Rural Community In South Africa Research Articles

The determinants of crop productivity and its effect on food and nutrition security in rural communities of South Africa.

High crop productivity has the potential to improve the food and nutrition security status of not only smallholder farmers but also households in general. However, smallholder farmers operate in a dynamic environment whereby their crop production is affected by various factors that hinder it from lessening food insecurity and malnutrition in rural areas. The study investigated the determinants of crop productivity and its effect on household food and nutrition security status in South Africa. This study employed a quantitative research method. A total of 1520 households were selected using the multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. Out of the total sample size of 1520, 386 were crop producers, 176 producers were from Mpumalanga province, and 210 producers were from the Limpopo province. Most of the smallholder farmers do not have access to the irrigation system, mechanization, and agricultural inputs. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale showed that most smallholder farmers were food insecure, with 78% of the farmers in each province found to be food insecure. The results from Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that in the overall sampled population, 50% of smallholder farmers had highly diverse diets. Only 50% of the smallholder farmers had high dietary diversity in each province. Irrigation systems and involvement in crop production had a positive influence on the crop productivity of smallholder farmers. The results from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) model showed that ownership of livestock, harvest, and disability in the family negatively impacted smallholder farmers' food security status while household size had a positive effect on the food security of smallholder farmers. The results also showed that social grants, agricultural assistance, and harvest had a negative impact on the nutrition status of smallholder farmers. While household size had a positive impact on the nutrition status of smallholder farmers. Factors such as irrigation systems and involvement in crop production influenced crop productivity. Household size influenced the nutritional status of smallholder farmers while harvest size affected the food security status. There is a need to encourage more households to get involved in farming. Government and nongovernmental organizations need to support smallholder farmers with agricultural productive resources like irrigation systems to improve their crop productivity.

The global healthy ageing agenda: The impact of education, gender, childhood conditions and social engagement in rural South Africa

This paper examines factors associated with the likelihood of healthy ageing and the propensity to utilise health care resources for a rural community in South Africa and the associated policy implications. Our results suggest education exerts a positive influence, and its marginal impact is more prominent for females than males. Further, we show that better childhood health is associated with increased likelihood of ageing well. We also demonstrate an inverse relationship between health care utilisation and healthy ageing. The results presented here suggest that strategic policy investments across life courses in education and child-health fosters not only broader development goals but also enhances healthy ageing trajectories and improve the health and wellbeing of individuals across life stages. This study contributes to informing on the UN’s healthy ageing global strategic agenda in the context of a poor rural region.

Parental Stress in Raising a Child with Developmental Disabilities in a Rural Community in South Africa.

Although acceptable levels of parental stress are experienced by all parents who raise children, this stress is substantially higher among parents who raise children with developmental disabilities. Sociodemographic determinants further exacerbate parental stress among parents in rural communities, which are disadvantaged in many ways. This study aimed to quantify parental stress among mothers and female caregivers of children with developmental disorders and investigate factors associated with such stress in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was used, in which the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) and a sociodemographic questionnaire was administered to mothers and caregivers who were raising children aged 1 to 12 years old who were living with developmental disabilities. The PSI-SF scores were used, where a total score of ≤84 percentile was categorised as normal/no parenting stress, 85-89 percentile was categorised as high parental stress, and scores of ≥90 were classified as clinically significant. The sample of 335 participants consisted of 270 (80.6%) mothers and 65 (19.4%) caregivers. Their ages ranged from 19 to 65 years, with a mean of 33.9 (±7.8) years. The children were mostly diagnosed with delayed developmental milestones, communication difficulties, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, cognitive impairment, sensory impairments, and learning difficulties. The majority (52.2%) of the participants reported very high-clinically significant stress levels (≥85%ile). The four factors that independently and significantly predicted high parental stress were the advanced age of mothers and caregivers (p = 0.002, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.34-3.95), caring for a child with multiple diagnoses (p = 0.013, OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.16-3.50), non-school enrolment of the child (p = 0.017, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.13-3.46), and frequent hospital visits (p = 0.025, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.09-3.44). At the subscale level, child non-enrolment in a school was found to independently predict parent distress (PD) and parent-child dysfunctional interaction (P-CDI). Frequent hospital visits were statistically and significantly associated with the difficult child (DC) and P-CDI subscales. The study established high parental stress in mothers and caregivers raising children with developmental disabilities. Lack of access to school was an independent factor that consistently increased parental stress. There is a need for support and directed intervention programs aimed at supporting mothers and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, which will enhance their parenting abilities.

