Government-sponsored community development projects as poverty alleviation tools: evidence from Mdantsane, East London
- Authors: Gedze, Ntombebhongo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture and state -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa , Poverty alleviation , Community participation , Mdantsane Township
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Rural Development)
- Identifier: vital:11948 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005995 , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture and state -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa , Poverty alleviation , Community participation , Mdantsane Township
- Description: The study investigates whether government-sponsored community development projects in the township of Mdantsane, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa, have achieved the intended goal of alleviating poverty among the beneficiaries. The specific outcomes of poverty alleviation are: improved income, acquisition of new skills, reduced dependence on welfare grants. Four urban farming projects were selected, namely: Buffalo City Organic Producers, Sakhisizwe Nursery, Lusindiso Farmer’s Trading Co-operative and Mbombela Co-operative. Focus group discussions and a mini survey were conducted with project beneficiaries, while relevant government officials were interviewed. Conceptual insights were drawn from community development theory. The findings showed that the broader context within which the projects occurred was characterised by a pro-poor social policy, relative availability of resources with which to translate it into action, and a measure of entrepreneurial potential amongst community members. However, while one of the projects showed some promise (in the sense that beneficiaries acquired new skills and had a generally positive attitude despite not enjoying any improved income status), all the others appeared doomed and trapped in dynamics such as: excessive government control of the management of the initiatives, ineffective project monitoring, and the mischaracterisation of the initiatives by both the government and the beneficiaries. A distorted sense of ownership and perverse community participation seemed to prevail, which in turn robbed the initiatives of their poverty alleviation potential. The study thus concluded that specific benefactor-beneficiary dynamics are crucial for the success of a given anti-poverty intervention. A robust pro-poor social policy, availability of resources with which to translate it into action, and local entrepreneurial potential do not in themselves bring about success; they must operate in a certain way and be undergirded by certain principles for them to become a powerful mechanism for alleviating poverty. It is against this background that the researcher offers some recommendations.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The empowerment of women in agriculture: does it contribute to poverty alleviation and improvement of quality of lives in rural areas?
- Authors: Kalazani-Mtya, Lindeka
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Women in rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Quality of life -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Rural Development)
- Identifier: vital:11941 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/318 , Women in rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Quality of life -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study examines the extent to which the Siyazondla food programme, which is a woman based project, empowers women with agricultural skills and knowledge to alleviate poverty and improve their quality of lives in Ducats North area in East London. The investigation is based on the argument that when a woman is empowered, poverty will be reduced and the quality of life will improve. Through the use of qualitative research methodology, all women who are the main beneficiaries of the Siyazondla programme in Ducats North village were interviewed. Findings seem to indicate that although women in the project manage to produce good crops to feed their families, they are still not sufficiently empowered with skills and education to improve their quality of lives. This was found to be exacerbated by the fact that the officials assigned for the programme are to a greater extent inefficient and lack relevant knowledge to support beneficiaries. Most importantly, it was revealed that there is lack of monitoring and evaluation of the programme by government and this was considered to be the major constraint to successful implementation of the programme and in ensuring that poverty is alleviated in the area. It is on the basis of these findings that the study recommends that in order to yield positive results and ensure that women in the programme are empowered, there is a need to change the deeply embedded patriarchal perceptions and discriminatory practices and attitudes that seem to undervalue women‟s work. This will require greater awareness of women‟s contribution to agriculture, and the recognition of the role played by women in food security and poverty alleviation, coupled with a strong commitment from the government to empower rural women in agriculture.
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- Date Issued: 2011