SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE INTENSITY OF ADOPTION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES IN THE WEST USAMBARA MOUNTAINS TANZANIA

In the West Usambara Mountains Tanzania, the problem of soil erosion and depletion of water resources will continue to be a phenomenon that contributes in the reduction of crop production and increase household poverty, if adoption of conservation practices on soil and water is not effective. In this region particularly in Lushoto District, farmers have been disseminated with improved soil and water conservation practices including bench terraces, cut-off drains, planting of trees, planting of improved grasses, contour farming and mulching by the Tanzania government and other organization dealing with development of agriculture. This study assessed socio-economic factors affecting the intensity of adaption of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices in Lushoto District in the West Usambara Mountains. The study used a cross-sectional design whereby the quantitative approach was used. Simple random sampling was used to select four villages including Mambo, Tema, Nkelei and Emao of Lushoto District which are located on hillslope of the West Usambara Mountains. A sample of 100 households involving in farming activities was picked by simple random whereby adult household members were the respondents. Survey method was used for data collection by using structured questionnaire. The findings show that adoption intensity of SWC practices ranged from 1 to 6 practices. The average number of adopted practices was 4. By using SPSS computer software, data was analysed through multiple linear regression to revealed socio-economic factors affecting adoption intensity of SWC practices. The study found that technical training (β=0.835, p=0.001), extension service (β=0.381, p=0.032) and land size (β=0.511, p=0.017) were significant and positive related to adoption intensity of SWC practices. The study concludes that land size is influencing high investment in SWC among farmers whereas access to technical training and extension services to famers influences conservation of mountainous agricultural lands. This study recommends government and agricultural development partners to provide more training on SWC in agriculture and improve extension services particularly by employing more extension workers

The Sublime and Beautiful in Nature

There exists an intrinsic relationship between man and nature; at times as an observer and at other times as a participant in its various processes. Man can never exist by detaching himself from the natural world. Today human beings have forgotten that they are interconnected and interdependent. Assuming they are the lords of creation, they subjugated the earth, plundered nature and exploited fellow human beings. The mysteries that lie hidden in nature can be observed when the human world is inserted as a participant in the various nuances of the universe. By thus implanting oneself, man experiences here on earth, a taste for the life beyond. Human beings will then experience their place in nature as part of a complex web of life. Nature provides man with the zest for life, unburdening and freeing his mind to greater realities

O.P.Bhatnagar’s New Outlook of Nature as Evinced in Selected Poems of “Angles of Retreat”

O. P. Bhatnagar's love of nature is not that of the Romantics. Unlike Wordsworth and Tennyson, he does not spiritualizes from it. His source of inspiration is human suffering caused by many external and internal forces, such as society, politics, one's own conflicts, lack of morality, loss of virtues, want of feeling of brotherhood, and dishonesty. In the entire range of O. P. Bhatnagar's poetry, nature appears as a casual visitor. The reason for lack of nature poems in Bhatnagar’s poetry seems to be his commitment to human predicament. However, nature’s presence inspires him and its aspects do occupy his compositions as reflected in the poems of “Angles of Retreat”: "All Beautiful Things in the World are Chinar", " Kashmir Autumn Scene" and "Trees in Autumn". Even these three poems are not typical nature poems but social poems cast in the mould of nature poetry. This paper is an attempt to prove that even in the small range of three nature poems Bhatnagar has promoted a new outlook. The unusual imageries in these poems add a new dimension to his poetry and evince how beautifully the poet can stretch his imagination

PECULIARITIES FOOD SECURITY AND COPING STRATEGIES DURING FOOD SHORTFALLS AMONG TASAF III’S TARGETED HOUSEHOLDS IN MAKOLE VILLAGE LUSHOTO DISTRICT TANZANIA

Tanzania Social Action Fund phase three (TASAF III) launched PSSN programme to support poor households in Makole village in 2014 to enhance their livelihoods using conditional cash transfer until 2019 when the first phase ended. This study assessed food security in TASAF III’s targeted households and identified coping strategies used in food shortfalls in Makole village Lushoto District Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey was adopted whereby structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 100 households selected by using simple random sampling. Data was analysed by using SPSS to reveal descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages which were presented in tables and figures. The results showed that 84% of surveyed households afforded three meals per day. Moreover, the study found that only two percent of surveyed households perceived as being food secured throughout a year while majority faced severe shortage of food in five months of the year from August to December. Main coping strategies to food insecurity include reducing a portion of diet (74%), reducing the number of meals (65.7%), relying on selling of livestock (63.3%), relying on casual labour (60.2%), relying on remittance (47.4%), exchanging livestock to food (40%) and utilizing child labour (33.3%). The study recommended that TASAF III should assist program targeted households to increase crop production and improve livestock farming as well as support establishment of non-farm activities such as small businesses in order to enhance strategies of eliminating poverty among households in Makole village and Lushoto District as a whol

COMPETITION AND TRADE MONOPOLY BETWEEN VOC AND PORTUGUES IN THE REGION OF THE ARCHIPELAGO IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 17TH CENTURY

