UWCScholar :: Browsing by Author "Karriem, Abdulrazak"

Browsing by Author "Karriem, Abdulrazak"

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Adulthood, home-leaving and informal settlement: A study of the Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Batyi, Maphelo; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Home leaving is an important marker of the transition to adulthood for young adults. Moving out of the parental home and establishing individual residence is often interpreted as a sign of independence for young adults. By transitioning to an independent lifestyle, young adults are able to meet their adulthood endeavours such as fulfilling their maternal and paternal aspirations, pursuing marriage, having children, seeking employment, becoming sexually active, and becoming socially and economically independent.
Adulthood, home-leaving and informal settlement: a study of the Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Batyi, Maphelo; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Home leaving is an important marker of the transition to adulthood for young adults. Moving out of the parental home and establishing individual residence is often interpreted as a sign of independence for young adults. By transitioning to an independent lifestyle, young adults are able to meet their adulthood endeavours such as fulfilling their maternal and paternal aspirations, pursuing marriage, having children, seeking employment, becoming sexually active, and becoming socially and economically independent. Leaving the parental home is often associated with possessing economic resources. Young adults in urban societies usually decide to move out of their parental home when they have adequate economic resources such as income and transferrable assets. The rationale is that the more resources a young adult has, the greater possibility that he or she will establish his/her own independent residence. This is usually the case for middle-class young adults, but for lower-class young adults who come from townships, rural areas, and informal settlements, the case is very different. Lower-class young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds usually lack the necessary income and transferrable assets to establish an independent lifestyle.
An appraisal of urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy for household food security : a case study of urban food gardens in Ward 51, Langa, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Philander, Freda Rhona; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Food security is a development challenge in South Africa with 52% of the population being food insecure and 33% at risk of hunger. Inequalities and inefficient food distribution networks lead to inadequate access to sufficient and nutritional food. Poor communities experience bad access to good food and good access to bad food. Citizens have to be satisfied with cheap, low nutritious and high calorific food leading to malnutrition, and diseases – the hidden hunger. Being hungry is more than just a lack of food; it provokes despair, humiliation, sadness, low self-esteem – perceive as the genocide of the mind. Urban agriculture has been advocated as a livelihood strategy to improve food security. The Urban Rural Development Capacity Building Project (URDCBP), a non-profit organization (NPO), initiated three urban food garden projects within Langa, Cape Town to improve food security and create employment within that community. Ward 51, Langa is the study area of this thesis. The aim of this research is (1) to assess the contribution of urban food garden projects as a livelihood strategy for food security and the livelihood outcomes thereof; (2) to determine what other livelihood strategies and coping mechanisms poor communities adopt to be more food secure; and (3) to propose recommendations to improve and expand urban food gardens. The mixed-methodology research paradigm was employed. In the quantitative design, 83 randomly selected participants completed the self-administered closed-ended questionnaires. STATA 12.1 was used as a tool for the quantitative analysis. The descriptive statistics present the socio-demographic and economic trends of the households by the scores of each variable and the existence of any relationships between the variables. Conclusions were drawn from the sample data about the populations with inferential statistics. The qualitative data collection included two semi-structured interviews with government officials and two focus group discussions with 17 community members and 13 beneficiaries respectively. Purposive sampling was used in the qualitative research and emerging themes were identified in response to the research objective supporting the quantitative analysis. The results attest that 82% of the respondents indicated that the urban food gardens contribute to their household food security. However, low levels of food security are still experience within the community. With the Sustainable Livelihood Approach as theoretical framework, the study accentuates other livelihood outcomes of urban agriculture such as improving health, improving self-esteem and improving food security. Some of the coping strategies adopted include having willpower and skills, relying on family and friends for food and borrowing and dependency on social grants. The contribution of urban food gardens to food security is minimal in the Western Cape as only 2% of the households cultivate crops as their main source of food. In the study, 63% of the respondents would like to start their own food gardens and 14% would like to extend their urban food gardens. In both instances, land has been identified as the greatest concern. With the correct strategies and support, urban food gardens can be extended to make a larger contribution to the food security levels of the urban poor. Government intervention is much needed to fight hidden hunger, poverty and food security and this requires political commitment.
