- Title
- The impact of HIV/AIDS on rural children's reliance on natural resources within the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Creator
- McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Subject
- Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Date Issued
- 2008
- Date
- 2008
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- vital:4759
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007149
- Identifier
- Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description
- The role of natural resources in the lives of rural children impacted by HIV/AIDS remains unexplored. This study highlights wild food use by rural children vulnerable to the impacts of HIV/AIDS as an important and regular activity that supplements their domestic diets. This work found that with an increase in vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, children rely more on wild foods. Through an 18 month project in the Eastern Cape, using a broad quantitative and qualitative school and non-school survey, individual interviews, food diaries, participant observation, interactive photography, and other participatory techniques, a total of 850 children's coping strategies and livelihoods were examined. The quality of children’s domestic diets was, on average, 60% lower than the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guidelines. However, 62% of the children interviewed were supplementing their diets with wild foods, 30% having over half their diet supplemented with wild foods. Dietary diversity showed a 13% increase when wild food supplementation occurred. While traditionally rural children rely on reciprocal networks during times of crisis, we found that these networks were eroding from the pressures of HIV/AIDS. Begging, for some children, was replaced by wild food collection and a significantly larger proportion of children more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS relied on wild foods more than did less vulnerable children. Considering the heightened nutritional and energy needs of children, combined with the impact of HIV/AIDS on household food access, wild foods represent the last freely attainable food sources available to them. Hunting and collection of wild food is a group activity, which was found to have valuable psychosocial benefits. Commercialisation of wild foods was observed among 38% of the children, with significantly more vulnerable children selling wild foods. The use of wild foods by rural children also had positive influences on the preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge.
- Format
- 139, 37 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Rhodes University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Hits: 3108
- Visitors: 3440
- Downloads: 447
Collections
McGarry, Dylan (Dr)
RU Department of Environmental Science
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCEPDF1 | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | |||
| View Details Download | SOURCEPDF2 | 5 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |