Poor Villages Research Articles

The role of tilapia in food security of fishing villages in Niger state, Nigeria

Fish is generally regarded as a primary source of protein for many poor African fishing villages. Most of the fish consumed in the fishing villages in Nigeria consists of freshwater species such as tilapia. Tilapia previously considered of little commercial value is now being considered a human food. The aim of the present study was to determine the importance of tilapia in the diet of fishing villages in Niger state, Nigeria by examining the household consumption of different fish species. A total of one hundred households in fishing villages in five local government areas (LGA) of Niger state were randomly selected for the study. The households consisted of fifty fishing households where active fishing was the primary activity and fifty non–fishing households (where agriculture was the primary activity). A 24 hour recall was used to obtain the amount of fish consumed by each household, the form of fish cooked (fresh, smoked, dried) and the source of fish (whether the fish was purchased in the market or caught directly by household members from local rivers). A general linear model was used to analyse fish consumption to establish significant (p<0.05) differences in monthly fish consumption between fishing and non-fishing households. A total of 24 fish species were recorded in the diet of the people with tilapia contributing the highest percentage (19% by weight) of the fish consumed. All fishing and non–fishing households consumed fish during the survey period. Fish consumption was significantly higher in fishing than non–fishing households. Fishing households consumed an average of 188g of fish per day (69kg/year) compared with 127g fish per day (46kg/year) for non-fishing households. Household consumption of fish varied during the year. The highest fish consumption occurred in March, 2009 in all the households. There was a negative correlation (r = - 0.124, p = 0.013) between fish consumption and income. The study shows a high preference for fresh fish.

Roles and capacity of duty bearers in the realization of the human right to adequate food in Uganda

Fish is generally regarded as a primary source of protein for many poor African fishing villages. Most of the fish consumed in the fishing villages in Nigeria consists of freshwater species such as tilapia. Tilapia previously considered of little commercial value is now being considered a human food. The aim of the present study was to determine the importance of tilapia in the diet of fishing villages in Niger state, Nigeria by examining the household consumption of different fish species. A total of one hundred households in fishing villages in five local government areas (LGA) of Niger state were randomly selected for the study. The households consisted of fifty fishing households where active fishing was the primary activity and fifty non–fishing households (where agriculture was the primary activity). A 24 hour recall was used to obtain the amount of fish consumed by each household, the form of fish cooked (fresh, smoked, dried) and the source of fish (whether the fish was purchased in the market or caught directly by household members from local rivers). A general linear model was used to analyse fish consumption to establish significant (p<0.05) differences in monthly fish consumption between fishing and non-fishing households. A total of 24 fish species were recorded in the diet of the people with tilapia contributing the highest percentage (19% by weight) of the fish consumed. All fishing and non–fishing households consumed fish during the survey period. Fish consumption was significantly higher in fishing than non–fishing households. Fishing households consumed an average of 188g of fish per day (69kg/year) compared with 127g fish per day (46kg/year) for non-fishing households. Household consumption of fish varied during the year. The highest fish consumption occurred in March, 2009 in all the households. There was a negative correlation (r = - 0.124, p = 0.013) between fish consumption and income. The study shows a high preference for fresh fish.

Comparing federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by the conditional cash transfer programme of Mexico

This study investigates household out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures (OPH) and preventive care utilization (PHU) to compare federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes in poor rural areas of Mexico. Lower OPH and higher PHU are indicative of better performance in the study setting. Log-linear and probit regression models were used to compare outcomes in households from treatment and control villages reached by federal and state healthcare providers. In treatment villages, eligible households receive cash grants from the CCT programme. In control villages, eligible households do not receive cash grants from the CCT programme at the time of the survey. Families who live in treatment villages reported lower OPH (-52.5% for federal and -46.2% for state clinics) and higher PHU (21% for federal and 20% for state clinics) regardless of clinic setting. As the reduction in OPH is higher in areas reached by the federal clinics, it implies better performance from this healthcare delivery system. Additionally, federal clinic outcomes were also more homogeneous because OPH are not significantly different between treatment and control villages. Alternative measures such as drug and physician expenditures, diabetes and hypertension tests and nutritional-supplement receipt confirmed these findings. Mexico has two healthcare delivery systems that cater to identical rural populations. The better-funded and more centralized federal system is more effective at providing health care in poor rural villages of Mexico regardless of CCT participation. State clinics in villages targeted by the CCT programme, however, perform significantly better.

