Does Participation in Microfinance Programs Improve Household Incomes: Empirical Evidence From Makueni District, Kenya

Although microfinance has elicited different reactions from different stakeholders, there seems to be a general agreement that it is useful in reducing poverty. This study is an attempt to contribute in to the debate on the impact of microfinance on household incomes. We use a pooled data set collected from the south western part of Makueni district in Kenya to study the households’ access to microfinance credit and how the credit affects their incomes. We control for household selection bias as well as endogenity problems in the sample. Cross sectional analysis fails to show any significant positive impact of microfinance on poverty reduction. Only after the inclusion of time dynamics in the study are we able to find a weak positive significance of microfinance on household incomes.household, incomes, Kenya, Makueni, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, Labor and Human Capital, Marketing, Production Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

PM2.5 and PM10 exposure in selected animal feed processing facilities in Kiambu County, Kenya.

The high demand for animal feed in major towns in Kenya has escalated the proliferation of animal feed manufacturing and uncontrolled animal feed facilities. This exposes the workers to grain dust, which is harmful to their respiratory health. The exposure levels have not been extensively studied and reported in Kenya. The goal of the study was to assess the exposure levels of grain dust to animal feed mill workers in Kiambu County, Kenya. The animal feed facilities were purposely sampled. The grain dust exposure levels in the study sites were monitored using a portable particulate matter sensor. SPSS was used to process and analyze the collected data. The mean PM10 of 53.72 μg/m3 and PM2.5 of 36.54 μg/m3 exceeded the WHO Air Quality Guideline level of a 24-hour exposure time of 45 μg/m3 for PM10 and PM2.5, 15 μg/m3. The study recommends continued implementation of the dust control measures within the animal feed manufacturing facilities and adherence to the set safety and health guidelines by the feed processors

Assessment of grain dust management systems among selected animal feed manufacturers in Kiambu County, Kenya

The animal feed industry in Kenya has experienced rapid growth due to the increased demand for animal feed around the major towns. That equally increased the risks of exposure to grain dust among the workers. The level of awareness about the risks and the existing control measures has not been adequately studied and documented in Kenya. The overall objective of the study was to assess the dust management systems among selected animal feed manufacturers in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional study design. A total of 355 animal feed mill workers were sampled using Yamane’s formula. They assessed the dust management systems using structured questionnaires, interviews, and walk-through surveys. SPSS was used to process and analyze the collected data. The results showed that the majority of the workers had not been trained in the elements of grain dust management. None of the workers was aware of the air sampling measurements or the exposure limits. Only 16.13% of the feed millers controlled the dust using other engineering and administrative controls apart from ventilation. The study concluded that there was a need for improvement in dust management measures among the facilities and the workers. The study recommends improvement in the dust control measures whereby the workers should adhere to the set safety and health guidelines and the management of the animal feed manufacturers should provide continuous training, suitable gear, and development of engineering controls to minimize the exposure to grain dust

The Impact of Green Schemes on the Livelihood of Communities in the Kavango Region, Namibia

Agricultural production in the dry lands is limited by inadequate rainfall to grow crops but irrigated agriculture increases crop yields for food security and economic benefits to the community. The irrigation projects in Namibia have been termed as Green Schemes as they give a green formation that is different from the surrounding dry vegetation. This study investigated the impacts of the Green Scheme on the livelihood of communities. In particular it sought to ask: are there economic benefits and a change in the diversification of food stuff to people living around the Green Schemes; and what challenges do the people around the Green Schemes experience? A survey was conducted on 30 households in each of the two villages. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select Green Schemes and households respectively. Personal interviews were undertaken using structured and unstructured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and cross tabulations were used to outline respondents according to the impacts of the Green Scheme. The study revealed that there was no significant association between economic activities of the two village settings (p>0.05). Most variables were the same before and after the scheme for both village settings. Changes in food diversification for people were assessed and results indicated that food items for consumption reduced for Sikondo village and increased in Siyandeya village. The study further highlights community’s assertion that Green Schemes are not adding significant improvements or changes to community livelihoods as no significant developments in the surrounding villages have been attributed to the Green Schemes. The study further highlights that while there are benefits from the Green Schemes; these are minimal and are not worth their continuing challenges of water shortages and sanitation, their losses and expectations for improved livelihood. Significantly this study highlights the need to inculcate a change in attitude so as to encourage collaborative efforts between communities and the Green Schemes management which will impact on the livelihood of people positively. Keywords: Kavango, Green scheme, Government intervention, Communities, Livelihood, Socio-economics, impacts, irrigation project