Rural Support Experience of Student-Teachers in South Africa: The Need for Supportive Infrastructures and Language Teaching

Rural communities in South Africa have various inadequacies and a lack of social support systems for the people and their inhabitants. Experiences and observations showed that the majority of the student-teachers in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa undergo their teaching practice activities in one or two rural locations, which led to many of them having to suffer from a lack of support and social amenities in their place of teaching practice. This study explores student-teachers experiences, ranging from the challenges and opportunities available for them during the program. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach was used to underpin the study. The study falls within the transformative paradigm, and participatory research was used to design the study. Convenient sampling was used to select ten student-teachers posted to rural locations for their teaching practice within the Eastern Cape province. Reflection was used to elicit data from the participants, and the data were analysed thematically. The study found that inadequate resources and social amenities, and language barriers are challenges encountered by the student-teachers. The study also found that the provision of supportive infrastructures and the intensification of Language teaching is imminent among rural learners. Hence, the study concludes with recommendations for the provision of supportive infrastructures and the intensification of language teaching as solutions to assist student teachers in rural teaching practice.

Designing an Alternate Water Security Strategy for Rural Communities in South Africa – Case Study of Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces

Short of affordable and clean potable water poses high risk to health of human beings globally. Water scarcity is a challenge that affects all countries across the globe and this is more prominently felt in rural communities of poorer countries. In recent years, South Africa has faced severe droughts limiting portable water supply to rural areas of the country. Developing an alternate water security strategy for rural communities in South Africa can assist local government to manage water systems successfully. This paper illustrates the process of building a water supply strategy using the case of water management in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. These provinces experience a high challenge of water supply and access due to lack of water services, and challenge of building stakeholder support for resource management strategies. A number of rural communities were visited, water samples collected from boreholes, rivers, dams and taps around the two provinces. From chemical and other test, we established the quantity and quality of water sources around the two provinces. System dynamics and system analysis approach are used in this paper to model the existing water resource management and map out its frailties and limitations. A model to connect a system of boreholes and nearby water sources was then developed. The results, it is observed that the reliability and improvement of water system for rural areas was achieved through these approaches. The results show enhanced abstraction of water from sources within the communities that can secure water in these rural communities.

A Framework for the Development of Human Centred ICT4D Initiatives: A Capability Approach Perspective

The term “development” is often used concomitantly with Information Technology for Development (ICT4D) and Information Systems for Development (ISD4D) initiatives in discussions related to these fields. Development as an outcome is often pursued through ICT mechanisms without questioning the assumptions about its contribution to human development. Development, as a construct, has been the subject of increasing debate in the ICT4D research community, and is especially fuelled by the current global economic uncertainty. It is when the paradigm of development is shifted away from the predominant Western theory of development, as postulated by many economic development theorists, as well as other development theories, such as utilitarianism, for example, that new development outcomes can be explored. One such outcome is the result of a human centred development approach, where well-being and human development form the focal point of ICT initiative outcomes. The Capability Approach (CA), developed and promulgated by Nobel Prize laureate Amartya Sen, provides an operationalizable framework that views development as human development and having or obtaining certain freedoms. The CA affords the observer the opportunity to assert the social dimension of development and, in the case of this study, that of a rural community in South Africa, with the ICT4D artifact delineated to mobile health, or mHealth.

