scholarly journals Fecal Sludge Management in Low Income Settlements: Case Study of Nakuru, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheillah Simiyu ◽  
Ivy Chumo ◽  
Blessing Mberu
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sludge Management ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Fecal Sludge ◽  
Treatment And Disposal

Introduction: In order to meet the sustainable development goals targets of sanitation, countries aim to increase access to safely managed sanitation services for its citizens. Safely managed sanitation services refers to improved sanitation technologies that are not shared with other households and where excreta is treated and disposed; or stored, transported and treated off-site. In most Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, on-site sanitation facilities such as latrines and septic tanks are common, with low-income urban settlements mainly using pit latrines. However, little is documented about the management of sludge from these facilities, especially in low income settlements in secondary and emerging cities. This lack of data is a major hindrance to public health, development and planning efforts by governments and planning agencies. This study specifically assesses practices and challenges along the sanitation value chain related to containment, emptying, transportation, treatment and recycling of fecal sludge.Methods: The study was carried out in low income settlements in Nakuru, a secondary city in Kenya. Over half the population in Nakuru live in low income areas and majority of these residents use pit latrines. A case study design was selected for this study and data was collected using qualitative methods. Data was collected through In-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions using in depth interview guide and focus group discussion guides that had questions on sanitation practices along the value chain, challenges, opportunities available, and recommendations for improvement. Analysis was done through content analysis by reading the transcripts multiple times to gain a sense of the flow of the discussion. Thereafter, coding was done by following emergent issues and thereafter categories were identified which formed the basis for providing a picture of FWM practices in the settlements.Results: On site sanitation facilities are dominant in the settlements, but they are few and are shared by several households. These facilities were unclean, and they filled up at a fast rate because of the high number of users. The latrines were emptied by manual emptiers who used mechanized equipment but complemented with manual emptying using buckets. Sludge was transported to a central collection point using large and small scale means of transportation, before transfer to the treatment site for final treatment and disposal. Various stakeholders are involved in capacity building of emptiers as well as in the transportation, treatment and disposal of fecal sludge in the settlements. Challenges along the stages of the value chain included negative community perceptions and attitudes toward fecal sludge management.Conclusion: The results highlight the need to address the challenges along the chain by involvement of state and non-state actors. Low income areas have high populations and thus contribute huge amounts of fecal sludge. Deliberate efforts to consolidate such data from low income areas will result in availability of data, and informed decision making for stakeholders at national and international levels.

scholarly journals Shallow groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa: neglected opportunity for sustainable intensification of small-scale agriculture?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Gowing ◽  
Geoff Parkin ◽  
Nathan Forsythe ◽  
David Walker ◽  
Alemseged Tamiru Haile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Sustainable Intensification ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

Abstract. There is a need for an evidence-based approach to identify how best to support development of groundwater for small scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We argue that it is important to focus this effort on shallow groundwater resources which are most likely to be used by poor rural communities in SSA. However, it is important to consider constraints, since shallow groundwater resources are likely to be vulnerable to over-exploitation and climatic variability. We examine here the opportunities and constraints and draw upon evidence from Ethiopia. We present a methodology for assessing and interpreting available shallow groundwater resources and argue that participatory monitoring of local water resources is desirable and feasible. We consider possib le models for developing distributed small-scale irrigation and assess its technical feasibility. Because of power limits on water lifting and also because of available technology for well construction, groundwater at depths of 50 m or 60 m cannot be regarded as easily accessible for small-scale irrigation. We therefore adopt a working definition of shallow groundwater as < 20 m depth. This detailed case study in the Dangila woreda in Ethiopia explores the feasibility of exploiting shallow groundwater for small-scale irrigation over a range of rainfall conditions. Variability of rainfall over the study period (9 % to 96 % probability of non-exceedance) does not translate into equivalent variability in groundwater levels and river baseflow. Groundwater levels, monitored by local communities, persist into the dry season to at least the end of December in most shallow wells, indicating that groundwater is available for irrigation use after the cessation of the wet season. Arguments historically put forward against the promotion of groundwater use for agriculture in SSA on the basis that aquifers are unproductive and irrigation will have unacceptable impacts on wetlands and other groundwater-dependent ecosystems appear exaggerated. It would be unwise to generalise from this case study to the whole of SSA, but useful insights into the wider issues are revealed by the case study approach. We believe there is a case for arguing that shallow groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa represents a neglected opportunity for sustainable intensification of small-scale agriculture.

scholarly journals Agri-Food Globalisation and Rural Transformation in Chile: Smallholder Livelihoods in the Global Value Chain for Raspberries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Edward R. T. Challies
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food System ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Public And Private Sector

