Self-help Initiatives Research Articles

The five dimensions of financial independence retire early

The purpose of the present study is to map out and extend knowledge on the conceptual territory of Financial Independence, Retire Early initiative (FIRE). This topic has produced increasing interest in the public, but it constitutes a relatively new research area for academics. In this study, we analyse the four pillars to achieve financial independence to be able to retire early: budgeting and expense control, saving and investing to earn passive income; creating additional income sources, and improving financial literacy. We also analyse the five main dimensions: FIRE as a self-improvement philosophy, as a self-help initiative, as part of the simple/ecological lifestyle, as a result of financialisation, and as a tool for financial literacy and well-being. The five dimensions we distinguish allow to approach FIRE initiative from different perspectives to have a more complete understanding, but at the same time, these dimensions unveil new approaches to research and understand the impact of FIRE in society.

Self-help and spontaneous heroism in urban service delivery in Ghana’s informal neighbourhoods: a case study of Moshie Zongo

ABSTRACT The delivery of urban services and facilities is the primary responsibility of both local and central governments to facilitate the day-to-day activities of urban dwellers. However, the financial incapacity, coupled with general institutional constraints, hinders the efficient and adequate provision of all relevant infrastructure facilities needed by urban dwellers, particularly, in informal neighbourhoods. In response, self-help initiatives and spontaneous activities of some actors have emerged to bridge the gap and at best, complement the government’s development efforts. Utilising a mixed-method approach, the study relied on both quantitative and qualitative data from 374 randomly selected households as well as key informants from relevant institutions to explore the dynamism of self-help initiatives. The study specifically relies on the delivery of waste management and water supply services to evaluate and understand self-help initiatives in Moshie Zongo, an informal community in Kumasi City. From the analysis, the tricycle waste collectors (Aboboya) through the self-help initiative collect about 80%−90% of the solid waste generated in the area which is also preferred by about 80% of the community dwellers. Moreover, about 60% of the sources of water are owned by private individuals. Again, the Wastes Department of KMA, through Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) and Renovate, Operate, and Transfer (ROT) has helped to provide and renovate new and existing toilet facilities to ensure the provision and management of liquid waste in informal settlements. The study proposes effective and efficient monitoring, coordination, and regulation to enhance this initiative in the delivery of urban infrastructure and services.

Enhancing rural living conditions through active participation in self-help activities: Insights from Kwara State, Nigeria

In many regions, self-help initiatives serve as crucial supplements to government development strategies, enabling individuals to take charge of their own progress. This research focuses on assessing the involvement and benefits of rural inhabitants in self-help endeavors, aimed at enhancing their living standards in Kwara State, Nigeria. Using an interview schedule, data was collected from 140 respondents, and analyzed employing various statistical methods including frequency, percentages, mean scores, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that the participants were most actively engaged in fostering peaceful co-existence through voluntary efforts (average score, x̄=3.59), organizing fundraising events (x̄=3.57), and making financial contributions (x̄=3.47). Moreover, the primary perceived benefits of participating in these self-help initiatives included the reduction of poverty (x̄=2.80), improved decision-making processes (x̄=2.58), and the promotion of social solidarity (x̄=2.55). Regression analysis further demonstrated that household income and level of education significantly influenced the participants' involvement in self-help projects, with statistical significance at the p<0.05 level. Consequently, the study concludes that the rural population in Kwara State primarily engages in self-help activities to promote peaceful co-existence and has made significant strides in alleviating poverty in the region. To enhance the efficacy of self-help projects, the study recommends an increase in government support and the implementation of policies to regulate the inflation of essential materials required for such initiatives in rural communities

Embracing The Vanguard Role: Obstacles Faced by Health Cadres in Fulfilling Societal Responsibilities

Background: Health cadres play a crucial role in community development, serving as primary health managers responsible for mobilizing communities and fostering self-help initiatives to improve health outcomes. Despite their significance, challenges such as poor communication leading to missed visits by mothers with toddlers hinder program execution. Understanding and addressing these challenges is essential for establishing a resilient healthcare system that optimizes cadre contributions.Method: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was employed in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 diverse participants, including the Head of the Public Health Center, the Coordinator of Health Cadres, Health Cadres, and Community Members. Informant selection utilized purposive techniques and snowball sampling, with an interview guide containing open-ended questions as the research instrument. The data analysis followed a descriptive approach based on the Miles and Huberman model.Results: Challenges faced by health cadres varied across regions, encompassing factors such as differing community participation levels, heavy administrative tasks, and conflicts among cadres. Despite these challenges, most cadres exhibited high commitment, motivation, and familial support, mitigating potential issues. Each cadre adopted a unique approach to anticipate and address challenges associated with their roles. Regular coaching from Public Health Centers and implementing simplified administrative systems were identified as potential strategies to enhance cadre performance.

