Working Paper 74 - Factors Impeding the Poverty Reduction Capacity of Micro-Credit: Some Field Observations from Malawi and Ethiopia

In most African countries women tend to account for an average 51% of the population, andmake up about 65% of the rural labour force. Thus, many rural based micro-finance programmeshave attempted to address the women specific need for micro-credit. This paper analyses theeffectiveness of micro-credit as a means to reducing poverty, with particular focus on women,and demonstrates, through the critical analysis of some country-specific examples, that the useand supply of micro-credit does not always lead to a sustainable impact on household or femalepoverty reduction. Analysis of findings are done based on field data, interviews, and observationsfrom Malawi and Ethiopia.The paper has concluded that while MFIs aim to reduce poverty and empower women there isusually no clear implementation mechanism to achieve these aims. Some of the conclusions ofthe paper are: the inadequate and insufficient participation of the female clients themselves in thedesign of the programmes affects the levels of poverty reduction; the inability of certain commonlyused indicators of success/failure of micro-credit in measuring the non-quantifiable impact ofthe programmes on the clients; there are certain undesired effects of micro-credit delivery, whichmay hinder the process of poverty reduction; MFIs target women mainly due to the fact that thelending characteristics of the rural micro-credit are best suited to female clients, rather than maleclients. Moreover, the empowerment process which is assumed to occur as a result of these loans,is impeded by the micro size of the loan, the small returns from the use of the loan, and the factthat the returns themselves are still not always the major contributor to the family income ascompared to the male income. Furthermore, the paper argues that it is a misconception that anMFI always targets the ultimate poorest of the poor, the landless, the assetless, and the destitute,because, as the paper has demonstrated that for an MFI such a client profile will not ensurereturns and increase profits, and it is precisely such a beneficiary profile that is unattractive andunlikely to become a potential client. The changing policy environment, thus, puts more pressureand competition for the scarce resources between the poorest of the poor and the “not-so-poor”.This paper has highlighted the fact that since development interventions put greater focus onpromotion of, for example, export markets and international trade, and medium scale farmers andentrepreneurs, the actual micro-credit clients are not the typical ‘hand-to-mouth’ poor.Finally the paper gives broad recommendations for further research and analysis in order tostrengthen the capabilities of micro-credit for poverty reduction. Furthermore, the analysis in thispaper also provides the way-forward in the design of future micro-credit interventions for povertyreduction as well as gender and empowerment.

School governance : a case study investigating the governance capacity of the farm school governing body

School governance at South African schools is now almost twelve years old. In these twelve years some schools have made great strides whilst others are still facing various challenges. This research article is a qualitative, empirical and a descriptive case study, based on two farm schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province. It has investigated the governance capacity of both farm school governing bodies (SGB) in the execution of their roles and responsibilities together with the challenges that they faced using a documentary study and with structured interviews in a focus group. The structure for writing this article used the four principles as designed by Yin (1994) which are; Conceptualization, Contextual details, Data collection and Analytical strategies. Evidence from this Research indicate that the Farm School Governing Body face many contextual challenges and that a tailor-made Governance capacity building programme be made available to farm schools so that they (SGB) are able to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively

Batwara : partition and the city of Amritsar

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-145).The Partition of British India into the two dominions of India and Pakistan on August 15th 1947 left In its wake the largest human migration of the twentieth century with the transfer of twelve million people across two newly formed borders. The boundary line, demarcating Indian and Pakistani territory, was created 17 miles to the west of Amritsar awarding the city to India. Amritsar, a flourishing commercial and cultural center, thus, became a border city overnight on the Indian side. Mass religious emigration ensued clearing the city 's Muslim population of over 184,000 people coupled with the immigration of a huge Hindu -Sikh population from Pakistan over a period of a few months. This thesis explores how Partition affected the city of Amritsar. Its metamorphosis from a viable commercial and cultural center to a city that shows a decline in population post-partition for the first time since its inception is partially explained by its proximity to the International Border, its vocational and demographic shifts and its official label as a transit city . The thesis documents communal migration, both inter- and intra-city, from March 1947 to the mid 1950s with the arrival of Hindu and Sikh refugees from West Punjab. This thesis then cross-references Amritsar with Lahore, a border city in Pakistan to explore how and why Partition affected that city differently. Amritsar is finally then seen through the lens of rising Sikh nationalism in the 1980s and its effect on the urban fabric. This thesis concludes with general inferences that can be drawn from th e experiences in Amritsar as a case study of a city transformed by an unplanned and immediate forced resettlement.by Pitamber P. Sahni.S.M

