that seasonal climate forecasting can be a useful strategy in adapting to the effects of climate change on agricultural production. Meteorological science based seasonal climate forecasting has been broadly promoted as an important adaptation tool in this regard. However, calls are now mounting for the integration of meteorological based forecasting knowledge with traditional ecological knowledge based systems of seasonal forecasting to minimize system deficiencies in forecasting. Using a mixed methods approach, the study investigates the interface between the two knowledge systems and what integrating them would entail in practice in Matobo District, Zimbabwe. The paper finds that farmers are already utilizing both types of knowledge albeit in an uncoordinated fashion. Those farmers that integrate the two knowledge systems tended to make more definitive farming decisions concerning seasonal climate patterns. The paper recommends a more systematic parallel integration system that recognizes the importance of both knowledge systems
Engendering politics and parliamentary representation in Zimbabwe
No full textThis paper discusses the trends and patterns regarding the participation of women and men in parliamentary politics in Zimbabwe from the first democratic elections in 1980 to the 2008 elections in the context of global and regional trends. The main objective of this paper is to review both quantitative and qualitative data concerning the progress made in the direction of promoting women’s participation in politics against the background of Millennium Development Goals targets and other international targets to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. One of the targets of the 3rd millennium development goal is to increase the ‘proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments’. The period of focus is between 1980 and 2013. The paper notes that the current levels of women’s representation in parliament remain below the world average of 19%. The various causes of this are highlighted and discussed leading to recommendations in tackling the issue
Rural Livelihoods under stress: The impact of Climate change on Livelihoods in South Western Zimbabwe
No full textThe reality of climate change is now a well-accepted reality and there is emerging evidence that climate change poses a massive threat for development especially in poor countries. An understanding of the emerging trends of climate change and its effects in local ecologies is an important starting point in addressing the negative effects of climate change. This study sought to understand the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of local communities, focusing on Matobo District in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to understand how communities have been affected by climate change and how they are adapting to it as well as their perceptions about the gravity of the climate change phenomenon. The findings of the study were that the effects of climate change on livelihoods in the study area are alarming. Climate change has altered the physical geography of the area leading to a disappearance of flora and fauna and other natural habitat that constituted the livelihoods of the local people. Declining precipitation and rising temperatures are making farming increasingly more difficult, and thus aggravating food insecurity in the area. Urgent climate change programming steps must be taken to prevent a livelihoods catastrophe in semi arid regions in sub-Saharan Africa
Mobile money as a strategy for financial inclusion and improving livelihood of rural consumers in Zimbabwe.
No full textDoctoral degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Mobile financial services have posed as a potential remedy to the financial inclusion challenge for the disadvantaged communities. The main aim of the study was to assess whether the deployment of mobile money services has increased the accessibility, financial inclusion and led to improved economic well-being through the development of a structural model demonstrating how mobile money service usage impacts on the livelihoods of rural households in Zimbabwe. To accomplish the above stated objectives, the study used a composite approach, a partially mixed sequential dominant design, with the quantitative approach dominating the research design. The quantitative method, together with the qualitative approach, was employed for the comprehensive research design (mixed methods) where the use of focus group discussions (FGD) was utilised to gain an understanding of users’ experiences in using mobile money in the study area. The FGD results were then used to develop measurement scales for mobile money impact variables / factors. To select the sample size of 367 respondents in Kwekwe Rural District, also known as ZIBAGWE, a multi-stage random sampling method was used in this study. To gather data for the study, a questionnaire developed and used as a research instrument targeted rural household heads. The findings of the