What do we not know (yet) about recovery colleges? A study protocol on their (cost-)effectiveness, mechanisms of action, fidelity and positioning

BackgroundRecovery Colleges (RCs) have spread across the globe as a new way of supporting people with mental vulnerabilities in their recovery journey. RCs focus on ‘learning’ rather than ‘curing’ and in that line facilitate a transition from being a passive, dependent patient/client to an active, empowered student learning to live life, despite vulnerabilities. Peer support and co-creation are central in RCs, as peers learn from each other by sharing personal experiences with mental vulnerabilities in an accessible, inspiring and stimulating atmosphere. The implementation of RCs is highly encouraged internationally, and as a result RCs and related self-help initiatives increasingly emerge. However, high-quality research on RCs is scarce and there is a call for thorough investigation of (cost-)effectiveness, mechanisms of action, cross-border fidelity and positioning of RCs. In response, this research project aims to fill these gaps.MethodsThis research project entails (1) a prospective quasi-experimental effectiveness study and economic evaluation, (2) a multifaceted qualitative study to elaborate on the mechanisms of action of RCs for those involved (3) a study to develop a (Dutch) Fidelity Measure of Recovery Colleges, and (4) an organisational case study to describe the positioning of RCs in relation to other mental health care services and community-based initiatives. Following the ideals of co-creation and empowerment in RCs we conduct this research project in co-creation with RC students from Enik Recovery College in Utrecht, the Netherlands.DiscussionThis research project will lead to one of the first longitudinal controlled quantitative evaluations of both cost-effectiveness and effectiveness of RC attendance in a broad sense (beyond attending courses alone). Moreover, we will gather data on a micro level (i.e., impact on RC students), meso level (i.e., organisational fidelity) and macro level (i.e., positioning in the care and support domain), capturing all important perspectives when scrutinizing the impact of complex systems. Finally, we will demonstrate the validity and value of embracing experiential knowledge in science as a complementary source of information, leading to a more profound understanding of what is researched.Trial registrationThe prospective quasi-experimental study has been pre-registered at clinicaltrails.gov (#NCT05620212).

A geopolitics of mud construction: Self-help and the CINVA-Ram machine in Ghana and South Vietnam during the Cold War

In 1951, the Organization of American States established the Centro Interamericano de Vivienda y Planeamiento (CINVA) to provide specialized training to tackle the housing problem. Based on archival documentation examined at the Rockefeller Archive Center and the Central and Historical Archive of the National University of Colombia, this article explores two significant episodes in which the story of one of the Center's most successful outputs connects to the history of the Cold War. It thus contributes to the literature investigating the architecture and related technologies of development aid in the historical context of the Cold War with a precise focus on the role of non-governmental actors. After detailing the history of the CINVA-Ram machine, the pressing machine to produce rammed-earth blocks developed at the Center and later exported to America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, the article explores its deployment in two different fronts of the Cold War: Ghana and South Vietnam. As highlighted in the conclusions, the significance of CINVA-Ram use in these contexts is manyfold. Firstly, its diffusion, although appearing as a successful case of south-to-south cooperation, was in fact possible because of the Rockefeller family-controlled IBEC's involvement. Secondly, it shows the global outreach of the intertwined action of governmental agencies, private companies, and NGOs, when fighting poverty and housing shortage via aided self-help initiatives were complementary strategies to the armed containment of Communism. Finally, it discusses the role played by US governmental and non-governmental actors in advancing US interests through technoscience, highlighting how the battle against poverty in the so-called “Third World” was in this case fought with one of the oldest and simplest construction techniques in the ideological framework of self-help.