Understanding learners’ experiences of peer support in the intermediate phase.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The purpose of this study is to understand learners’ experiences of peer support in the intermediate phase. The study was conducted in one private, mainstream school in Pinetown, Durban. The study adopts a qualitative research approach in which a case study design was adopted. A total of six participants were selected for this study, two from grades 4,5 and 6 each, through purposive sampling and convenience sampling. The data generation process was obtained through talking circles with the participants and the collages that they created. A thematic analysis of the data revealed findings that show the intermediate phase learners as having a positive experience with the Peer Support Team. The learners were familiar with the Peer Support Team through the interactions made by the peer supporters. The learners recognized the team through classroom visits and the interactions they had with the Peer Support Team when they experienced bad situations, academic stress, issues of anger, or when their teachers were busy. As a result, the learners found the Peer Support Team helpful, nonjudgmental, open, loving, caring, understanding, encouraging, kind, and attentive listeners. They were also a source of happiness and growth. The learners also found that their experiences with the Peer Support Team could be enhanced through regular class visits, being able to find them in one place and having a larger Peer Support Team

Methylation profiling of paternally imprinted loci in male gametes following alcohol exposure

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in MedicineFetal Alcohol Syndrome (F AS), the most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (F ASD), has traditionally been associated with maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. However, a number of animal studies have shown an association between paternal preconception alcohol consumption and developmental abnormalities in the offspring that resemble the features of F AS. Dysregulation of epigenetic factors (such as DNA methylation) in the presence of alcohol may provide a plausible mechanism by which paternal alcohol consumption could result in offspring affected with features of F AS. Imprinted genes are expressed in a parentof- origin manner due to DNA methylation at distinct differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and are essential for normal embryonic development. There are only two known paternally methylated DMRs in humans, with an additional one described in mice - associated with Rasgrfl. The first aim of this study was to determine whether the human RASGRFl gene contains a DMR and whether this DMR is paternally methylated. In order to assess the imprint status of RASGRF 1, a number of computational assessments were done to identify key features of imprinted loci. Pyrosequencing analysis was used to assess the methylation status of various CpO islands surrounding RASGRFi in peripheral blood and sperm DNA samples. The RASGRF i-associated CpO regions were not found to exhibit differential methylation in a parent-of-origin manner. The second aIm of the study was to examine the effect of paternal alcohol consumption on the methylation status of the IG-DMR locus in male gametes and to detennine whether alcohol is correlated with methylation in a dose-dependant manner. Methylation assessment was done using the quantitative pyrosequencing technology. While an overall reduction in methylation was noted in males who consumed alcohol after adjusting for confounding variables, the amount of alcohol consumed did not correlate with overall methylation. When analyzed by individual CpG sites, alcohol consumption was found to correlate preferentially with demethylation at CpG 3 while alcohol-dosage preferentially correlated with demethylation at CpG 7. Age was significantly correlated with an increase in the overall methylation at JG-DMR and at individual sites within JG-DMR. In conclusion, these findings support the hypothesis that paternal preconception alcohol consumption can lead to hypomethylation of nonnally hypennethylated DMRs of specific imprinted genes in human spenn. This in tum could have significant implications with regard to the regulation of developmentally significant genes in the zygote and fetus, resulting in developmental, behavioral and neurocognitive disorders