Evaluation of water-user performance in smallholder irrigation schemes in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis

Smallholder Irrigation Schemes (SIS) are pivotal in sustaining livelihoods and creating employment in rural communities of South Africa. However, despite the revitalization and rehabilitation of SIS by the government, the performance of farmers is still below par. This study evaluates the performance of water-users across four SIS in KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN). Technical Efficiency was used as a proxy for performance and the Stochastic Meta-Frontier Analysis method was employed to measure the overall efficiency across 306 households. The efficiency model results showed that governance index, psychological capital, land tenure security, credit access and gender affect water-users' technical efficiency. The study concludes that interventions should be geared toward strengthening institutions and the empowerment of farmers through relevant training and access to credit. Furthermore, adequacy of water and its availability in the schemes should be improved to ensure profitability and productivity of water.

ACCESS TO LEGAL AID IN RURAL SOUTH AFRICA: IN SEEKING A COORDINATED APPROACH

A number of approaches to legal aid for the poor and marginalised, with special emphasis on rural communities in South Africa, are discussed. The traditional approaches towards legal education and litigation of such groups are critically analysed in the light of the constitutional protection of socio-economic rights. The lack of a clear constitutional imperative as regards legal aid in civil matters, coupled with reprioritisation of foreign funding to university-based law clinics, NGO’s and paralegal advice offices, is severely hampering the provision of legal aid for civil and especially socio-economic matters. An approach centred around the maximalutilisation of existing resources, improved cooperation between the various role players, and community legal education is suggested.

The prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in rural communities in South Africa: A third regional sample of child characteristics and maternal risk factors.

This study is the ninth cross-sectional community study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) conducted by the multidisciplinary Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Epidemiology Research team in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is the third comprehensive study of FASD in a rural, agricultural region of South Africa. Population-based, active case ascertainment methods were employed among a school-based cohort to assess child physical and neurobehavioral traits, and maternal risk factor interviews were conducted to identify all children with FASD to determine its prevalence. Consent was obtained for 76.7% of 1158 children attending first grade in the region's public schools. Case-control results are presented for 95 with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 64 with partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS), 77 with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), 2 with alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD), and 213 randomly-selected controls. Four techniques estimating FASD prevalence from in-person examinations and testing yielded a range of total FASD prevalence of 206-366 per 1000. The final weighted, estimated prevalence of FAS was 104.5 per 1000, PFAS was 77.7 per 1000, ARND was 125.2 per 1000, and total FASD prevalence was 310 per 1000 (95% CI=283.4-336.7). Expressed as a percentage, 31% had FASD. Although the rate of total FASD remained steady over 9 years, the proportion of children within the FASD group has changed significantly: FAS trended down and ARND trended up. A detailed evaluation is presented of the specific child physical and neurobehavioral traits integral to assessing the full continuum of FASD. The diagnosis of a child with FASD was significantly associated with maternal proximal risk factors such as: co-morbid prenatal use of alcohol and tobacco (OR=19.1); maternal drinking of two (OR=5.9), three (OR=5.9), four (OR=38.3), or more alcoholic drinks per drinking day; and drinking in the first trimester (OR=8.4), first and second trimesters (OR=17.7), or throughout pregnancy (OR=18.6). Distal maternal risk factors included the following: slight or small physical status (height, weight, and head circumference), lower BMI, less formal education, late recognition of pregnancy, and higher gravidity, parity, and older age during the index pregnancy. The prevalence of FASD remained a significant problem in this region, but the severity of physical traits and anomalies within the continuum of FASD is trending downwards.