Impact of Sustainable Development on Women Through Kudumbashree Units

Objective: Kudumbashree is a poverty eradication mission implemented by the State of Kerala in India. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of Kudumbashree units in Kerala on women's development and empowerment. Theoretical Framework: The study is based on the Kudumbashree initiative, a poverty eradication mission in Kerala, India. It operates as a neighbourhood-based self-help initiative, primarily focused on uplifting underprivileged sections of society, with a particular emphasis on women empowerment. Method: The study examines the development achieved by women through their participation in Kudumbashree units in Kerala. It assesses the socio-economic benefits gained by women, such as financial independence, acquisition of new skills, and expansion of knowledge and expertise in various business domains. Results and Conclusion: The study demonstrates that Kudumbashree units in Kerala have significantly empowered women. Women who participate in the Kudumbashree program experience socio-economic growth and contribute to higher levels of trust through their responsible engagement, participation, and active involvement. Implications of the Research: The research highlights the importance of initiatives like Kudumbashree in promoting women's development and empowerment. It emphasizes the socio-economic benefits that women gain through their participation and the positive impact on societal engagement and trust. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of Kudumbashree units. It sheds light on the comprehensive approach of Kudumbashree, supporting women in starting small businesses and achieving financial stability. The research highlights the significance of women's empowerment for overall societal development and provides insights for similar initiatives in other contexts.

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

Unravelling the challenges for long-term planning post-disaster resettlement in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Typhoon Washi hit the southern Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro in December 2011, causing massive destruction and displacing 40 per cent of the city’s population, 85 per cent of whom were informal settlers of highly vulnerable areas on the riverbanks. Informal settlers considered by the government as the most vulnerable residents were forcibly resettled in relocation sites in the peri-urban areas. The new settlements and houses fulfilled minimum Philippine standards for emergency housing with limited understanding of local conditions and creating gaps in the residents’ needs. In the following years, residents proactively modified their houses to fill initial housing gaps. The impacts of the residents’ self-help initiatives related to construction safety and the creation of new risks associated with low construction quality, materials and increased density in the houses are major concerns for the government which is responsible for policies to guide the urban development of these sites. This paper aims to assess the impacts of policies in the urban development of the resettlement sites for low-income disaster-affected communities. To do so, this paper analyses interviews with local government officials, analysing residents’ self-help housing construction seven years after the disaster and how these were considered in the local planning policies. Furthermore, the country’s post-disaster recovery planning changes will be analysed. The findings will provide insights into government-related challenges to guarantee the technical performance of the houses and the advances and crucial remaining governance challenges for implementing urban development policies.

State and Civil Society Emerging Good Practices in Response to Affordable Housing Need: Reflections on What Works in Addressing Homelessness in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper aims to articulate the emerging "good practices" being implemented by states to ensure the continuous provision of affordable housing. The paper utilizes secondary materials as the data sources, which were analyzed using content and thematic analytical procedures. As documented, public works intervention, creation of the public-private partnership, innovative expansion of affordable housing solutions through optimum utilization of local resources, and private sector support are new directions in accomplishing the affordable housing target. Similarly, the establishment and empowerment of community self-help initiatives, cooperative practices, the intervention of development agencies, and non-governmental humanitarian relief have made some remarkable impacts as part of the good practices. In conclusion, it is evident that the more innovative and creative ways of work are adding value to the accomplishment of increased affordable housing provision in sub-Sahara Africa.

Resourcing local government in Ghana: the potential of volunteering to deliver basic services

Both local and foreign volunteers have been involved in community development activities in Ghana. However, there is a dearth of research on the perceived and real impacts of volunteers in delivering services, reasons for volunteering, the potential of volunteering to supplement the human and financial resources of local governments in Ghana, and the conditions required for more successful outcomes. This qualitative study examined volunteering activities across 15 communities of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) Municipality in Ghana’s Central Region. It found that volunteering empowered the people, triggered self-help initiatives and improved local people’s knowledge on health and environmental issues. However, there are challenges in finding political and social space for volunteers within the current local government system. The study recommends efforts to address that issue.

Everyday contours and politics of infrastructure: Informal governance of electricity access in urban Ghana

This article contributes to shaping the discourse on unequal geographies of infrastructure and governance in the global South, opening up new ways of thinking through politics, practices and modalities of power. Conceptually, informality, governance and everyday urbanism are drawn on to unpack how the formal encounters the informal in ways that (re)configure infrastructure geographies and governance practices. This conceptual framing is empirically employed through an analysis of electricity access in Accra, Ghana, highlighting how residents navigate unequal electricity topographies, engage in self-help initiatives, and negotiate informal networks and formal governance practices. The spatiality of the electricity infrastructure has created inequity and opportunities for exploitation by ‘power-owners’ and ‘power-agents’ who control and manage the electricity distribution network and, in turn, privately supply power. Electricity connections are negotiated, access is monetised and illegality excused on grounds of good-neighbourliness, thereby producing and perpetuating everyday politics of ‘making do’. Community movements, everyday acts of improvisation, and incremental modifications are shown to influence the workings of formal institutions of government and shape uneven power relations and experiences of inequality. Such an understanding of how marginalised residents navigate the electricity topographies of Accra reveals a more nuanced politics of infrastructure access, which reflects the complex realities of hybridised modalities of governance and the multiple everyday dimensions of power that shape urban space. The article concludes that informality should not be recognised as failure but as a sphere of opportunity, innovation and transition.

