Role of Condom Negotiation on Condom use among Women of Reproductive Age in three Districts in Tanzania.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS remains being a disease of great public health concern worldwide. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where women are disproportionately infected with HIV, women are reportedly less likely capable of negotiating condom use. However, while knowledge of condom use for HIV prevention is extensive among men and women in many countries including Tanzania, evidence is limited about the role of condom negotiation on condom use among women in rural Tanzania. METHODS: Data originate from a cross-sectional survey of random households conducted in 2011 in Rufiji, Kilombero and Ulanga districts in Tanzania. The survey assessed health-seeking behaviour among women and children using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. A total of 2,614 women who were sexually experienced and aged 15--49 years were extracted from the main database for the current analysis. Linkage between condom negotiation and condom use at the last sexual intercourse was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Prevalence of condom use at the last sexual intercourse was 22.2% overall, ranging from12.2% among married women to 54.9% among unmarried (single) women. Majority of the women (73.4%) reported being confident to negotiate condom use, and these women were significantly more likely than those who were not confident to have used a condom at the last sexual intercourse (OR = 3.13, 95% CI 2.22-4.41). This effect was controlled for marital status, age, education, religion, number of sexual partners, household wealth and knowledge of HIV prevention by condom use. CONCLUSION: Confidence to negotiate condom use is a significant predictor of actual condom use among women in rural Tanzania. Women especially unmarried ones or those in multiple partnerships should be empowered with condom negotiation skills to enhance their sexual and reproductive health outcomes

A Study of Critical Success Factors Affecting Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi County: A Case Study of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Nairobi City Central Business District

A Research Project Report Submitted to Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) – Strategic ManagementModern day business operating environment is characterized by dynamism that calls for constant adjustments of all business functions, strategies and alignment of the same to ensure sustainable growth of these organizations. Despite these changes, SMEs, in an attempt to remain competitive in this kind of environment have opted to applying various competitive strategies to ensure that they are not pushed out of business by their competitors and larger-sized firms. This study sought to reveal what constitute critical success factors which are central to the success of SME’s in Nairobi County. SME businesses are a dominant form of ownership in majority of the world economies. Small and micro family owned businesses contributed over 50% of new jobs created in the year 2005 in Kenya (Mumbua, 2013). The study sought to assess the influence of critical factors notably; innovation, access to finances, and effective leadership on the success of SME’s. The study adopted descriptive research design methodology as the main approach for conducting the field survey. This approach allowed the study to gather quantitative data which can be analyzed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics. This study brought out the critical factors that have been central to the success of SME’s within Nairobi City. The greater Nairobi county, has over 90,000 SME’s, with at least 21,100 located in the Central Business District. Stratified random sampling was used in the identification of respondents for this study. A total of 70 respondents agreed to participate in the study. A structured, closed-ended questionnaire was used as the primary data collection tool. A 5-point scale was used to assess the respondent’s level of satisfaction from the list of questions contained in the tool. Upon completion the field exercise, the data was inspected for correctness then coded using SPSS version 20. The results were presented using charts and tables. The study found that innovation plays a crucial role in the success of SME’s with a cumulative average of 4.35 for all innovation factors which translates to 87% approval. Further, the study established that access to financing is a fundamental factor that influences the potential of success among SME ventures with a overall mean of 4.01 which translates to 80.2%. The study also found that leadership effectiveness has a significant influence on the success of SME’s with an average mean of 4.16, which translates to 83.2% approval. The study concludes that the most critical factor in implementing innovation is the acknowledgement of its importance by the SME managers, through setting aside a portion of operational capital to fund innovation initiatives. The study concludes that interest rates are the biggest impediments facing numerous borrowers running SME ventures. Numerous borrowers cite high interest rates as the biggest deterrent in pursuing credit facilities with established lenders such as the commercial banks. The study makes a conclusion that effective leadership is critical in the success of any business establishment whether small or big. The study concludes that business owners and managers understanding of rapid changes in the business scene require continuous skill upgrade and training. The study makes a recommendation that small business should strive to pursue a policy of allocating a significant amount of business returns towards innovation initiatives. The study recommends that, SME’s should clearly set-up financial priorities at the in stage when setting up the business. The SME should have a concrete business plan that lays down the financial projections for a minimum period of three financial years. Finally, the study recommends business leaders to continuously upgrade their skills to remain dynamic and informed of the changes in the business administration scene