Assessing beneficiary perceptions of the efficacy of RDP housing: A case study of housing projects in Nollothville, Northern Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Dunn, Charnelle Candice; Karriem, Abdulrazak
The Reconstruction Development Programme (RDP) housing program was instituted to provide South Africans with quality housing that meet their basic needs. For people, fortunate enough to receive RDP houses, numerous complaints were raised. With government's focus on quantitative housing delivery, there have been qualitative shortcomings and the perceptions are that the constructed houses are of very low quality and do not meet the needs of the occupants. Consequently, the quality of housing constitutes the physical condition of housing as well the perceptions of occupants. However, since perceptions of housing quality are context specific and differs from one person to the other and across cities/countries, what therefore constitutes as housing quality is highly subjective. Also, despite the increased discussion on the quality of housing and people's perception of it, most empirical research on housing has been undertaken in the larger metro areas while there is not much focus on housing in small towns. The purpose of this the study was to explore the perceptions of RDP beneficiaries on the housing quality in the small community of Nollothville, Northern Cape. Since housing is important as it satisfies many different human needs, a case study approach was adopted and Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs was used as a theoretical framework to guide this study. Research conducted in Nollothville reveals that the RDP houses especially the first phase of the RDP houses are of sub-standard quality. Both primary and secondary resources were used to obtain data. The study used a semi-structured interview guide as a data collection tool while the questionnaire was used to solicit the magnitude of RDP beneficiaries' perceptions of the RDP houses and, lastly, observations were conducted to validate these findings. Findings revealed that although the RDP houses were well received by the recipients, many complained about the substandard quality of these houses and that the houses do meet the criteria for quality housing. The following perceptions raised by most of the study participants regarding the quality of the houses included unstable foundation, poor quality roofing; poor quality doors or no doors inside the house; cracking floors; no bath or shower, weak and poor-quality toilets. Also, since many of the houses were in such bad conditions there was a struggle to cope with the financial upkeep of the houses. Based on previous research conducted in other provinces, the study concludes the RDP houses are the of the same sub-standard quality as the houses found in the other provinces.
Assessing the role of youth civic engagement in promoting social change : a critical investigation of ILISO in site C, Khayelitsha
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Jere, Gweze John; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Youth Civic Engagement is not a new phenomenon in South Africa. Throughout the history of country, spanning from the early resistance to colonialism in 1652 to the formation of the African National Congress in 1912 and its Youth League in 1944, the Soweto uprising in 1976, right up to the 1994 independence struggle, the youth has always played a pivotal role in social transformation. Unlike in the past where there was a common enemy in Apartheid, today the country faces a more complex set of socio-economic challenges. Despite being a middle income country, South Africa grapples with extreme poverty and income inequality, which impacts on educational opportunities and ultimately civic awareness and involvement. Approximately 42% of young people under the age of 30 are unemployed. The country currently has a youth population (14-35 years of age) which is about 41% of its entire population of almost 54 million. This youth population growth in itself implies that youth development should be a major priority area if growth and development are to be realised. The research is based in Khayelitsha. The social-economic problems faced among Khayelitsha township youth are complex and multidimensional in nature. The research question is: how is youth civic engagement able to initiate and foster collective action among community members of Site C in Khayelitsha, in order to promote social change? ILISO Care Society, a Community Based Organisation based in Site C was used as a case study for the research. In line with the theory and conceptual framework of social capital, the study demonstrates how reciprocal relations, trust and strong bonds, act as seedbeds for collective action. The Integrated Model of Communication for Social Change is incorporated into the framework to narrow down the social capital theory to an operational level. It is also used to illustrate how novel methods of dialogical communication adopted by ILISO Care Society reinforce social learning and promote democratic practices among young people. Both the quantitative and qualitative approaches were used for the study, with much of the analysis being grounded in qualitative methods. Data collection was done by means of the following utilities: a survey questionnaire which was administered among 52 respondents, semi- structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation by the principle researcher. The study revealed how the legacy of apartheid’s segregation policies have had enduring effects particularly on the education system, in turn, negatively impacting on youth civic participation, as well as other interlinked spheres of society. Most importantly, the findings revealed that the ILISO youth civic engagement projects have contributed in increasing the level of confidence (efficacy) to solve community problems of not only the ILISO project members, but also the wider Site C community. This was evidenced in the research participants‟ own belief in their ability to produce change (self-efficacy) and the ILISO youth members‟ shared belief as a group, in their ability (collective self-efficacy) to bring about social transformation. This has led to Site C youth acting collectively (collective action)when faced with challenges, thereby promoting social change.