Partnerships and Participation: Synthesising Methods to Improve the Quality of Planning and Training for Primary Health Care Services at District Level in Nepal

Summary Participation has been encouraged for many years in health development work, as a means to involve populations in improving the appropriateness and quality of their local health services. This article is an attempt to highlight a new approach to participation which moves away from a purely community focused activity and seeks to engage a broader partnership between health service providers, managers and users for a more accountable and sustainable end product. It takes inspiration from the Client Oriented Provider Efficient process (COPE) which has been proved an effective tool to improve the quality of reproductive health services. Mixing some of its core components with Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) methods we have developed a new model of participatory planning and training. Preliminary results show that including all stakeholders in the process can work as long as the exercises are accessible to all. This accessibility is achieved through a range of visualisation methods. As with any tool for Human Resource Development the crucial issue continues to be the need for effective follow up which can maintain levels of enthusiasm and quality in resource?poor settings

Inventory Control and Valuation Systems among Retail SMEs in a Developing Country: An Exploratory Study

The study seeks to examine inventory control and valuation procedures in retail SMEs. In addition, the study investigates whether the owners and managers adhere to inventory control and valuation systems among retail SMEs. Data was analyzed from 173 questionnaires that were distributed to SME owners and managers. The respondents were selected by using the simple random sampling technique. The questionnaire comprised questions based on inventory control and valuation procedures, with closed-ended questions and Likert scales. The results reveal that retail owners / managers employ inventory control procedures in their enterprise. Data was also analyzed by correlation analysis to determine the relationship between inventory valuation methods and inventory records. The LIFOM was also correlated with LIFOM income tax savings, to determine whether there were any significant correlations. The results confirm that inventory methods have a positive association with inventory methods and inventory records. Retailers also accept that the LIFOM is no longer an acceptable method used in practice. Cost of inventories was also identified and implemented by SME owners / managers. The results of the study will assist owners / managers to better manage their inventory control and valuation systems and to ensure objective reporting of inventory. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n8p8

Appetite regulation genes are associated with body mass index in black South African adolescents: a genetic association study

PMID: 22614171 PMCID: PMC3358621BACKGROUND: Obesity is a complex trait with both environmental and genetic contributors. Genome-wide association studies have identified several variants that are robustly associated with obesity and body mass index (BMI), many of which are found within genes involved in appetite regulation. Currently, genetic association data for obesity are lacking in Africans-a single genome-wide association study and a few replication studies have been published in West Africa, but none have been performed in a South African population. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of candidate loci with BMI in black South Africans. The authors focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FTO, LEP, LEPR, MC4R, NPY2R and POMC genes. DESIGN: A genetic association study. PARTICIPANTS: 990 randomly selected individuals from the larger Birth to Twenty cohort (a longitudinal birth cohort study of health and development in Africans). MEASURES: The authors genotyped 44 SNPs within the six candidate genes that included known BMI-associated SNPs and tagSNPs based on linkage disequilibrium in an African population for FTO, LEP and NPY2R. To assess population substructure, the authors included 18 ancestry informative markers. Weight, height, sex, sex-specific pubertal stage and exact age collected during adolescence (13 years) were used to identify loci that predispose to obesity early in life. RESULTS: Sex, sex-specific pubertal stage and exact age together explain 14.3% of the variation in log(BMI) at age 13. After adjustment for these factors, four SNPs were individually significantly associated with BMI: FTO rs17817449 (p=0.022), LEP rs10954174 (p=0.0004), LEP rs6966536 (p=0.012) and MC4R rs17782313 (p=0.045). Together the four SNPs account for 2.1% of the variation in log(BMI). Each risk allele was associated with an estimated average increase of 2.5% in BMI. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlighted SNPs in FTO and MC4R as potential genetic markers of obesity risk in South Africans. The association with two SNPs in the 3' untranslated region of the LEP gene is novel