Analysis of Parental Involvement And Self-Esteem On Secondary School Students In Kieni West Sub-County, Nyeri County, Kenya

This study investigated the relationship between parental involvement and the self-esteem among adolescents in secondary school students in Kieni West District in Nyeri County. It was guided by Self Determination Theory (SDT) by James William and Baumrind Theory of Parenting Styles by Diana Blumberg Baumrind. Some of the gaps identified in the literature review were addressed. Emphasis was put on establishing the relationship between parental involvement in the perspective of autonomy, competence, and relatedness and development of self-esteem among adolescents. The study followed mixed methods research design where qualitative and quantitative methodology was combined. The study was based on investigation of form three students in secondary schools in Kieni West district, Nyeri County, Kenya. The instruments consisted of questionnaires and unstructured interviews. Two experts were given the research instruments to evaluate the validity and all the items were rated as relevant. Reliability of research instruments was established using test retest method and a reliability coefficient of 0.5 was obtained. Quantitative data was collected from 200 participants selected from 8 schools using probability sampling method. Qualitative data was collected from 8 participants selected from 8 schools using purpose sampling method. Data collected was computerized using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 21). It was analyzed and interpreted using inferential statistics with the aim of investigating the relationship between parental involvement and self esteem among adolescents. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. Quantitative data was descriptive in nature. Qualitative data analysis involved coding and categorizing of interview data and thereafter data were thematically organized.   This formed the basis of detailed analysis, conclusions and recommendations. The study found that parents in Kieni West District in Nyeri County were involved in the lives of adolescents. Adolescents in this research were found to have high self esteem. This research found a relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Self esteem among adolescents was found to be related to parental involvement. The study recommended that stakeholders in education needed to identify and understand the psychological needs of adolescents. Study, recommends future research on how parental involvement fluctuates and test if parental involvement can be taught by implementing parenting workshop. Key Words: Parental Involvement and Self-Esteem, Secondary School Students in Kieni West Sub-County, Nyeri County, Keny

Indoor and outdoor biting behaviour of malaria vectors and the potential risk factors that enhance malaria in southern Malawi