Can the co-operative business model contribute to local economic development? A critical appraisal of three co-operatives in the City of Tshwane, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Titus, Ursula; Karriem, Abdulrazak
The high unemployment and poverty rate in post-apartheid South Africa has necessitated the need to identify policies and programmes to provide economic and employment opportunities. This included a review of the practice of local economic development (LED), guided by the recognition that local government had a developmental role to play. Local government exercises a role in promoting LED initiatives such as enterprise development, locality development, community development and governance. The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) states that more than 1 billion people benefit from co-operative enterprises, that co-operative enterprises are found in all sectors of the economy, and that co-operatives provide employment to more than 100 million people. By co-operating, people are able to gain economic and social advantages, such as employment, support for their businesses and access to social programmes being offered. In South Africa, co-operatives were identified as a vehicle through which economically active people could be absorbed into the economic mainstream. The idea in getting groups of people to work together is seen as an opportunity to fast-track development. Co-operatives have the potential to promote and support local economic development. Government has created an environment conducive for co-operatives through its policies and programmes. Much of the literature focuses on the failure of co-operatives in South Africa. This research, while acknowledging the many difficulties/challenges confronting co-operatives, investigates three relatively successful co-operatives in the City of Tshwane. In doing so, this research highlights the processes that make these co-operatives successful, and assesses what lessons, if any, these might hold for other co-operatives in South Africa. The research investigated the reasons behind their success and this information was used to analyse how co-operatives might contribute to LED. The key objectives of the study was to assess the economic and social impact of co-operatives on the livelihoods of the members, evaluate the economic impact of these co-operatives on LED in CoT, and formulate a set of recommendations that could be used to guide the implementation of the National Co-operative Strategy and provide lessons for other co-operatives.
Contestations, connections and negotiations: the role of networks in service delivery protests in Gugulethu, Cape town
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Chiwarawara, Kenny; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This study revealed the key role that social, historical, economic and political networks play in initiating and maintaining service delivery protests. While networks help in communicating service delivery problems among protestors and in mobilizing, protests that ensue are a means of communicating anger at the municipal authorities’ actions and or inactions. Using a reference to a hostage situation that occurred, I argued that there is a progression and intensification of protest tactics especially after ‘peaceful and legal’ means of engagement fail. Also, my research findings show that networks used for protest purposes can be used for other purposes. In light of this, I suggested that a better understanding, by protestors, of networks at their disposal and how they can use such networks for other community building projects is needed. Additionally, such an understanding by protestors may prove helpful for protestors to better organize and utilize their network resource and stage more effective but peaceful protests. Municipalities may use this information (networks) to communicate and connect with the communities they serve in a better way. In sum, the study further found that networks are important before the protest, during the protest and after the protest
Critical evaluation of the impact of urban agriculture on food security: Case study of urban food gardens in Kayamandi settlement in Stellenbosch, Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Salah, Abdikarim Ahmed; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This research investigates the impact of urban agriculture on food security through urban food garden projects in Kayamandi. Food insecurity is a major global challenge, 795 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition and 780 million of these are from developing countries. In South Africa, poverty, unemployment, and inequality play pivotal roles in the dynamics of food security. These indicators have shown that chronic poverty and food insecurity are mostly found in urban and peri-urban areas, affecting the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly. In addition, food insecurity exists in Cape Town. In 2008, 80% of poor households in Khayelitsha, Philippi and Ocean View were either moderately or severely food insecure. Similarly, in Manenberg, a study revealed that 64% of the households were food insecure. Only 18% of poor households were food secure compared to the 74% and 94% for middle and high income households. Although there is numerous research on food insecurity in Cape Town, the contribution of urban agriculture to household food security in Kayamandi has not been addressed adequately. This study assessed the current state of food security in the Kayamandi settlement. The study also identified the impact of urban agriculture on food security in Kayamandi, as well as investigating the outcomes of an urban agriculture project in Kayamandi provided by the NGO, Love2Give. Qualitative research method was used to deeply understand the extent in which urban agriculture contributes to food security. In this process, 12 participants were purposively selected from the urban gardeners of the Love2Give organization including 2 key informant interviews. The Sustainable Livelihoods approach was applied to this study in order to understand the role Love2Give plays in building a sustainable community. As a theoretical framework, the Sustainable Livelihoods approach identified the mechanism Kayamandi gardeners use to secure their household food security. This is in alignment with the initial hypothesis, which is that Kayamandi households are food insecure. The majority of the participants in Kayamandi were either moderately (33.3%) or severely (33.3) food insecure whilst only four households were food secure (33.3). The high food insecurity in the area can be attributed to the high unemployment rate of 84% of the participants. Urban agriculture contributes to the household food security of participants. 75% of respondents engaged in urban farming for consumption purpose while the rest practice urban farming to generate income. Although participants generate little income from urban cultivating, it contributes significantly to their lives especially when they mix this with other livelihood diversification methods. Lack of water, land and enough farm equipment hinders the potential impact of urban agriculture. Therefore, there is a great need of intervention from multi-stakeholders such as NGOs, government and municipal authorities to intervene and promote urban agriculture as a means to reduce poverty and food insecurity.
