Tutors' views on the integrated tutor model in open distance learning

The facilitation of learning by tutors is a worldwide phenomenon that is supported by most open and distance learning (ODL) institutions. It is a strategy employed to achieve academic success. This qualitative intrinsic case study explored the views of tutors at the University of South Africa (Unisa) about the implementation of the Integrated Tutor Model (ITM) which supports student learning. The successes, challenges and impact of the ITM on the tutors’ delivery of tutorials are not fully known. Therefore, the findings of this study will highlight the successes, challenges and impact of the ITM which Unisa can use to improve the model. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews with six tutors who were purposively selected from Unisa’s Gauteng region. The findings revealed successes and challenges of the ITM that affect the support that is due to the students via tutorage. These findings explain the application of the ITM that can assist Unisa in strengthening or reviewing both the tutor system and the model

Socio-economic and hygienic aspects of street food vending in Maseru City, Lesotho

Street food vending is a growing phenomenon in many countries and contributes to the livelihoods of many people. However, the safety of the foods is often a cause for concern because the environment in which they operate is usually unhygienic, leading to contamination. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic contribution of street foods in Maseru and to assess the hygienic practices of the vendors in the city. A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing the street food vendors using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on the contribution of food vending to the economy, and the hygienic practices of the food vendors. One hundred street vendors were interviewed at the Maseru Market, Manonyane bus stop, Mafafa market, Metro taxi rank, Sefika taxi rank as well as outside the Ministry of Health Government Office Complex. The majority of the vendors [77%] were women. Fifty three per cent of the vendors were in age range of 25-30 years and street food vending was the main source of income. About 51% reported profits above 100 Maloti [@US$13] per day. The main types of food items sold were papa [thick maize meal porridge], boiled vegetables [moroho], roasted chicken, pork or beef, and beef stew. The vendors operated from makeshift structures and had no running water. All the street vendors used buckets for washing hands after visiting the toilet and before handling food. Fifty two percent of the vendors operated the street food vending business on individual basis. It was concluded that while street food vending in Maseru can be viable, the hygienic practices need to be improved. It is recommended the government and local authorities should assist vendors with appropriate shelters, running water, and electricity to improve the quality of food

Socio-economic and hygienic aspects of street food vending in Maseru City, Lesotho

Street food vending is a growing phenomenon in many countries and contributes to the livelihoods of many people. However, the safety of the foods is often a cause for concern because the environment in which they operate is usually unhygienic, leading to contamination. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic contribution of street foods in Maseru and to assess the hygienic practices of the vendors in the city. A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing the street food vendors using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on the contribution of food vending to the economy, and the hygienic practices of the food vendors. One hundred street vendors were interviewed at the Maseru Market, Manonyane bus stop, Mafafa market, Metro taxi rank, Sefika taxi rank as well as outside the Ministry of Health Government Office Complex. The majority of the vendors [77%] were women. Fifty three per cent of the vendors were in age range of 25-30 years and street food vending was the main source of income. About 51% reported profits above 100 Maloti [@US$13] per day. The main types of food items sold were papa [thick maize meal porridge], boiled vegetables [moroho], roasted chicken, pork or beef, and beef stew. The vendors operated from makeshift structures and had no running water. All the street vendors used buckets for washing hands after visiting the toilet and before handling food. Fifty two percent of the vendors operated the street food vending business on individual basis. It was concluded that while street food vending in Maseru can be viable, the hygienic practices need to be improved. It is recommended the government and local authorities should assist vendors with appropriate shelters, running water, and electricity to improve the quality of food

Socio-economic and hygienic aspects of street food vending in Maseru City, Lesotho

Street food vending is a growing phenomenon in many countries and contributes to the livelihoods of many people. However, the safety of the foods is often a cause for concern because the environment in which they operate is usually unhygienic, leading to contamination. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic contribution of street foods in Maseru and to assess the hygienic practices of the vendors in the city. A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing the street food vendors using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on the contribution of food vending to the economy, and the hygienic practices of the food vendors. One hundred street vendors were interviewed at the Maseru Market, Manonyane bus stop, Mafafa market, Metro taxi rank, Sefika taxi rank as well as outside the Ministry of Health Government Office Complex. The majority of the vendors [77%] were women. Fifty three per cent of the vendors were in age range of 25-30 years and street food vending was the main source of income. About 51% reported profits above 100 Maloti [@US$13] per day. The main types of food items sold were papa [thick maize meal porridge], boiled vegetables [moroho], roasted chicken, pork or beef, and beef stew. The vendors operated from makeshift structures and had no running water. All the street vendors used buckets for washing hands after visiting the toilet and before handling food. Fifty two percent of the vendors operated the street food vending business on individual basis. It was concluded that while street food vending in Maseru can be viable, the hygienic practices need to be improved. It is recommended the government and local authorities should assist vendors with appropriate shelters, running water, and electricity to improve the quality of food

