Browsing by Author "Zembe, Yanga"
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Item Access to land and productive resources among female farmers in Stellenbosch: Implications for women’s empowerment and household food(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Ngwexana, Tulile; Zembe, YangaWomen play an important role in food security. Growing, processing, purchasing, preparing and serving food to their families is a common and distinctive relationship they have to food in most societies in the world. They also play a critical role in food security. Yet, studies show that women are the most vulnerable to household food insecurity. At the heart of women’s differential vulnerability to household food insecurity is their lack of ownership of the means of food production, mainly land. Food is grown on land and access to land for productive purposes is vital for food security, especially for women who have little other means of securing food aside from performing subsistence farming for household food security. Thus, analyzing women experiences of accessing land and productive resources, and the manner in which such access shapes their empowerment and ability to achieve household food security is important. In this dissertation, women’s empowerment refers to a process where women gain the ability to make strategic life choices; I take the position that for women to be empowered, their access to resources, individual capacities and agency must be improved. Thus, this dissertation aims to examine the lived experiences of female farmers in Stellenbosch in terms of access to land and productive resources, and the implications this kind of access has for women’s empowerment and household food security.Item Care givers' perceptions about the purpose, uses and adequacies of the child support grant in Mfuleni Western Cape, South Africa: Implications for social policy(University of Western Cape, 2020) Mazikwana, Thuliswa Julia; Zembe, YangaThis study investigates caregiver’s perceptions of the purposes, uses and adequacies of the Child Support Grant (CSG) in Mfuleni (Cape Town, South Africa). Moreover, the research was underpinned by the following research questions: What is the CSG intended for in South Africa? To what extent does the CSG enable caregivers to use it? What is the perception of caregivers with regards to the uses and purposes of the CSG in Mfuleni? What is the perception of caregivers regarding their power and agency to influence policy in terms of how the CSG should be structured (both in terms of benefit level and how it is administered)? A model by DFID (2011) focusing on the causal pathway for cash transfers was used as the conceptual framework for the study. Qualitative research methods were utilized to achieve the aims of the study. Ten interviews and a focus group discussion comprising six caregivers were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that caregivers understood the CSG is proposed for children, households and being a source of income for caregivers. Caregivers also revealed the CSG was utilized towards the basic needs of children. Through the CSG many caregivers had agency and power in their household and could establish small businesses.Item Caregivers perception about the purposes, uses and adequacies of the child support grant in Mfuleni Western Cape, South Africa: Implications for social policy(University of the Western Cape, 2020) Mazikwana, Thuliswa Julia; Zembe, YangaThis study investigates caregiver’s perceptions of the purposes, uses and adequacies of the Child Support Grant (CSG) in Mfuleni (Cape Town, South Africa). Moreover, the research was underpinned by the following research questions: What is the CSG intended for in South Africa? To what extent does the CSG enable caregivers to use it? What is the perception of caregivers with regards to the uses and purposes of the CSG in Mfuleni? What is the perception of caregivers regarding their power and agency to influence policy in terms of how the CSG should be structured (both in terms of benefit level and how it is administered)? A model by DFID (2011) focusing on the causal pathway for cash transfers was used as the conceptual framework for the study. Qualitative research methods were utilized to achieve the aims of the study. Ten interviews and a focus group discussion comprising six caregivers were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that caregivers understood the CSG is proposed for children, households and being a source of income for caregivers. Caregivers also revealed the CSG was utilized towards the basic needs of children. Through the CSG many caregivers had agency and power in their household and could establish small businesses.Item A conceptual clarification of the definition of resilience: An African perspective in Gugulethu Township, Cape Town.