The Assessment of Community Knowledge and Prevention Practices of Malaria in a Rural Community in South Africa

Background: Malaria is a serious public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa and affects the health and wealth of nations and of individuals. Malaria became a public health issue killing more than 627 000 people in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, Malaria is endemic in 3 provinces namely: Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Kwazulu Natal. Limpopo contributes more cases than the other provinces in the country. Objective: The study assessed the knowledge and preventive practices regarding malaria in a rural community in South Africa. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using systematic probability sampling to select 151 household members. All the households in each village were visited and the head of each household was interviewed. Data was collected through close-ended questionnaires and analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Science version 24. The analysed data is presented in tables, graphs, and percentages. Results: The findings revealed that most participants 103(67.8%) have secondary education, and all (100%) had heard about malaria. The main source of malaria information was nurses 48%. Most participants knew that malaria is transmitted through mosquito bites (86%) by an infected mosquito (77%.%). About 63% of the participants knew the basic signs of malaria such as headache, shivering, and high fever. About 59 (39%) said they used mosquito coils and wore long-sleeved clothes in their household to avoid mosquito bites. Conclusion: Malaria poses a threat to the lives of people living in malaria-endemic areas. Community members of Masisi Village know how malaria is transmitted, what causes it, and its signs and symptoms. However, malaria prevention practice is still cited as a public health challenge. Therefore, health education should emphasize methods of malaria prevention and control.

Analysis of the Factors Influencing Consultation with Traditional Health Practitioners: A Case of Bapedi Communities in Limpopo Province South Africa

Traditional medicine continues to play a critical role in promoting and sustaining health in developing nations, especially in the rural areas where traditional healers are the exclusive providers of primary health care in their communities. The primary objective of scientists is to ascertain the rationale for the ongoing use of traditional medicine in an era when biomedical procedures are widely available, accessible, and inexpensive to the majority of people. The current research examines the elements that contribute to continuous consultation with traditional healers in four rural communities in South Africa's Limpopo Province. The data collection method was semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 53 patients recruited from the households of traditional health practitioners. The study findings present four factors influencing consultation with traditional health practitioners namely accessibility and affordability, affordability and holistic care to offer spiritual and emotional care.

Perceptions of Trust in the Context of Social Cohesion in Selected Rural Communities of South Africa

Although nuances around the definitions and contextualization of social cohesion subsist, this paper views social cohesion through the lens of social cooperation and togetherness within a collective in geopolitical terms, expressed in the attitudes and behaviours of its members. In many countries, including South Africa, social cohesion remains an ideal to strive for and achieve. Extant studies suggest that trust is one of the key factors in building social cohesion. As such, this paper aims to explore trust in the context of social cohesion. This study attempts to address the knowledge gaps regarding the views, feelings, and experiences around trust and also make a contribution to the qualitative inquiry of trust in the context of social cohesion in rural communities of South Africa. Accordingly, the perceptions and experiences of people in two rural communities (Lambert’s Bay and Philippolis) regarding trust in the context of social cohesion were explored. A qualitative methodology was employed in order to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of trust. A total of 19 participants were interviewed, comprising of community stakeholders and parents. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data in face-to-face interviews with participants. Data collected were analysed using Braun and Clark’s thematic analysis. The study found that trust among community members in both Lambert’s Bay and Philippolis was limited. In instances where there was trust, it was mainly amongst participants who know each other compared to individuals who do not know each other. Thus, in both communities, generalised trust continues to be a challenge.

Mapping the unsafe school journey: Rural primary school children’s perspectives on dangerous social geographies in South Africa

This paper describes a study conducted with 20 primary school children from a resource-poor rural community in South Africa. Using participatory mapping, the school children were asked to draw the paths they walked to school (referred to as child maps), and identify unsafe areas on this journey. The data were analyzed using participatory visual analysis techniques by focusing on the children’s representations of their school journeys and their perspectives on their vulnerability on these paths. The analysis revealed a plethora of areas that posed a threat to children as they walked to school. Moreover, the findings suggest that children experienced heteropatriarchal violence on their school journeys, which evoked fear and anxiety since they associated this walk with risk. Using participatory mapping offered a unique opportunity to see how school children constructed and navigated the routes they walked to school, and how on these paths, different forms of violence occurred. The children’s maps offered an important tool for understanding the significance of space and place on routes to school in rural communities.

Recognise and Acknowledge Us: Views of Traditional Birth Attendants on Collaboration with Midwives for Maternal Health Care Services.