Socio-economic and hygienic aspects of street food vending in Maseru City, Lesotho

Street food vending is a growing phenomenon in many countries and contributes to the livelihoods of many people. However, the safety of the foods is often a cause for concern because the environment in which they operate is usually unhygienic, leading to contamination. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic contribution of street foods in Maseru and to assess the hygienic practices of the vendors in the city. A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing the street food vendors using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on the contribution of food vending to the economy, and the hygienic practices of the food vendors. One hundred street vendors were interviewed at the Maseru Market, Manonyane bus stop, Mafafa market, Metro taxi rank, Sefika taxi rank as well as outside the Ministry of Health Government Office Complex. The majority of the vendors [77%] were women. Fifty three per cent of the vendors were in age range of 25-30 years and street food vending was the main source of income. About 51% reported profits above 100 Maloti [@US$13] per day. The main types of food items sold were papa [thick maize meal porridge], boiled vegetables [moroho], roasted chicken, pork or beef, and beef stew. The vendors operated from makeshift structures and had no running water. All the street vendors used buckets for washing hands after visiting the toilet and before handling food. Fifty two percent of the vendors operated the street food vending business on individual basis. It was concluded that while street food vending in Maseru can be viable, the hygienic practices need to be improved. It is recommended the government and local authorities should assist vendors with appropriate shelters, running water, and electricity to improve the quality of food

Socio-economic and hygienic aspects of street food vending in Maseru City, Lesotho

Street food vending is a growing phenomenon in many countries and contributes to the livelihoods of many people. However, the safety of the foods is often a cause for concern because the environment in which they operate is usually unhygienic, leading to contamination. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic contribution of street foods in Maseru and to assess the hygienic practices of the vendors in the city. A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing the street food vendors using a semi-structured questionnaire focusing on the contribution of food vending to the economy, and the hygienic practices of the food vendors. One hundred street vendors were interviewed at the Maseru Market, Manonyane bus stop, Mafafa market, Metro taxi rank, Sefika taxi rank as well as outside the Ministry of Health Government Office Complex. The majority of the vendors [77%] were women. Fifty three per cent of the vendors were in age range of 25-30 years and street food vending was the main source of income. About 51% reported profits above 100 Maloti [@US$13] per day. The main types of food items sold were papa [thick maize meal porridge], boiled vegetables [moroho], roasted chicken, pork or beef, and beef stew. The vendors operated from makeshift structures and had no running water. All the street vendors used buckets for washing hands after visiting the toilet and before handling food. Fifty two percent of the vendors operated the street food vending business on individual basis. It was concluded that while street food vending in Maseru can be viable, the hygienic practices need to be improved. It is recommended the government and local authorities should assist vendors with appropriate shelters, running water, and electricity to improve the quality of food

Opinions of key stakeholders on alternative interventions for malaria control and elimination in Tanzania

Malaria control in Tanzania currently relies primarily on long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying, alongside effective case management and behaviour change communication. This study explored opinions of key stakeholders on the national progress towards malaria elimination, the potential of currently available vector control interventions in helping achieve elimination by 2030, and the need for alternative interventions that could be used to supplement malaria elimination efforts in Tanzania. In this exploratory qualitative study, Focus group discussions were held with policy-makers, regulators, research scientists and community members. Malaria control interventions discussed were: (a) improved housing, (b) larval source management, (c) mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin to reduce vector densities, (d) release of modified mosquitoes, including genetically modified or irradiated mosquitoes, (e) targeted spraying of mosquito swarms, and (f) spatial repellents. Larval source management and spatial repellents were widely supported across all stakeholder groups, while insecticide-spraying of mosquito swarms was the least preferred. Support for MDA with ivermectin was high among policy makers, regulators and research scientists, but encountered opposition among community members, who instead expressed strong support for programmes to improve housing for poor people in high transmission areas. Policy makers, however, challenged the idea of government-supported housing improvement due to its perceived high costs. Techniques of mosquito modification, specifically those involving gene drives, were viewed positively by community members, policy makers and regulators, but encountered a high degree of scepticism among scientists. Overall, policy-makers, regulators and community members trusted scientists to provide appropriate advice for decision-making. Stakeholder opinions regarding alternative malaria interventions were divergent except for larval source management and spatial repellents, for which there was universal support. MDA with ivermectin, housing improvement and modified mosquitoes were also widely supported, though each faced concerns from at least one stakeholder group. While policy-makers, regulators and community members all noted their reliance on scientists to make informed decisions, their reasoning on the benefits and disadvantages of specific interventions included factors beyond technical efficiency. This study suggests the need to encourage and strengthen dialogue between research scientists, policy makers, regulators and communities regarding new interventions