Spatial Justice and Inner-City Development in Secondary Cities of Ghana: Implications for New Urban Agenda in the Global South

The process of urban change does not only occur on the outskirts of the city but also in the inner cities in the form of infilling and alterations to existing housing. An observed trend in most cities of the Global South is the concentration and development within the city centres. Using the Wa Municipality as case study, this study seeks to examine the dynamics of inner-city developments. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey and key informant interviews using questionnaires and interview guides, respectively. The findings indicate that inner-city congestion goes through a series of informal processes that lead to alterations of formal urban land plans without statutory approvals. The nature of expansion varies among buildings but largely takes the form of re-engineering of existing houses to create sanitary areas through self-help initiatives that have the potential of creating social and spatial injustices through encroachment in public spaces within the inner cities. A greater extent of this encroachment is led by the emerging upper- and middle-class households in this neighbourhood and subsequently create problems in the use of public spaces as the urban poor are deprived. As the New Urban Agenda has signified a profound opportunity for the planning profession, the results therefore suggest that there is the need for concerted efforts by city planners to prioritise inner cities in their quest to manage urban development.

Women’s Collectives and State-Led Development in West Bengal: Reimagining Selves During Counterinsurgency

This article examines the micropolitics of state-directed women’s collectives in India called self-help groups. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a setting where development becomes a means of counterinsurgency for the state, it looks at how rural women in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal use these collectives to negotiate with the state and make claims on state actors. The article argues that rural women aspire to new individual selves through their membership of SHG collectives. Women reimagined their selfhoods through their access to the state-sponsored public sphere and building new roles for themselves within it. The argument is presented in conversation with research on self-help groups and microfinance initiatives for rural women, and it builds on work that examines the unintended consequences of such development interventions for women’s lives.

Patient competence in the context of cancer: its dimensions and their relationships with coping, coping self-efficacy, fear of progression, and depression

PurposeInfluenced in part by research on coping, patient empowerment and self-efficacy, and by patient self-help initiatives, the construct of patient competencies (PC) has been elaborated and later integrated into Germany’s National Cancer Plan. As a self-report measure of PC, the Patient Competence Questionnaire 57 (PCQ-57) has only rarely been evaluated psychometrically. Therefore, we aimed to re-examine its dimensionality and its relationships with related constructs and potential psychosocial cancer outcomes.MethodsWe surveyed 424 breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer patients from clinics for oncological rehabilitation and private oncology practices who completed the PCQ-57 and self-report measures of coping, coping self-efficacy, fear of progression, and depression. Patients’ PCQ-57 responses were submitted to principal axis factor analyses. Using the original scoring keys, we computed internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α) and Pearson correlations between all measures.ResultsFactor analyses suggested 5 of the 8 original PCQ-57 dimensions to replicate satisfactorily, their internal consistencies ranging from 0.74 to 0.88. The competency of managing distress correlated significantly, highly, and negatively with fear of progression and depression (|r’s| ≥ 0.43) and positively with coping self-efficacy (r = 0.58).ConclusionThe results support the reliability and validity of 5 of the 8 original PCQ-57 scales while suggesting refinement of the others. The replicated scales may help identify patients in need of support for dealing with the multiple tasks of adjusting to cancer. Further research should clarify the conceptual and empirical relationships between PC, health literacy, and patient activation as well as potential effects of PC on psychosocial cancer outcomes.

An innovative resilience approach: Financial self-help groups in contemporary financial landscapes in the Netherlands

This study questions efficiency-driven institutions in the financial sector during and after the financial crisis of 2008. Frustration about inadequately working financial institutions encouraged citizens to employ self-help initiatives reflected in the revival of, for example, financial cooperatives, sharing economies and community currencies. Some of these grassroots initiatives, such as financial self-help groups, are imported by migrants and refugees. Compared to the formal banking system, financial self-help groups claim effectivity and a human face instead of efficiency in operation and management. We look at financial self-help groups among Ethiopians and Ghanaians living in the Netherlands, placing these financial self-help groups within the contemporary financial landscape. Here, diversity instead of a monoculture of banking institutions shows us a way to a more sustainable financial system. Moreover, this article shows that a combination of different kinds of resilience creates possibilities for analysing the dynamics of a kaleidoscope of financial arrangements and institutions.