Employer concerns with the quality of the skills and knowledge of recently employed graduates in South Africa: Description, analysis and implications for tertiary education, public policy and practice
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mobarak, Kaashiefa; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This qualitative study examined the nature and significance of current employer concerns with the quality of the skills and knowledge of their recently employed graduates. Employers require graduates who are able to perform the tasks expected of them in the workplace. However, the study found that most employed graduates in South Africa lack the ability to perform tasks due to universities struggling to suitably equip them for workplaces. The study focused on how graduates transfer their university acquired skills and knowledge to the workplace to establish whether employers considered graduates workplace ready.
Exploring livelihood strategies employed by women street food vendors in Gaborone, Botswana.
(University of Western Cape, 2020) Mogobe, Serati S.; Karriem, Abdulrazak
The informal economy has continued to increase in developing countries, giving jobs and income to marginalised groups, the majority being women. The rise of the informal sector is perpetuated by exclusionary social policies and the continued increase in unemployment. In Botswana, street food vending, the most visible form of the informal sector trading, has evolved to be a survivalist activity that women populate. Increasing poverty levels, gender inequalities, and high unemployment rates have resulted in poor urban women being vulnerable to the stresses and shocks caused by these factors. Street food vending is therefore pursued by women to mitigate their vulnerability. Additionally, street food vending allows for more flexible working hours, thus accommodating women’s community, household, and productive roles. Despite women’s substantial contribution to Botswana’s informal economy, the government has not done much to support them.
Exploring the use of social networks in accessing housing: A focus on the back-yard dwellers of Hanover Park, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Rustin, Giselle; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This study explored social capital and social networks within the affordable housing arena. Although Apartheid officially ended in 1994 with the first non-racial democratic elections, the current housing spatial planning is still along racially discriminatory lines with little change to the current housing typography experienced in South Africa. The housing market and development lends to discriminatory behaviour, by categorizing certain racial groups and steering these marginalised groups back to housing choices in social and economically deficient areas. This engineered selection process perpetuates racial and economic inequality. This study aims to explore why these groups of people, without any social capital or networks, struggle to access resources. This study also aims to show the correlation between ill-equipped housing and health outcomes.
Fear of crime, place and the moral order: A secondary analysis of gated communities
(University of Western Cape, 2019) Riddles, Alton; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This study will use secondary data analysis of academic articles to study the topic under question. Much has been written on fear of crime from a quantitative and to a lesser extent qualitative approach (Burgess and Doran 2012) but little attention has been on this fear as an emotion from an interpretive sociological approach. The approach to emotions employed in this study will draw on Hochschild’s (1983) notion that emotions have signal functions and that emotions constitute a sense just like hearing and seeing, and in her estimation the most important one. Briefly stated, fear (of crime) signals to the person experiencing the emotion that something is worth being wary of; this in turn is based on expectations –and assumptions– of what a safe and orderly situation/environment or person is.
From the RDP to the NDP: A critical appraisal of the developmental state, land reform, and rural development in South Africa
(Taylor & Francis, 2016) Karriem, Abdulrazak; Hoskins, Mark
After decades of neoliberal rule in which market forces held pre-eminence in shaping development, there has in recent years been a resurgence of an activist developmental state in promoting economic development and tackling poverty and inequality. This article explores the resurgence of developmental state thinking in South Africa. Specifically, the article critically appraises the functioning of the post-apartheid state as it relates to land reform and rural development and argues that a weak bureaucracy and a policy fixation on the neoliberal willing buyer, willing seller policy framework militates against the promotion of a thorough-going land reform and rural development programme to promote rural livelihoods. We argue that South Africa needs a developmental state that will construct a skilled and competent bureaucracy, a centralised planning agency with the power to coordinate and ensure that government departments work together, and that will actively intervene in the economy to meet developmental objectives.