From waste cooking oil to oxygen-rich onion-like nanocarbons for the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions

Vegetable cooking oil is used in domestic and commercial kitchens owing to its ability to modify and enhance the taste of the food through the frying process. However, as the oil is used through several frying cycles, it changes colour to dark brown and acquires an unpleasant smell. At this point, the waste oil is usually discarded, thereby finding its way into freshwater streams due to poor disposal and thus becoming an environmental pollutant. To provide an alternative, ‘green’ route to waste oil disposal, herein we report on the metal-free synthesis of onion-like nanocarbons (OLNCs) made from waste cooking oil via flame pyrolysis. The OLNCs were then applied in the removal of hexavalent chromium ions from aqueous solutions. The as-synthesised OLNCs were found to have similar properties (size, quasi-spherical shape etc.) to those synthesised from pure cooking oils. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data showed that the OLNCs contained C-O-type moieties which were attributed to the oxygenation process that took place during the cooking process. The OLNCs from waste oil were applied as an adsorbent for Cr(VI) and showed optimal removal conditions at pH = 2, t = 360 min, Co = 10 mg/L and Q0max = 47.62 mg/g, superior to data obtained from OLNCs prepared from pristine cooking oil. The results showed that the OLNCs derived from the waste cooking oil were effective in the removal of hexavalent chromium. Overall, this study shows how to repurpose an environmental pollutant (waste cooking oil) as an effective adsorbent for pollutant (Cr(VI)) removal. Significance: • Waste cooking oil outperformed olive oil as a starting material for the production of OLNCs for the removal of toxic Cr(VI) from water. • The superior performance of the OLNCs from waste cooking oil was attributed to the higher oxygen content found on their surface and acquired through the cooking process. • Not only are the OLNCs produced from waste cooking oil effective in the removal of Cr(VI), but they can be used multiple times before replacement, which makes them sustainable

Cash vs. food assistance to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected adults in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effectiveness of short-term cash and food assistance to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and retention in care among people living with HIV in Tanzania. METHODS: At three clinics, 805 participants were randomized to three groups in a 3 : 3 : 1 ratio, stratified by site : nutrition assessment and counseling (NAC) and cash transfers (∼$11/month, n = 347), NAC and food baskets (n = 345), and NAC-only (comparison group, n = 113, clinicaltrials.gov NCT01957917). Eligible people living with HIV were at least 18 years, initiated ART 90 days or less prior, and food insecure. Cash or food was provided for 6 or less consecutive months, conditional on visit attendance. The primary outcome was medication possession ratio (MPR ≥ 95%) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were appointment attendance and loss to follow-up (LTFU) at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: The primary intent-to-treat analysis included 800 participants. Achievement of MPR ≥ 95% at 6 months was higher in the NAC + cash group compared with NAC-only (85.0 vs. 63.4%), a 21.6 percentage point difference [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.8, 33.4, P < 0.01]. MPR ≥ 95% was also significantly higher in the NAC + food group vs. NAC-only (difference = 15.8, 95% CI: 3.8, 27.9, P < 0.01). When directly compared, MPR ≥ 95% was similar in the NAC + cash and NAC + food groups (difference = 5.7, 95% CI: -1.2, 12.7, P = 0.15). Compared with NAC-only, appointment attendance and LTFU were significantly higher in both the NAC + cash and NAC + food groups at 6 months. At 12 months, the effect of NAC + cash, but not NAC + food, on MPR ≥ 95% and retention was sustained. CONCLUSION: Short-term conditional cash and food assistance improves ART possession and appointment attendance and reduces LTFU among food-insecure ART initiates in Tanzania

Expanding the Social Security Net in South Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Constraints

Rapid increases in government expenditure on social security between 2000 and 2006 has further increased poor households’ reliance on welfare grants and has been important in the fight against poverty. Already there is evidence of a substitution taking place within the social budget: expenditure on education and health seems to have declined in favour of increased welfare transfer expenditure