Current methods of malaria vector control implemented by national control programmes rely mainly on the use of insecticides. These include the use of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). The success of LLINs and IRS is underpinned by the protection from infectious mosquito bites provided to individuals and the reduction in mosquito population size caused by sufficient contact of mosquitoes with the insecticide in the nets or on the walls of the houses. The high degree of endophily (resting indoors) and endophagy (feeding indoors) exhibited by the dominant African malaria vectors has been, therefore, a key component of that success. However, in recent years in some regions, the biting behaviour of the African malaria vectors, both indoors and outdoors and during a wider range of times than previously recognized, has been reported. This has an implication on malaria control because individuals are at risk of receiving infectious bites from vectors that are biting either outdoors or indoors at times when people are not protected by the primary control tools. Additionally, resistance of mosquitoes to these insecticides exacerbates the risk for malaria transmission. Therefore, understanding the degree of endophagy/exophagy of the vectors, when or where humans are exposed to mosquito bites, entry points for malaria vectors into houses and biological factors enhancing malaria transmission in a region is important. The collective information from studying these natural behavioural aspects of mosquitoes will help in designing interventions that protect individuals from infective mosquito bites, thereby reducing malaria transmission and disease burden. The research described in this thesis focused on the biting behaviour of malaria vectors in and around houses in southern Malawi. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the biting times of malaria vectors in Africa, both historically and currently. Our literature search showed that the biting behaviour of mosquitoes both indoors and outdoors was common but the biting peaks vary across and within regions. We explored the factors that may be associated with the variations in the biting behaviour of the vectors. We found that the availability of hosts is one of the potential factors. Furthermore, there is a likelihood that the prolonged use of LLINs may lead to variations in the biting behaviour of malaria vectors although in some regions where such variations have been reported, they rely on data after the implementation of LLINs only. In Chapter 3, the biting patterns of mosquitoes were assessed both indoors and outdoors and during the wet and dry seasons. We found that the major malaria vectors were Anopheles arabiensis and An. funestus. Whereas An. arabiensis was more likely to bite outdoors than indoors, An. funestus was more likely to bite indoors than outdoors. During the dry season, the biting activity of An. gambiae s.l. was constant outdoors across the time of observation (18:00 h to 08:45 h), but highest in the late evening hours (21:00 h to 23:45 h) during the wet season. The biting activity of An. funestus s.l. was highest in the late evening hours (21:00 h to 23:45 h) during the dry season and in the late night hours (03:00 h to 05:45 h) during the wet season. Biting activities that occurred in the late evening hours, both indoors and outdoors, coincided with the times at which individuals may still be awake and physically active, and therefore unprotected by LLINs. Additionally, a substantial number of anopheline bites occurred outdoors. These findings imply that LLINs would only provide partial protection from malaria vectors, which would affect malaria transmission in this area. Therefore, protection against bites by malaria mosquitoes in the early and late evening hours is essential and can be achieved by designing interventions that reduce vector-host contacts during this period. Results of Chapter 3 highlight the need for effective tools for sampling mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. Chapter 4 compares the efficiency of the Suna trap, an odour baited trap, to that of the human landing catch (HLC) and Centers for Disease Control Light Trap (CDC-LT). We found that use of the Suna trap both indoors and outdoors compares well with that of the HLC. This implies that since the HLC method is labour intensive and expensive at large scale implementations, the Suna trap can serve as a substitute for the HLC for estimating the biting rates. On the other hand, the mosquito catches with the Suna trap were lower than those of the CDC–LT. The effectiveness of the Suna trap in sampling mosquitoes when placed either indoors, outdoors or simultaneously indoors and outdoors is the same (Chapter 4). This finding makes the Suna trap more efficient than the CDC-LT because the use of the latter trap is seemingly dependent on the attractiveness of the individual sleeping under the adjacent bed net and the use of this trap outdoors yields fewer malaria vectors. Additionally, the Suna trap uses synthetic odour baits and does not rely on use of humans as baits as with the HLC or CDC-LT methods. Biological factors such as the presence of cattle around houses has been associated with either a protective effect against bites by vectors as these vectors are diverted to other blood meal hosts such as cattle rather than humans or with more bites as the vectors have sufficient blood meal hosts (humans and cattle). Therefore, Chapter 5 describes the results from an assessment of the impact of cattle on the resting behaviour of malaria vectors. The presence of cattle near a house significantly reduced the abundance of indoor resting An. funestus but not An. arabiensis. This implies that the reduction of the former species was possibly due to the deterrent effect of cow odours. These data suggest that repellents around a house disrupt the host-seeking behaviour of malaria vectors. When combined with attractant traps, the resulting push-pull system would lead to reduction of malaria vectors and hence, malaria transmission. In Chapter 6 the impact of fully and partially closed eaves on house entry rates mosquitoes was studied. We compared mosquitoes in houses with fully closed eaves, open eaves and three levels of partially closed eaves. It was found that fully closed eaves and houses with one small opening on the eave significantly reduced house entry of malaria vectors compared to partially and fully open eaves. The mosquitoes were able to locate the remaining entry points on the eaves, a finding which has an implication on malaria transmission. Therefore, quality control is an important component when implementing structural house improvements. The results of Chapter 3 showed that An. funestus s.s. was more likely to bite indoors than outdoors in the present study region and therefore, a house improvement strategy that includes the closure of eaves may be a complementary tool for vector control that protects against biting by An. funestus which is responsible for the indoor biting in southern Malawi (Chapter 3). In Chapter 7, the general discussion interprets the key findings and links these to the implications for malaria control. Furthermore, the findings described in this research provide recommendations for future research. It is concluded that in southern Malawi, the major malaria vectors are An. arabiensis and An. funestus contributing to outdoor and indoor malaria transmission, respectively. Development of tools that can target the biting activity of these vectors both indoors and outdoors at times when individuals are not under bet nets is highly recommended. Furthermore, a house improvement strategy that includes closure of eaves can significantly reduce house entry by malaria vectors. Additionally, the use of odour-baited traps looks promising as tools for sampling malaria vectors both indoors and outdoors as well as tools for mass trapping of mosquitoes to reduce malaria vectors thereby reducing malaria transmission and burden.</p