Background Traditional birth attendants have since ancient time provided care to pregnant women. As such, the collaboration between midwives and traditional birth attendant (TBAs) can be an essential effort towards the reduction of the maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rate especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper argues that the collaboration between traditional and formal health systems expands the reach and improves outcomes of community health care. The study is aimed at exploring the traditional birth attendant's views on collaboration with midwives for maternal health care services at selected rural communities in South Africa (SA). Methods The study was conducted in two rural communities in Tshwane and Johannesburg metropolitan districts from 15 June to 31 October 2021. The study followed the qualitative explorative and descriptive research design. The sampling technique was nonprobability purposive, and snowballing technique was also used to sample the key informants who are the traditional birth attendants also known as traditional healers and who provide maternal health care services in the respective communities. The access to these participants was through the gatekeepers, the Traditional Health Organisation Council (THO) council. Data collection was through semistructured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed thematically through the eight steps of Tesch. Results Five main themes were identified which included the recognition of traditional birth attendants as enablers of collaboration, the envisaged value of the collaboration, processes required to foster collaboration, repositioning for new roles, and barriers to collaboration. Conclusion The TBAs are ready to collaborate with the formal health care system, and all they require is for their services to maternal health care to be recognised and acknowledged.

Partial Analysis of the Capsid Protein (VP1) of Human Sapovirus Isolated from Children with Diarrhoea in Rural Communities of South Africa.

Background Viral diarrhoea is a concern in acute gastroenteritis cases among children younger than 5 years of age. Sapovirus has been noted as an emerging causative agent of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Objective/Study Design. The aim of this study was to characterize human sapoviruses targeting the VP1 (NVR and N-terminal) region. Twenty-five samples were randomly selected from 40 sapovirus-positive samples previously detected and analyzed for the VP1 region using the One-Step RT-PCR assay. The PCR products were subjected to Sanger sequencing analysis. Results The polyprotein segment (NVR and N-terminal) was successfully amplified from 10/25 samples. Sapovirus GI.1 was the most predominant strain (6/10; 60%), followed by SV-GII.1 (2/10; 20%) and 10% of each GI.3 and GII.3. Conclusion Through the partial analysis of the VP1 region, this study provides more data to add on the human sapovirus genetic characterization of circulating strains in South Africa, with the proposition of further analysis of sapovirus VP1 fragments for the viral structure and function.

The lived experiences of elderly women accused of witchcraft in a rural community in South Africa

This study examines the experiences, fear of being killed, and reactions towards accusations of elderly women, accused of witchcraft. The respondents were elderly women with an average age of 65 years who had retired in rural South Africa. They responded to semi-structured interview questions, aimed at documenting the accusations and insults, hurled at them daily by members of community. Thematic analysis indicated the community’s hostile reaction towards the women. The following themes and corresponding sub-themes were established: demographics, cultural factors, with sub-themes of old age and circumstances, surrounding death; and socio-economic factors, with sub-themes of poverty, unemployment, and jealousy. Based on their personal experiences, the community did not have concrete evidence of their accusations, which stemmed from external factors, over which they had no control. These findings were explained as being the authorities not protecting victims against all accusations. These accusations of witchcraft happened despite the protection of the constitution, the bill of rights and relevant legislation. In conclusion the law enforcement agencies must enforce the law to protect the elderly women in the communities.