<p>As transnational capital continues to penetrate the agricultural sectors of developing countries, agri-food production-consumption is increasingly organised at the global scale. This has profound implications for small-scale farmers in the global South, who are being integrated into a globalising agri-food system geared towards the provision of agricultural commodities to meet the demands of wealthy consumers in Northern markets. Chile is one country that has purposefully inserted itself into the world trading system as an agri-exporter - a strategy that has fundamentally transformed Chilean agriculture. Framed within an examination of agrarian transformations in Chile and a world-historical account of agri-food globalisation, this thesis critically examines local-global linkages engendered by agri-food globalisation through a case study of export-oriented Chilean smallholder raspberry growers. The study aims to understand the structure and dynamics of the global value chain for raspberries, and to determine the livelihood implications of smallholder growers' participation in it. A detailed, locality case study was conducted in Yerbas Buenas - an important site of raspberry production within Chile - combining analysis of the raspberry value chain, and an in-depth survey of grower livelihoods. The value chain component focuses on key chain actors and functions within Chile, examining the role of public and private sector organisations governing and coordinating activities along the chain. The livelihoods component examines the significance of raspberry production within diversified household livelihood strategies, considering key assets, capabilities and mediating factors shaping smallholders' access to the value chain. Additionally, the research seeks to explore synergies and tensions between global value chain and sustainable rural livelihoods approaches, and to consider their integrative potential. The thesis finds that increasing competitive pressures, particularly arising from the evolving quality requirements of key overseas buyers, are seriously undermining the capacity of smallholder growers to participate in the chain. While existing private and public sector support is necessary for the participation of the smallest growers, it is not sufficient to secure their survival. It is argued that the neoliberal macroeconomic model represents a major barrier to smallholder participation, as the modernising agri-export-led growth strategy that it underpins can not accommodate the degree of intervention or the redistribution of resources required to address socio-economic inequality in the Chilean countryside.</p>

scholarly journals A Smartphone Game-Based Intervention (Tumaini) to Prevent HIV Among Young Africans: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Winskell ◽  
Gaëlle Sabben ◽  
Victor Akelo ◽  
Ken Ondeng'e ◽  
Christopher Obong'o ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Wide Range

BACKGROUND There is a pressing need to ensure that youth in high HIV prevalence settings are prepared for a safer sexual debut. Smartphone ownership is increasing dramatically in low-income and middle-income countries. Smartphone games that are appropriately grounded in behavioral theory and evidence-based practice have the potential to become valuable tools in youth HIV prevention efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE To pilot-test a theory-based, empirically grounded smartphone game for young Kenyans designed to increase age and condom use at first sex, aiming to establish directionality of effects on behavior change. METHODS Tumaini (“hope for the future” in Swahili) is an interactive, narrative-based game grounded in social cognitive theory. A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in Kisumu, Western Kenya, from April to June 2017 with 60 participants aged 11-14 (mean 12.7) years. Intervention arm participants (n=30) were provided with an Android smartphone with Tumaini installed on it and were instructed to play the game for at least 1 hour a day for 16 days; control arm participants (n=30) received no intervention. All participants completed a survey on behavioral mediators, delivered via an audio computer-assisted self-interview system at baseline (T1), post intervention (T2), and at 6 weeks postintervention (T3). The postintervention survey for intervention arm participants included questions eliciting feedback on the game. Intervention arm participants and their parents participated in 8 postintervention focus group discussions. Game log files were analyzed to calculate the length of exposure to the game. Behavioral survey data were analyzed using two-sample t tests to compare mean change from T1 to T2 and to T3 for intervention versus control arm participants. Descriptive statistics on game feedback questions were computed. Focus group transcripts were uploaded to MAXQDA software, where they were labeled with deductive and inductive codes. Data were analyzed thematically and compared across demographics. RESULTS Intervention arm participants played Tumaini for a mean of approximately 27 hours. The intervention arm showed significant gains in sexual health-related knowledge and self-efficacy (both P<.001), behavioral intention for risk-avoidance strategies and sexual risk communication (P=.006), and overall survey scores (P<.001) compared with the control arm at T3. The postintervention survey revealed high subjective measures of the game’s value, relevance, and appeal. Focus groups identified a wide range of knowledge and skills the participants had gained, including setting goals and planning how to achieve them, which was perceived as a key motivator for avoiding or reducing risk. CONCLUSIONS The study supports the need for further research to assess the efficacy of the game-based intervention. If proven efficacious, smartphone games have the potential to dramatically increase the reach of culturally adapted behavioral interventions while ensuring fidelity to intervention design. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03054051; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03054051 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70U2gCNtW)