study revealed that on the access and usage of financial services, there was great improvement in accessing financial services with the emergence of mobile money services compared to bank access in terms of distance walked to the nearest branch by the rural people before the mobile money alternative. Education had a strong bearing on mobile money usage as shown by a Chi-square value of 62.80 and a p-value of 0.000. To analyse data, structural equation modelling was employed to test and validate the model. The structural equation modelling was performed in two stages, where the first step entailed the estimation of the measurement model through the confirmatory factor analysis and the second step involved the estimation of the structural model by examining the structural relations as hypothesized in the model. The results showed that the measurement model fits data satisfactorily and the proposed model fits well the observed data as shown by the goodness of fit indices (CMIN/df = 2.798, GFI = 0.842, CFI = 0.954, TLI = 0.947 and RMSEA = 0.072). Similarly, on the structural model, the results showed that the structural model fits the data well, attaining the fit indices CMIN/df = 2.631, GFI = 0.846, CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.951 and RMSEA = 0.068. Given these fit indices, the model can be used with confidence to conclude on the stated research hypotheses. Most of the relationships in the structural model were significant at least at the 95% confidence interval. Overall, the study concludes that mobile money has potential positive impacts on the rural livelihoods as demonstrated by positive effects of the factors in the structural model. The study recommends
that mobile network operators and financial regulators need to continue with the promotion and encouragement of mobile financial services usage by all economic players in the different sectors of the economy. Consequently, if total adoption and acceptance were to be achieved in all customers, businesses and service providers, the demand for cash will be reduced, especially in the rural communities where adoption by businesses and service providers is lagging behind. The study findings have far reaching implications with regards policy making on rural livelihoods. The study provides evidence on how mobile financial services impact on rural livelihoods. Therefore, policy makers can craft policies (financial inclusion) that will promote and improve access and delivery of financial services to the rural people
Building resilience to urban food insecurity in Bulawayo City, Zimbabwe
No full textENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given the rapid rate of urbanisation in Africa, food insecurity, once predominantly encountered in rural areas, is now increasingly manifesting in urban areas. Despite this, food security programming generally remains focused on rural productionist approaches ill-suited for urban contexts. This suggests that urban food insecurity remains largely misunderstood, bringing into question the effectiveness of resilience-building programmes and strategies being adopted to address it. Focusing on the city of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, this study aimed to determine the nature and effectiveness of food security resilience-building strategies currently being employed there by a range of different stakeholders, from the state, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and United Nations Agencies to the beneficiary households themselves. In achieving this aim, the objectives of this study were to identify the common shocks to the urban food system in Bulawayo, document the current resilience building strategies being used by different stakeholders, assess the effectiveness of those strategies in addressing food insecurity among poor urban households, and to proffer recommendations about how resilience building programming in Bulawayo and other urban areas might be improved. The study utilised a mixed methods research approach. These included the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data employing a survey questionnaire targeting 200 food insecure beneficiary households, focus group discussions with representatives of food insecure households, and key informant interviews with various stakeholders, including the Bulawayo city council administrators, NGO managers and government officials. The data was then analysed using Microsoft Excel for survey data and thematic analysis for qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions. The main risk driver of food insecurity in Bulawayo was found to be related to the deteriorating broader macro-economic environment in Zimbabwe, which is resulting in high unemployment, hyper-inflation and low incomes in general. The study also established that climate change impacts and the recent Covid-19 pandemic had deepened food insecurity. In response, the strategies being implemented to build food security resilience were the promotion of urban agriculture, cash transfer programs, casual work and income-generating projects. The study then questioned to what extent these and other interventions really were building “resilience”, given the range of constraining factors revealed. The thesis concludes by making recommendations about how these might be addressed.