The basic framework for this writing is the establishment of Dutch intra-Asian trade and shipping, Dutch expansion, and the associated growth of the VOC shipping network in Asia in the first half of the 17th century. The arrival of Northern European traders in Southeast Asia at the end of the 16th century was met with anxiety by the Portuguese traders who were members of the Estado da India. The Dutch were by far the most aggressive contenders for the Iberian colonial powers in Southeast Asia, not least because they were waging a "war of liberation" domestically against the Spanish king and they also extended their hostility to the Portuguese. The Dutch attacked many areas in Asia and the archipelago which were under Portuguese and Spanish rule. The VOC directors recognized that the Spaniards and Portuguese had legally acquired colonies in the East Indies, but they denied the exclusive trade rights of the Iberian powers in the region

LIVELIHOOD IMPACTS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF LIVESTOCK FARMING AMONG TARGETED HOUSEHOLDS OF TASAF III IN KILOLE VILLAGE LUSHOTO DISTRICT, TANZANIA

Tanzania Social Action Fund phase three (TASAF III) has been implementing Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) interventions to poor households. In specific, TASAF III has been providing conditional cash to poor households in Kilole village since 2014 to enhance livelihoods. This study assessed livelihood impacts and sustainability of livestock farming initiated by poor households supported by TASAF III in Kilole village. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 112 respondents who were selected by using simple random sampling. Structured questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 16 to reveal descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. The results show that there is an increase in number of households owning local chicken, cattle, ducks, goats and sheep since the inception of TASAF III. Livestock farming demonstrated high impact on raising household incomes and moderate impact on food security and in expenditure to school services for children. Low livelihood impact of livestock farming was demonstrated in expenditure to health services and renovation of houses and toilets. Sustainability of livestock projects initiated by targeted households supported by TASAF III are likely to be enhanced since households (99.1%) own pieces of agricultural lands and reliable market as perceived by 83.9% or respondents. Sustainability of projects is threatened by pests and diseases, climate change and lack of technical training. The study recommends TASAF III and stakeholders to provide technical training to beneficiaries and allocate more extension workers so as to improve the performance of livestock production and enhance livelihoods

BORROWER DETERMINANTS OF LOAN REPAYMENT IN COMMUNITY VILLAGE BANKS (VICOBA) IN LUSHOTO DISTRICT TANZANIA: A CASE STUDY OF MSHIKAMANO VICOBA

Village Community Banks (VICOBA) are the fastest growing and highly dependable MFIs among the majority of people in Tanzania particularly the rural poor who usually lack collaterals as pre-requisite of loan application in commercial banks which are centralised in urban areas. Despite the rapid development in microfinance institutions, sustenance of VICOBA in Tanzania remains uncertain because of inadequate information regarding their performance including the repayment of loans by borrowers. This study examined borrower determinants of loan repayment in VICOBA in Tanzania particularly for Mshikamano VICOBA. A cross-sectional research design was adopted whereas quantitative approach was applied. The study used stratified random sampling to select 62 borrowers including loan repayment defaulters and loan repayment non-defaulters from a total of 73 borrowers of 2018 VICOBA operational cycle. Structured questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection. SPSS was used to run descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. The results show that there was 70% default rate of in Mshikamano VICOBA which is high. Borrower determinants of repaying loan in Mshikamano VICOBA include gender (β2= -3.564, p=0.018), business (β6= -2.073, p=0.023) and amount of loan (β9= 0.000, p=0.049). The study recommends that VICOBA should establish and adopt an effective appraisal system which will consider gender, business experience and size of loan requested to scrutinize potential borrowers in order to avoid loan repayment default

Male Domination and Domestic Abuse in Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place

This article aims at an analysis of male domination and domestic abuse in Naylor novel. The women of Brewster place. It deals with the subordination of women is restricted not only by Whites, Black men, they dominate the women inspite of color, creed, generation, men of various ages condemned women. The travail encountered by the black women grapple with a continuum of sexual exploitation and violence. The black woman is often seen heavily investing in the mother – child relationship with an absent or estranged father. The socio- economic conditions of African American society are also responsible for the Black man‟s absence from the family and community. Consequently, motherhood is all that black woman cares for the child is all she has. This paper begins with a brief outline of the novelist and continues with the justification of the title which eventually throws lights on the exploration of female sexuality, subjugation, Alienation

Apartheid of South Africa in Gordimer’s July’s People

Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People (1981) foresees the inevitable collapse of White South Africa and the emergence of new political and social realities. In this novel the blacks in the South African police force refuse to arrest their own people, so public services were break down and riots occur in major cities, quickly spreading into the rural areas

Social perspectives in contemporary English Literature Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist

The institutions of society are the strongest paths in paving way for the individual to achieve his/her dreams. Each part of society functions to provide stability and it puts a large emphasis on which the human develop. Human life and social interactions seek in unifying the goals or desires of the individuals. The society and its culture, influences the personal development. Society acts as the stimulus in achieving individual‘s desire. ―The Alchemist ―, a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho was first published in 1988. ‗The Alchemist‘ follows a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. Journey is necessary according to the Alchemist. It is about the essential wisdom of listening to a heart and above all, following our dreams. ―When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it‖. This is the core theme of the Book. The main theme, is finding one‘s destiny influenced by the society