Gentrification and the disruption of space: residents lived experiences in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Salie, Shafeeqah; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Gentrification has become a global urban phenomenon that can be compared to the colonial project. Gentrification is a process whereby capital is reinvested in urban areas and designed to produce space for more affluent people rather than current occupants. Capital investment alters the environment, making it increasingly unaffordable and ultimately resulting in the displacement of the original inhabitants. Gentrification has a pervasive cultural element; it privileges whiteness and appropriates urban space and enforces Anglo-centrism. Gentrification imposes regulation of space; this takes the form of privatisation, neo-liberal public policy, class division, and displacement. The Bo-Kaap community has existed in the area for over 250 years; it is the only historically ‘non-white’ neighbourhood in the inner-city of Cape Town having been preserved as the Malay Quarter under Apartheid’s separate development policy. The community remains fairly intact and is the only working-class inclusive community in Cape Town’s inner-city.
Growing and eating food during the COVID-19 pandemic: Farmers’ perspectives on local food system resilience to shocks in Southern Africa and Indonesia
(MDPI, 2020) Karriem, Abdulrazak; Adinata, Kustiwa; Tevera, Daniel
The COVID-19 outbreak forced governments to make decisions that had adverse eﬀects on local food systems and supply chains. As a result, many small-scale food producers faced diﬃculties growing, harvesting, and selling their goods. This participatory research examines local small-scale farmers’ challenges as farmers but also as consumers and their coping strategies during the month of April and one week in June 2020. The study was initiated and conceptualized in collaboration with small-scale farmer members of an existing research network in selected urban and rural areas in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia. Participants co-designed the research, collected and uploaded data through digital survey tools, and contributed to data analysis and interpretation. A common observation across regions is that the measures imposed in response to COVID-19 highlighted and partly exacerbated existing socio-economic inequalities among food system actors. Strict lockdowns in Cape Town, South Africa, and Masvingo, Zimbabwe, signiﬁcantly restricted the production capacity of small-scale farmers in the informal economy and created more foodinsecurityforthem. InMaputo,Mozambique,andTorajaandJava,Indonesia,localfoodsystems continued to operate and were even strengthened by higher social capital and adaptive capacities.
Harnessing public food procurement for sustainable rural livelihoods in South Africa through the national school nutrition programme: A qualitative assessment of contributions and challenges
(MPDI, 2021) Mensah, Clement; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This paper examines how public food procurements contributes to sustainable rural livelihoods through local sourcing of school food, what has become known as ‘home-grown’ school feeding. Specifically, it draws on in-depth interviews to explore the contributions and challenges of using local farmers as suppliers for South Africa’s National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) using the case of the Eastern Cape Province, the country’s poorest province. The study found that participating schools in rural areas benefit from local sourcing by way of using fresh vegetables in preparing meals thanks to the utilisation of a decentralised catering model in the Eastern Cape Province. Consequently, there is evidence of farmers participating in NSNP food market earning additional income and growing more vegetables on more land in some cases. However, even though the Eastern Cape Province uses a decentralised procurement model, it has no clear-cut programme to optimise the benefits of local sourcing for NSNP. It only ‘encourages’ schools to buy vegetables grown locally. This calls for pragmatism on the side of government to, through creative procurement and initiatives such as the Agri-Parks, use NSNP as a tool for making the South African food system more inclusive, drive down rural poverty and realise sustainable rural development.
Home-based agricultural production as a food security coping strategy for urban households: A case of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Ziga, Metron; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Urban food insecurity in Zimbabwe is a serious stumbling block to the attainment of sustainable urban livelihoods. The casual factors of the urban food crisis in the country include widespread poverty, an unstable economic environment, a reduction of viable employment opportunities and climate-related shocks. The cash-based nature of urban livelihoods, coupled with the economic crisis in Zimbabwe has generated a serious challenge for urban households as basic food prices have increased to such an extent that most urban dwellers experience difficulties in purchasing food. In a context of high poverty and unemployment, urban agriculture has emerged as a food security and livelihood diversification strategy for many poor urban households. Whilst there is a growing body of literature focusing on urban agriculture in Zimbabwe, it has largely focused on community and allotment gardens. There has, however, been little empirical investigation of home-based (or backyard) agricultural production. While backyard gardens have always existed, they have grown in response to poor economic conditions and adverse livelihood conditions. The Bulawayo Municipal Council Agriculture Policy has facilitated this expansion, especially the growth of poultry production. This study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the contribution of home-based agricultural production in promoting household food security and livelihoods in Bulawayo. A mixed methods approach was utilised for the purposes of the study. In the quantitative part of the study, 99 households were randomly sampled whilst 10 purposively sampled interviews with urban farmers, 3 key informant interviews and 1 focus group discussion were employed for the qualitative part of the study. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, which was used as a theoretical framework of the study, helped to unpack the various livelihood diversification strategies and asset portfolios that poor people depend on for their well-being. Contrary to our initial assumption, the results of the study revealed that 71 percent of the households in the study area were food secure. The findings of the study reveal that home-based urban agriculture is an important food security coping strategy in Bulawayo. The high levels of food security in Bulawayo should however, not be solely attributed to the practice of urban agriculture as 75 percent of the respondents bought their food from supermarkets and other shops. Urban agriculture thus plays a complimentary role to household food security in Bulawayo.
