Community development as a strategy to alleviate poverty
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Date
2015
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University of Zululand
Abstract
This study paper examined community development as a strategy to alleviate poverty in Nkandla by examining the community development programmes in place and their effectiveness in alleviating poverty. According to the 1996 population census, some 135 000 people live in the Nkandla District. Out of these, 57% are females and 61% of households are headed by women. Over 14% of the population is under the age of five, and 46% of the population is aged 14 years and under. An evaluative study was undertaken to research the effectiveness (which is the outcome, importance, meaning and efficiency), the relationship between the “input” and “output”, and the two considerations being utilised in poverty alleviation programmes, as part of community development strategy to alleviate poverty in the area. According to the Millennium Goals Report (2005:6), overcoming poverty and hunger is possible because the causes of poverty have been analyzed intensively by the World Bank and by other organisations but poverty still persists. The poverty programmes to determine the nature and the extent of poverty in Nkandla, the copying mechanisms of the locals, the eradication processes which are implemented, and the level of participation by community members, the effectiveness of community poverty in Nkandla were all evaluated in this study. The sample for this research consisted of 50 respondents who were either direct or indirect beneficiaries of community development programmes in the Nkandla Municipality. Data were gathered via face to face interviews and the semi- structured questionnaires were administered to respondents.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015
Keywords
community development --poverty alleviation --Nkandla