Trees and the Forest: Story and Trustori in Quaker Faith and Practice

Trees and the Forest: Story and Trustori in Quaker Faith and Practice Robert Pierson The planting of trees is the planting of ideas. By starting with the simple act of planting a tree, we give hope to ourselves and to future generations.—Wangari Maathai1 Let your lives speak.—Quaker advice Let me tell you a story.Once upon a time, in a land far away, a young woman looked out at her poor village. She saw that the once green hills were now bare and the people scattered. There were only scraps and dung to burn for fire and swirling dust in the heat of the day. But where others saw only barren dirt, this woman saw a forest. She began to plant trees. People told her she was crazy. Some threatened her and told her to go away. Others made fun of her. After all, she was only a woman. But the woman just moved on from hill to hill, slowly planting. Now, these many years later, there is a forest. Where people competed for scraps to burn, now the village gathers wood to cook the evening meal. Now, there is a break from the wind and an end to the swirling dust. Now, the community rests in the shade of leaves, and there are spreading roots to hold the ground. Now, there is a place for rain to seep gently into the earth and replenish the streams. There are birds above and people below, singing and making their home. And the woman moves on from hill to hill. But that’s just a story, isn’t it? Perhaps not a very good one. How about this: Thirty years ago, in Kenya, Wangari Maathai looked out at her country, and where others saw a landscape of poverty, she saw a people of promise. She began planting the vision of trees in the people of the land, and these took root. She gave the people tools and showed them how to plant nurseries where they raised row upon row of seedlings. The vision of trees that she planted grew and spread until it colored green swaths around villages all across rural Africa and sent seedling visions sprouting to the far corners of the world. Her work led to what has become the Green Belt Movement, a complex intertwining of the human, ecological, and political into an organic community that reforested a landscape formerly denuded by its impoverished population. Thirty million trees later, Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. “Peace on earth,” notes the Nobel committee “depends on our ability to secure our living environment… Maathai combines science, social commitment, and active politics. More than simply protecting the existing environment, her strategy is to secure and strengthen the very basis for ecologically sustainable development… She represents an example and a source of inspiration for everyone in Africa fighting for sustainable development, democracy, and peace.”2 Over the years, the Green Belt Movement has not only increased tree cover, but also improved life for thousands of rural people, empowering individuals and building community while simultaneously raising awareness of environmental concerns. The basic tree‐planting methodology is deliberately simple: Communities lack basic necessities, like wood for fuel. Therefore, focus on this one visceral “felt” need and disseminate information on the importance of tree planting for the community. Encourage local groups to form and prepare tree nursery sites. Enable these local groups to provide seedlings to the community members and check that they are properly planted. Pay for each successfully planted seedling. The trees provide a sustainable fuel supply. The work provides income. The effort helps organize, empower, and educate the people. This is an indigenous effort that deliberately chooses to rely on the wisdom, knowledge, and resourcefulness of local people, particularly women. What grows are not just trees, but a network of village foresters and activists. It is the greening of both place and people. This, too, of course, is just one version of the story, a story that is never so simple. As with any good story, there are obstacles: a lack of resources, lack of education, ethnic suspicion, people’s tendency to blame others (particularly the government), and...