Governing Through Relationship: A Positive Critique of School Social Work Practice in Post-Earthquake, Christchurch, New Zealand

AbstractThis article outlines some findings from an inquiry undertaken in the aftermath of 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which positive critique was used to examine the practice accounts of twelve school social workers alongside characteristics of recovery policies. Consistent with Foucault’s (1988, 2003a,b, 2013a) mode of critique and his theorisation of biopolitics and pastoral power, positive critique recognises the multiplicity and productivity of contemporary power relations operating at the populational, collective and individual levels of life. A feature of the participants’ accounts of their practices with affected schoolchildren in the recovery space is their commitment to restoring and protecting their clients’ well-being through therapeutically inclined relational practice. The Christchurch earthquake recovery strategy also sets out the provision of specialised, individual assistance for vulnerable populations excluded from ‘normal’ psychosocial recovery processes because of their inability to participate in community self-help initiatives. The findings presented in this article provide a critical space for social workers to reflect on the dimensions of their relational work that function as therapeutic governance practices that can both strengthen and resist the normative notions of vulnerability and recovering well.

Building Resilience in Adolescents and Youths - The Maltese Scene

Abstract The Office of the Commissioner for Mental Health in Malta was established in 2011 to promote and protect rights of persons with mental disorders and their carers. This advocacy role includes monitoring of involuntary care, regular reporting on quality of care and care environments, in-depth analysis and recommendations on emerging issues such as mental health literacy, multidisciplinary care plans, drug addiction services and stigma and regular networking across ministries, agencies, departments, and NGOs, breaking silos and building bridges. Data for 2018 shows that acutely ill young people (10-29 year olds) were 30% of acute involuntary admissions. Males and foreign nationals from medium and least developed countries were more frequently represented. Substance abuse, mood disorders and psychotic disorders were the more common diagnostic groups. Building resilience and providing opportunities for early intervention are key elements of better mental health and well-being in the younger generation. Six examples of good practice in adolescent and youth mental health from Malta will be presented: Youth.inc by AÄ¡enzija Å»għażagħ; Kellimni.com by SOS Malta; Youth Mental Health First Aid by Richmond Foundation; Research and Professional Education by ACAMH (Malta); Student Support Services at MCAST MALTA; Project Enlight! by Enlight Foundation. Two of these initiatives were recognised as best practices at European level in a peer learning exercise conducted by the Dutch Youth Institute. The recommendations are: more focused approaches towards young people with acute mental disorders with special attention to their specific needs; the identification of young people in trouble; work programmes that build resilience, life-skills and employment prospects; the intensified use of refined electronic and social media tools for promotion, prevention and early intervention; and active support and encouragement of peer group development and self-help initiatives. Key messages Networking stakeholders to break silos and build bridges. Resilience and early intervention for better mental health and well-being.

From House to Home:

In From House to Home: Social Control and Emancipation in Portuguese Public Housing, 1926–76, Nelson Mota considers public housing policies in Portugal under the dictatorship that ruled there from 1926 to 1974 and during the two years that followed the democratic revolution of April 1974. He reviews key legislative initiatives and projects to show how the dictatorship's policies effectively commodified housing, exerted government control over the working class, and largely excluded the urban poor from the housing market. By contrast, programs developed under the postrevolutionary Serviço de Apoio Ambulatório Local, or SAAL, promoted self-help initiatives that aimed to improve housing conditions for Portugal's poorest citizens, thus securing their economic and social independence and their right to occupy urban space. During the “SAAL spring,” Mota concludes, building homes became more important than selling houses.

Residents’ self-initiatives for flood adaptation in informal riverbank settlements of Kathmandu

Residents of informal settlements in Kathmandu, mainly those located in highly vulnerable areas such as riverbanks, are periodically threatened by floods during monsoon seasons. Informal dwellers also face exclusion from urban development policies which ignores the possibilities of adequate living conditions and a safe environment for them. Therefore, residents of riverbank settlements rely on self-help initiatives for the protection of their families. This paper examines household characteristics and socioeconomic parameters of riverbank informal settlers in Kathmandu and investigates how they perceive these factors influence their self-initiated flood adaptation. This paper is based on 40 door-to-door semi-structured interviews of the residents of three riverbank informal settlements located along the Bagmati river in Kathmandu. The findings based on residents' perceptions show complex relationships of self-adaptive behaviour with socioeconomic elements and household characteristics. The understanding of these complexities is beneficial in undertaking inclusive disaster management initiatives by governments to address the struggles of informal settlers ‘at risk’.