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gegewe die vinnige tempo van verstedeliking in Afrika, kom voedselonsekerheid, wat eens hoofsaaklik in landelike gebiede voorgekom het, nou al hoe meer in stedelike gebiede voor. Ten spyte hiervan bly voedselsekerheidprogramme oor die algemeen steeds gemik op landelike produksiebenaderings wat nie vir stedelike kontekste geskik is nie. Dit dui daarop dat stedelike voedselonsekerheid steeds grootliks misverstaan bly, wat die doeltreffendheid van die veerkragtigheidsbouprogramme en -strategieë wat gevolg word om dit aan te pak, bevraagteken. Hierdie studie fokus op die stad Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, en is daarop gemik om die aard en doeltreffendheid te bepaal van die veerkragtigheidsboustrategieë ten opsigte van voedselsekerheid wat tans deur ʼn verskeidenheid belanghebbers, van die regering, nieregeringsorganisasies (NRO’s) en agentskappe van die Verenigde Nasies af, tot die begunstigde huishoudings self, aangewend word. Om dit te bewerkstellig, was die doelwitte van hierdie studie om die algemene skokke vir die stedelike voedselstelsel in Bulawayo te identifiseer, die huidige veerkragtigheidsboustrategieë wat deur verskillende belanghebbers gebruik word, te dokumenteer, die doeltreffendheid van daardie strategieë in die oplos van voedselonsekerheid onder arm stedelike huishoudings te assesseer, en om aanbevelings te bied oor hoe veerkragtigheidsbouprogramme in Bulawayo en ander stedelike gebiede verbeter kan word. Die studie het ʼn gemengde-metodes-benadering tot navorsing gebruik. Hieronder tel die insameling van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data met behulp van ʼn opnamevraelys wat op 200 begunstigde huishoudings met voedselonsekerheid gemik is, en onderhoude met hoofinformante by verskeie belanghebbers, waaronder die stadsraadadministrateurs van Bulawayo, bestuurders van NRO’s en staatsamptenare. Die data is daarna met behulp van Microsoft Excel vir opnamedata en tematiese ontleding vir kwalitatiewe data uit onderhoude en fokusgroepbesprekings ontleed. Daar is bevind dat die hoof- risikoaandrywer van voedselonsekerheid in Bulawayo verband hou met die agteruitgang in die groter makro-ekonomiese omgewing in Zimbabwe, wat hoë vlakke van werkloosheid, hiperinflasie en lae inkomste oor die algemeen tot gevolg het. Die studie het ook bepaal dat die impak van klimaatsverandering en die onlangse Covid-19-pandemie voedselonsekerheid vererger het. Die respons was om die bevordering van stedelike landbou, kontant-oordragprogramme, deeltydse werk en inkomste-generende projekte as strategieë vir die opbou van voedselsekerheidsveerkragtigheid in werking te stel. Die studie het bevraagteken tot watter mate hierdie en ander ingrypings werklik besig is om ‘veerkragtigheid’ te bou, gegewe die omvang van die beperkende faktore wat onthul is. Die tesis sluit af deur die aanbied van aanbevelings oor hoe hierdie faktore aangepak kan word.Master
An investigation of the contribution of street vending on livelihoods : case of street vendors in Nkonkobe Municipality
No full textThe informal sector thrives in a context of high unemployment, underemployment, poverty, gender inequality and precarious work. It plays a significant role in such circumstances, especially in income generation and in contributing to the livelihood of those engaged in it. The study investigated the contribution of street vending to the livelihood of street vendors in Nkonkobe Municipality. The aim of the study was to investigate whether street vending has the potential to sustain the lives of those engaged in it. In order to reach its objectives, the study employed a qualitative research approach whereby a non-probability sampling design in the form of a purposive sampling method was adopted and considered appropriate for this study. In terms of data collection, the study made use of structured questionnaires as a data collection method whereby questionnaires were administered and distributed to 40 street venders. The Upper Bound Poverty Line (UBPL) was used as a measurement to assess whether the participants’ incomes were above the poverty datum line in order to determine the sector’s contribution to the traders’ livelihood. From this study, it was found that street vending has both positive and negative impacts with regard to the success and profit-earning potential of these traders. Thus, the study concluded that street vending is a vital community development tool and a major source of livelihood as it plays a very important socio-economic role in Nkonkobe and in South Africa in general. The sector provides a livelihood for a huge population mainly comprised of the poor and other impoverished groups of society