Relocation selection for poverty alleviation: Factor analysis and GIS modeling

Resettlement is considered a major policy measure in two major Chinese policy programs, the “Great Development of the West” and poverty alleviation in the new century, and the “New Countryside Development”. The selection of the target location of resettlement sites for poverty-stricken villages is of critical importance to the success of resettlement projects, yet the selection process is challenged by the need for analyzing a variety of contributing factors, and the need for many rounds of tedious data processing. So in this paper we present an in-depth analysis of the major factors and data processing model concerning mountainous povertystricken villages, which also takes a major part of China’s poor villages. Our analysis shows the following factors bear the most importance in resettlement selection: 1) topography: candidate areas should have slope less than 25 degrees and altitude less than 2400 meters. 2) accessibility: close to market conventions places and transportation facilities. 3) farming resources: with abundant land and water resources. 4) non-intrusiveness: interests of receiving villages should be considered and negative impact minimized. A simple measure could be having the candidate area 1000 m away from the receiving residents. 5) Minimal ecological and political footprint: candidate areas shall not conflict with nature conservation areas or nationally planned key land use projects. 6) Social and cultural compatibility: residents will better off if relocated in the same county, considering language, religion, ethnic culture and other factors. Taking Makuadi, Lushui County of Nujiang Prefecture as a case study, we demonstrate how GIS analysis and modeling tools can be used in the selection process of resettlement projects in mountainous areas.

Studi Kelayakan Ekonomi Teknik Pembangunan Embung

The government program focuses to increase the prosperity level of the community in poor village. In general, the location of poor village lies on narrow plateu with geologist condition of non aquiferous rocks and deep regional ground water level. One of the alternatives to overcome the problem is to construct ponds to catch the waterthat can be used in dry season.. The viability of ponds project is valued by analyse the agro-economy. It is needed to weight beetwen cost componenst and benefit component; and compare the condition without project in present condition, future without project and future with project. The parameters that are used to value the engineering economics viability of the project are NPV, IRR, BCR and Pay Back Period. Employing the inflation rate of 12%, ROR 20% and economic life of 20 years, it is known that all ponds have the positive parameter values and viable to be constructed.

School Attendance and Child Labor - A Model of Collective Behavior

This paper investigates how community attitudes affect school attendance and child labor and how aggregate behavior of the community feeds back towards the formation and persistence of an anti- (or pro-) schooling norm. The proposed community-model continues to take aggregate and idiosyncratic poverty into account as an important driver of absence from school. But it provides also an explanation for why equally poor villages or regions can display different attitudes towards schooling. Distinguishing between three different modes of child time allocation, school attendance, work, and leisure, the paper shows how the time costs of schooling and child labor productivity contribute to the existence of a locally stable anti-schooling norm and how policy can exploit social dynamics and help a community to escape permanently from low attendance at school and child labor.

Micro-insurance through corporate–NGO partnerships in West Bengal: opportunities and constraints

This Practical Note examines the nascent micro-insurance sector in West Bengal, paying particular attention to the corporate–NGO partnership model for micro-insurance distribution, which has been enabled by India's unique regulatory framework. We challenge the popular construction of this model as a ‘win–win’ for all parties by analysing conflicting understandings of micro-insurance schemes and their purposes by insurance companies, NGOs, and poor villagers. The article also considers the role of the specific political context of West Bengal in constricting corporate–NGO micro-insurance.

VACUUM PRESSURE INFLUENCE ON WATER UPTAKE AND QUALITY OF RICE GRAIN DURING SOAKING

The soaking time can be reduced by minimizing the effect of air which is trapped in the caryopsis and between it and the husk. This air resists water movement into the kernel. This paper explores the use of a vacuum and then breaking the vacuum when the paddy rice is soaked to reduce volume of the air, for paddy rice (Giza 181). This would reduce the soaking time in cold water and leads to improvement in the quality of parboiled rice. The simple technique is used to be suitable for poor villages in Africa and Asia where there is no electricity and used rice boiled in their own homes. By using the a pump in four levels of absolute vacuum deareation as 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mbar at 30°C the moisture content of paddy rice was determined before soaking and after different times 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 hours from the beginning of soaking. The results showed that the samples moisture absorption affected by the levels of vacuum, and the sample evacuated at 400 mbar absorbed a few amount of water more than the sample at 1000 mbar. The increasing in moisture gain due to vacuum levels was evaluated. Becker's diffusion equation was used to predict some soaking behavior of paddy; the moisture gain in the grain was noted experimentally and plotted against the square root of the absorption time under different vacuum conditions. Quality tests show that the process of vacuum deareation before soaking improved the parboiled rice quality substantially, breakage varied from 12 to 14 % for raw paddy while for parboiled paddy it varied from 1.6 to 2.1%. Also white bellies decreased from 8.5% to 5.4%, and hardness was increased from 7.8 kg to 9.3 kg when vacuum levels changes from 1000 mbar to 400 mbar.