The impact of drought on household food security : a case study of Northern Tanzania
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Ndzelen, Maria Goretti Diane; Karriem, Abdulrazak
With changes in climatic conditions being increasingly noticed around the world in the past 2 decades, drought has been identified as one of the main causes of food insecurity. Given the inseparable nature of food security and poverty, it has been impossible for Africa to attain the poverty reduction Millennium Development Goal as most of the continent still suffers food insecurity. Impacts of the drought described as one of the worst droughts which occurred in West an East Africa between 2009-2011, are still felt in some parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and parts of Northern Tanzania close to Kenya. With almost 70% of sub- Saharan Africa’s population involved in agriculture, the occurrence of drought not only causes failure in food production but also negatively impacts food security and increases poverty. Understanding the impacts of drought on household food security is important for reducing household’s risk of poverty. Following this the study proposes policies for reducing the impact of drought on food security and other policies that can ensure complete eradication of food insecurity.
The impact of livelihood diversification on food Security amongst farm households in northern Ghana: a case study of bole district
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Mensah, Clement; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Diversifying livelihoods has over the last two decades been identified as an important theme in the development work, particularly concerning the poverty reduction agenda. In the developing world, farm households, urged on by their survival instinct, diversify away from traditional subsistence agriculture to the production of high-value crops and at other times engage in off-farm and non-farm activities. This has become necessary due to the failures of agriculture to guarantee farm households sustainable livelihoods and improve their welfare. In sub-Saharan Africa, diversification is a vital instrument for reducing rural people’s risk to poverty. In recent years, however, diversification has been closely linked to food security. This is due to the fact that chronic food insecurity and its accompanying vulnerabilities continue to thwart poverty reduction efforts in the developing world. Paradoxically, whereas available statistics suggests that there is enough food to feed everyone, close to 900 million of the world’s population is still food insecure. By implication, the food security challenge hinge on ‘access’ rather than food availability. In sub-Saharan Africa and for that matter Northern Ghana, the phenomenon is quite pervasive, often affecting rural farm households. This signals one thing – a travesty to the existence of international human rights frameworks. Already, available empirical studies on the extent to which diversification amongst farm households impact on assuring household food security have revealed mixed results and are silent on the gender consequences. Using World Food Programme’s 2012 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis survey conducted in northern Ghana and an ordinary least squares estimator, this study sought to examine how livelihood diversification contributes to household food security and subsequently validate its effect for male and female-headed farm households in the Bole district of the Northern region of Ghana. Results from the study revealed a significant positive relationship between livelihood diversification (the number of livelihood activities farm households engaged in) and household food security (household food consumption score). Whereas similar result was observed for male-headed households, that of female-headed households was insignificant even though positive. Following this, the study proposes a two-fold policy strategy for optimizing the impact of livelihood diversification on guaranteeing food security amongst farm households in the case study district in particular and northern Ghana in general. Firstly, support for boosting smallholder agriculture should be pursued rigorously, taking advantage of programmes such as the Savannah Plan for Accelerated Growth. Secondly, sustaining, up-scaling and re-orienting programmes such as Rural Enterprises Project and creating the policy milieu for farm households to explore local opportunities like eco-tourism should be mainstreamed, taking into account concerns of gender.
Impact of sport skills for life skills (ss4ls) on the development of capability sets of student athletes: A case study approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Kock, Nicolas George; Karriem, Abdulrazak
In recent years, we have seen an increase in sport for development (SfD) research. However, a current integrated literature review on sport for development found that despite the vast majority of SfD projects being located in Third World countries 90% of the authors of the 437 peer-reviewed journal articles were from First World countries. Furthermore, despite the surge in research around sport for development there remains a dearth of SfD researchers who employ the Capability Approach (CA). Even more so when utilising this approach in a South African sports context for research, policy and practice.

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