(University of Western Cape, 2020) Gelese, Patricia; Makiva, Msuthukazi; Zembe, YangaThere is a huge gap in literature on resilience especially that which reflects African perspective. This can be seen from many definitions of resilience that are informed by research done in the American and Eurocentric context. This gap in literature calls for more resilience research to be done in different areas filled with adversities in South Africa and Africa at large. This will help to understand the mechanisms that young people in these contexts of adversities need to adapt well and have positive outcomes despite their context of development that is filled with adverse situations. Thus, the broad objective of this study is to understand conceptual clarification of resilience in African perspective, with intent to close the gap in literature, especially where Afrocentric definition of resilience is concerned, mainly in Gugulethu Township, Cape Town, is understood. Qualitative research methods were used in order to unearth the understanding of the phenomenon.Item Investigating the role of Meals on Wheels Community Services (MOWCS) on food security among older persons in Brooklyn(University of the Western Cape, 2019) Nkurunziza, Magnifique; Zembe, YangaFood insecurity remains a global challenge despite efforts to combat it in all its forms. Africa has the highest prevalence of food insecurity worsened by a deepened poverty affecting mostly children, women and the elderly. However, South Africa is a food secure country and has declared access to healthy food and clean water as a human right. Ironically many remain victims from food insecurity including the elderly. Yet, little is known about the elderly’s experiences with food insecurity, even less is known about interventions that exist to alleviate food insecurity among the elderly. For this reason, this study investigated the role of Meals on Wheels Community Services Centre in the promotion of food security among the elderly in Brooklyn, Cape Town. The study was anchored around the food security framework. The research was conducted using qualitative research methods. A total of 10 individual interviews and one focus group discussion was conducted with beneficiaries from Meals on Wheels Community Services Brooklyn Centre. Moreover, 3 key informant interviews were conducted with staff at Meals on Wheels. The data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis methods.Item Meals on wheels: Promoting food and nutrition security among older persons in Cape Town, South Africa(MDPI, 2023) Nkurunziza, Magnifique; Mchiza, Zandile June-Rose; Zembe, YangaFood insecurity (FI) prevails in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, in South Africa, although many people, including the elderly, are vulnerable to FI, little is known about the experiences of older persons (OPs) with FI and the interventions thereof. In South Africa, Meals on Wheels Community Service (MOWCS) provides readymade home meal deliveries for OPs through 209 branches across the country. Therefore, this study investigated MOWCS’ role in the promotion of food security among the OPs at the Brooklyn branch, Cape Town. The study was grounded within the food security framework and focused on the availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability of food at Brooklyn MOWCS. Using qualitative research methods, 10 semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion (N = 5) were conducted with Brooklyn MOWCS beneficiaries, in addition to three key personnel interviews conducted with staff. Data were analysed using Open Code 4.03. The findings showed Brooklyn MOWCS as a stable source of affordable and nutritious meals to OPs.Item The role of informal social security arrangements in providing social protection: A case study of women self-help groups in Kabras Location, Kakamega County (Kenya)(University of the Western Cape) Oware, Phoene Mesa; Zembe, YangaThis study investigates the contribution of Women Self Help Groups (WSHG) to social protection at the level of the household in rural settings in Kabras location, Kakamega County, Kenya. It is premised on evidence that shows that in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), formal social protection provided by the state is inadequate. Given that most social protection programs in SSA are externally funded, the rapidly changing global socio-political environment also poses uncertainties around the sustainability of social protection in the region. The ongoing European refugee crisis for instance is likely to affect the amount of development aid available to developing countries. With these realities, majority of the poor people in SSA depend on their personal assets to manage risks that they are exposed to. This study employs a range of qualitative techniques to determine how WSHGs provide social protection to poor women in rural Kenya. Through activities such as merry go round, group savings, table banking, risk spreading and welfare assistance, WSHGs were found to be effective in providing crucial safety nets that enabled women to prevent, cope and mitigate risks such as illness and income insecurity and shocks such as death. They also enabled various capabilities for the women involved in them. Nonetheless, the inadequacy of the benefits provided through WSHGs and exclusion of poorer, economically inactive, single and landless women limited the capacity of WSHGs to effectively deal with poverty, risk and vulnerability. These findings led the researcher to conclude that the limitations of WSHGs underscore the crucial need for the state to provide universal or categorical targeted social protection instruments that address all women who reside in rural Kenya. These should, where possible, build on the already existing informal social protection institutions. Informal social protection arrangements should be seen as complementary social protection strategies rather than parallel institutions.