Kenyan village children affected by bacterial meningitis

ObjectiveKenyan village children are casualties to bacterial meningitis. Early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment are perhaps the most important initiatives towards eradication of this great pandemic and its management in...

The impact of rural-urban migration: Case study on the Loess Plateau of Central China

As a result of China’s marketization in recent years there has been an enormous number of rural—urban migrants. Based on a case study in poor villages on the Loess Plateau of central China, and referring to the overall framework of migration theories, this article examines the social and economic characteristics of migrants and their households, and discusses to what extent rural— urban migration contributes to the social and economic development of the migrant-sending areas, especially in reducing poverty.

A Comunidade Piscatória de Câmara de Lobos: Matemática ou Matemáticas? Etnomatemática ou (Etno)matemática?

Câmara de Lobos is a poor village of the Autonomous Region of Madeira where is a fishing community with their own usages with weak school results. In this article we attempt to identify knowledge and processes used in the construction of boats in the fishing community of Câmara de Lobos and discuss them in respect to what elementary school mathematics is, looking for connections that may in the future be available to be utilized in the classroom.

Community-based development and poverty alleviation: An evaluation of China's poor village investment program

We conduct the first systematic evaluation of the world's largest community-based development program—China's flagship poverty alleviation program began in 2001 which finances public investments in designated poor villages based on participatory village planning. We use matching methods and a panel household and village data set with national coverage to compare changes from 2001 to 2004 in designated poor villages that began plan investments and in designated poor villages that had yet to begin plan investments. We find that the program significantly increased both government- and village-financed investments. While the program did not increase the income or consumption of poorer households, it did increase the income and consumption of richer households by 6.1 to 9.2%. We also find suggestive evidence that governance matters in the distribution of program benefits. Relative gains were greater for richer households in villages with more educated leaders, and higher quality village committees delivered greater benefits to both richer and poorer households.

INTENTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN ADOLESCENT TRAINING PROGRAMS: EVIDENCE FROM UGANDA

Almost one-third of the population in developing countries is under age 15. Hence improving the effectiveness of policy interventions that target adolescents might be especially important. We analyze the intention to participate in training programs of adolescent girls in Uganda, a country with perhaps the most skewed age distribution anywhere in the world. The training program we focus on is BRAC's Adolescent Development Program, which emphasizes the provision of life skills, entrepreneurship training, and microfinance. We find that girls who are more likely to benefit from the program are more likely to intend to participate. The program attracts girls who are likely to place a high value on financial independence: single mothers and girls who are alienated from their families. The program attracts girls who are more likely to benefit from training: girls who believe they could be successful entrepreneurs but currently lack the quantitative skills to do so. Reassuringly, girls who are in school full-time are less likely to intend to participate. We also find that the program attracts girls from poorer villages but we find no evidence that poorer girls within each village are more likely to want to participate. Finally, girls from villages who have previously been exposed to NGO projects are less likely to intend to participate.

Intentions to Participate in Adolescent Training Programs: Evidence from Uganda

Almost one-third of the population in developing countries is under age 15. Hence improving the effectiveness of policy interventions that target adolescents might be especially important. We analyze the intention to participate in training programs of adolescent girls in Uganda, a country with perhaps the most skewed age distribution anywhere in the world. The training program we focus on is BRAC's Adolescent Development Program, which emphasizes the provision of life skills, entrepreneurship training, and microfinance. We find that girls who are more likely to benefit from the program are more likely to intend to participate. The program attracts girls who are likely to place a high value on financial independence: single mothers and girls who are alienated from their families. The program attracts girls who are more likely to benefit from training: girls who believe they could be successful entrepreneurs but currently lack the quantitative skills to do so. Reassuringly, girls who are in school full-time are less likely to intend to participate. We also find that the program attracts girls from poorer villages but we find no evidence that poorer girls within each village are more likely to want to participate. Finally, girls from villages who have previously been exposed to NGO projects are less likely to intend to participate.