Indigenous Knowledge on the Uses and Morphological Variation among Strychnos spinosa Lam. at Oyemeni Area, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The majority of rural communities in South Africa are characterised by insufficient nutrition and food insecurity at the household level. Due to a lack of information about indigenous fruit trees and their use, food-insecure households are missing out on the nutrition that these fruits provide. Strychnos spinosa Lam. (monkey orange; umHlala) has been identified as one of southern Africa’s top priority fruit species for domestication. However, indigenous information on S. spinosa usage and morphological diversity is still lacking. Indigenous knowledge of species characteristics might be a good place to start when attempting to understand variations in key phenotypic traits. Information on the use and morphological variation of S. spinosa was collected from participants of 100 randomly selected homesteads. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The results indicate that S. spinosa is a multi-purpose tree with numerous uses. Most respondents (97%) mentioned that they use it for fermented maize meal (umBhantshi); and others mentioned fermented porridge (amaHewu); alcohol; fruit; juice; jam; homestead protection; snakebite; firewood; food allergy; livestock increase; and only 7% mentioned for stomachache. Morphological variation was observed in leaf colour and shape, fruit rind colour, size, rind texture, pulp colour, pulp texture, and taste. However, the most mentioned variety featured green (78%), rounded leaves (78%) and green (39%), large (46%), smooth-textured rind (73%) fruits that had brown pulp (54%) and tasted sweet (58%). Understanding local knowledge systems and preferences can thus inform the selection of ethno-varieties that hold importance to local people and the potential to improve livelihoods in externally led domestication and development programs.

Mobile Communication and Urban/Rural Flows in a South African Marginalised Community

This article draws on Castells’ concept of space of flows to explore the role of mobile communication in mediating the flows of ideas, people and resources concerning Dwesa, a rural community in South Africa. While it is the site of an ICT-for-development project fifteen years in the making, Dwesa is representative of many contemporary South African rural realities in terms of lack of infrastructure, endemic poverty and urban migration. Mobile network coverage is almost universal, sustaining a bidirectional flow of people, resources and information between Dwesa and urban areas such as Cape Town. A critical review of the substantial body of research conducted in the area, as well as thematic analysis of social media texts and semi-structured interviews with community members, reveal that mobile phones play an important and nuanced role in arranging physical or virtual rendezvous, facilitating transfers of monetary and other resources, and enabling timeless communication and exchange of information across distance.

The Contribution of Parental Factors to Adolescents’ Deviant Behaviour in South Africa: Evidence from Three Rural Communities in South Africa

Challenges associated with adolescents are prevalent in South African societies. During the adolescence stage, children may become involved in deviant behaviour. Although a significant number of studies have focused on the factors that contribute to adolescents’ deviant behaviour, including parental factors, there is paucity of research specifically in rural communities. This study explores the contribution of parental factors to adolescents’ deviant behaviour in rural communities in South Africa. Guided by the qualitative approach, the present study makes use of semi-structured interviews to collect data and thematic analysis to analyse data. The parental factors identified include less parental supervision, a lack of support, an absence of parental discipline, parent’s lack of concern and the inability of parents to be role models. These factors play a role in adolescent deviant behaviour, such as crime, dropping out of school and substance abuse. Therefore, by focusing on the family, especially parental behaviour, the potential to reduce adolescent deviant behaviour becomes possible. This is important in promoting the well-being of adolescents, their families and society.

Exploring the caring of fathers in low-income, rural communities in South Africa

ABSTRACT Early research on fatherhood in South Africa emphasize the prevalence of absent fathers and the detrimental impact thereof on families. More recent research on fatherhood, however, has shown a shift in fathering practices, where contemporary men engage in more involved and complicated fathering practices, which include nurturing and caring activities. Although local studies have begun to identify nurturing and caring activities in fathering, they have not comprehensively explored these caring ideas and practices. Furthermore, there has been a call for research providing more contextual knowledge on fathering practices across diverse groups of fathers locally and globally. This study, therefore, explored the ideas and practices of paternal care in a group that is especially under-represented in South African fatherhood literature. We draw on the data of fifteen families, each consisting of a father-figure, a mother-figure and an adolescent child. These 45 individuals were interviewed separately. The thematic analysis of participants’ accounts revealed complicated notions of paternal care. Although more contemporary caring ideas and practices of fathering behaviour were reported, these caring masculinity ideas remained intertwined with traditional hegemonic masculinity ideals. Nevertheless, these findings indicate that traditional ideas about fatherhood and masculinity have expanded to incorporate more nurturing, caring and expressive qualities.