Voluntary medical male circumcision: Safety and satisfacion at Migori County Hospital

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) as an HIV prevention option for men based on evidence showing a reduction in HIV acquisition of 50% to 60%. Based in this evidence, the rapid expansion of VMMC in sub Saharan Africa has raised concerns on the capacity of VMMC programs to provide sustainable high quality and safe VMMC services.Objective: To determine the rates and correlates of adverse events following VMMC among clients attending Migori County Hospital.Design: Descriptive cross sectional study Setting: Migori County Referral Hospital, Kenya.Subjects: Between November and December 2015, 138 men receiving VMMC services at Migori County hospital were interviewed during their follow up visits within 7 days following the procedure. We systematically sampled every third participant attending their follow up visit. Face to face interviews were conducted to obtain data on demographics and levels of satisfaction, and physical examination to determine any adverse events after circumcision. Fishers exact was used to test for correlates of adverse events among participants.Results: The mean age of participants was 22 years, Standard Deviation (SD) ±5) .About two-thirds (63.8%) had reached secondary level education, 26(18.8%) tertiary level, 23(16.7%) primary level and only 1(0.7%) had no education. The majority 100(72.5%) reported being aware of possible adverse events following male circumcision and almost all 135 (97.8%) participants reported having adhered to wound care instructions. The rate of mild and moderate adverse events was 58.7% and 2.9%, respectively. There was no severe adverse event reported. Bathing and not changing underpants was associated with adverse events. The Majority 137 (99.3%) of participants were highly satisfied with the circumcision procedure and the post-operative care services they received.Conclusion: These results imply that VMMC in this setting can be delivered safely and effectively with high client satisfaction

Assessment of relationship between management policies and transfer of skills: A case of public secondary school heads in Nyeri County, Kenya

Despite heavy investments in training and development, low-quality education standards and challenges in management practices have been a sticky problem in the Kenyan education sector. Organization Theory guided the main aim of this study in establishing the relationship between management policies and transfer of skills for public secondary school headteachers in schools management. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study population comprised 226 headteachers.  A mixture of stratified random sampling and census study was adopted in sampling 69 respondents. The results established that management policies explained a 23.4% variation in the transfer of skills for school heads. ?1 = 0.536 and p-value = 0.000 (p&lt;0.05) indicated that management policies had positive and significant effects on transfer of skills. The study established that unsupportive policies like the Students Council, two centers of power, strict policies, and lack of inclusivity in policy formulation adversely affected school heads in implementing learned skills. The study recommends fair representation of all categories of education stakeholders in policies review and formulation to alleviate challenges associated with management policies to enhance the transfer of skills. The Government should address the issue of two centers of power in the public basic education sector. The paper sought to call the attention of the professional development trainers to exercise follow-ups to assess post-training behavioral outcomes in the context of organizational climate

Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change and Its Effects on Tree Cover in the Drylands of South Eastern Kenya: The Case of Matungulu Sub-County, Machakos County

Matungulu Sub-County is a semi-arid region in Kenya that is prone to frequent droughts, water shortages and food insecurity. Rapid population growth, coupled with climate change, has led to not only an increasing demand for more land, but also to over-exploitation and degradation of local natural resources, leading to a myriad of socio-economic and environmental challenges in the area. The objective of this study was to assess farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its effects on tree cover in Matungulu Sub-County. A structured questionnaire, FDGs, key informants and direct observations were used to collect household socio-economic data from 412 randomly selected households in two locations, namely, Sengani and Koma. Temperature and rainfall data from the Kenya Metrological Department was used to study changes in climatic trends over the three-decade period between 1987 and 2017 in the study area for comparison. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the data analysis. Farmer-perceived climatic patterns were collaborated by data from the Kenya Meteorological Department.  84% of respondent farmers perceived climate change to have affected species composition, density and distribution of tree cover. The farmers unanimously indicated climate change was real in the region. Keywords: farmers, climate change, effects, perceptions, livelihoods, indigenous knowledg

Women, livestock ownership and food security

This brief is an excerpt from the book ‘Bridging the Gender Gap: Women, Livestock Ownership and Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa’, produced by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ILRI or IDRC. This is one of a series of six briefs on livestock and gender, designed and produced by WRENmedia (www.wrenmedia.co.uk) for IDRC