Sustainable Community Development and Rural Poverty in South China

Sustainable development and poverty are conceptually related but the relationship between them has not been clarified. Are they complementary or competitive problems, or is there no relationship between them? If they are complementary problems, sustainable development leads to poverty. If they are competitive, humans can switch from poverty to a sustainable development path. This thesis explores whether sustainable development and poverty have a competitive relationship. Through careful choices, poverty can be reduced even as sustainable development objectives are achieved.Sustainable development is defined here as the process of creating opportunity for humans to improve their well-being. Poverty is deprivation of such an opportunity. The relationship is examined by testing the hypothesis that positive (negative) indicators of sustainable development are negatively (positively) related to poverty. Four regression models are set up and estimated to test the hypothesis. Poverty is measured by the poverty rate, poverty gap, share of thatched homes and income. These measures are regressed on eighteen sustainable development indicators, respectively. The coefficients of these models are estimated from a dataset of 4,074 poor villages of Guangxi in South China. The results reveal that poverty is the opposite state of sustainable development in terms of environmental, economic and social dimensions. The competitive relationship is confirmed. The relationship between sustainable development and poverty implies that they share a common goal. Sustainable development can alleviate both present poverty and potential future poverty. However, some economic activities are found to reduce present poverty but undermine sustainable development. Policy must be carefully planned to avoid the shrinking of opportunity for both present and future generations.

Social networks and adaptation in rural Bangladesh

In the coming years, poor village populations in Bangladesh are expected to feel tangible climate change impacts in multiple and catastrophic forms impacting on their livelihoods and survival. Human adaptation to these impacts will thus be imperative. Research in one rural, flood-prone village in Bangladesh provides valuable information about the role of formal and informal social networks in coping with climate impacts, and key individuals who assist in real-time adaptation. Key individuals within this village network contribute to rural adaptability in that they: provide necessary leadership and management during flood times; enhance the social capacity to organize and coordinate; provide the framework for villagers to communicate, mobilize and voice concerns; create a link to local organizations and resulting resilience building; and attend to the needs of villagers.

The Impact of Armed Conflict on Widowhood: Case Studies from Sri Lanka, Cambodia and East Timor

Although wars produce large numbers of widows, little attention has been given in the literature on widowhood to the impact of armed conflicts. This article examines the effects of extended conflicts in Cambodia, East Timor and Sri Lanka on the status of widows, since widowhood often bears a social stigma. Research for the article is based on fieldwork conducted in the three countries between 2004 and 2006 in poor villages affected by civil war and violence, and focused on the work of non-government organizations among women. The article argues that the hopeful aspect of armed conflict is that it makes the contribution of widows to their families and societies more visible. With some effort, organizations can exploit and enhance this visibility to improve the status of women in the longer term.

Village Economies and the Structure of Extended Family Networks

Abstract This paper documents how the structure of extended family networks in rural Mexico relates to the poverty and inequality of the village of residence. Using the Hispanic naming convention, we construct within-village extended family networks in 504 poor rural villages. Family networks are larger (both in the number of members and as a share of the village population) and out-migration is lower the poorer and the less unequal the village of residence. Our results are consistent with the extended family being a source of informal insurance to its members.

Cashmere-producing goats in Central Asia and Afghanistan

SummaryIndigenous goats of Central Asia and Afghanistan produce cashmere, the warm undercoat grown annually to protect them from cold winters. Cashmere is appreciated in luxury markets, but there are no efforts to conserve these goats. Commercial assessments of their fibre quality have recently been undertaken. Poorer villagers in the most climatically difficult remote desert and high altitude regions are particularly dependent on raising goats. Villagers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan started selling raw cashmere mainly to Chinese traders in the 1990s. Afghan producers have been selling cashmere for a longer time. In comparison with China and Mongolia, Central Asian and Afghan producers sell their cashmere unsorted and at relatively low prices. Traders do not offer producers differentiated prices according to quality, but world commercial prices are highly sensitive to quality. Producers thus lose potential value. Summaries are given of tests on the quality of cashmere from samples of 1 592 goats in 67 districts and 221 villages from 2003 to 2008. There are cashmere goats in these sampled districts which produce the finest qualities of cashmere typical of Chinese and Mongolian cashmere. There is impetus to increase the production, commercial value and income for producers from cashmere produced by Central Asian goats.