scholarly journals Context and intentions: practical associations for fecal sludge management in rural low-income Cambodia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201
Author(s):  
James Harper ◽  
Angela Bielefeldt ◽  
Amy Javernick-Will ◽  
Toeur Veasna ◽  
Chris Nicoletti
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Behavioral Science ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Sludge Management ◽  
Fecal Sludge ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Generous Support ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Finite storage capacities of household pit latrines make safely managing fecal sludge a recurring challenge for 2.7 billion people globally. Frequently without guidance from standards or regulation, rural latrine owners choose how to manage their own fecal sludge. However, their intentions – what behavioral science says are the best predictors of future behaviors – when pits fill are poorly understood, inhibiting the development of safe fecal sludge management (FSM) solutions and deteriorating public and environmental health. Using survey data commonly measured by development practitioners, we analyze response frequencies and their associations with contextual factors, such as location, month that the survey was administered, and poverty level. We also use binomial logistic regression to determine if contextual factors can be used to predict the intentions of rural Cambodian latrine owners when pits fill. We found that four in ten rural latrine owners intend to manage their fecal sludge unsafely (41%), and one in six did not have a plan (16%). Desirable FSM intentions increased markedly after rice harvest and varied markedly across provinces. Many predictors of desirable FSM intentions, such as location and satisfaction with the household's latrine, were also identified. Associations between FSM intentions and contextual factors can be used to help predict FSM behaviors and improve FSM service delivery, behavior change campaigns, and product design. However, future work should seek to characterize the complete decision-making processes of rural latrine owners when pits fill. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

scholarly journals Assessment of the faecal sludge management practices in households of a sub-Saharan Africa urban area and the health risks associated: the case study of Yaoundé, Cameroon

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Wilfried Arsène Letah Nzouebet ◽  
Ebenezer Soh Kengne ◽  
Guy Valerie Djumyom Wafo ◽  
Chistian Wanda ◽  
Andrea Rechenburg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sludge Management ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Faecal Sludge

scholarly journals Faecal sludge in Accra, Ghana: problems of urban provision

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 623-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. D. Boot ◽  
R. E. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Sludge Management ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Waste Transfer ◽  
Transfer Stations ◽  
Phase Out ◽  
Faecal Sludge

Urban on-site sanitation services present challenges for emptying, transporting, disposing and treating faecal waste. Transfer stations can be used by household-level emptiers to safely dispose of faecal sludge, but they rarely exist. Accra's use of transfer stations has provided an opportunity to research their functioning, as part of broader faecal sludge management arrangements. The paper discusses the benefits offered by use of transfer stations, as well as reasons currently limiting their operation. While costs associated with operating and emptying these stations are passed to householders, an illegal sector thrives offering lower cost emptying services, typically with disposal of faecal sludge directly into the environment. At present, bucket latrines offer sanitation services to low-income households unable to afford higher service levels, such as septic tanks. The local government aims to phase-out all bucket latrines by 2010, but affordable alternatives have not been found. Where limited access to land inhibits investment in permanent facilities, families may abandon household sanitation altogether. The paper concludes that correct use of transfer stations can provide improvements for existing faecal sludge management and reduce indiscriminate dumping. They must be made available to all workers, through effective public-private arrangements for ownership and operation.

scholarly journals Critical stages for post-harvest losses and nutrition outcomes in the value chains of bush beans and nightshade in Uganda

Food Security ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klara Strecker ◽  
Verena Bitzer ◽  
Froukje Kruijssen
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Loss Assessment ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Bush Bean

AbstractThe reduction of post-harvest losses (PHLs) has been identified as a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite policy prioritisation, knowledge about the severity of PHLs remains scant, especially when it comes to nutrient-dense crops such as African nightshade and bush beans. Therefore, this paper identifies loss hotspots, causes and effects throughout the value chains of nightshade and bush beans in eastern Uganda. Primary data collected following the Informal Food Loss Assessment Method, combined with small-scale load tracking and secondary data, allows for an analysis of physical, economic, quality, and nutritional losses throughout the value chains of both crops. Results show that in the bush bean value chain, severe physical and quality losses occur during post-harvest handling by farmers, leading to high economic losses at this stage of the chain. Nutritional losses are not expected to be significant in the bush bean value chain. By contrast, due to the shortness of the nightshade value chain, where produce is moved from harvest to consumption within one or two days, physical losses in most parts of the chain are relatively minor. Only at consumption stage, high physical losses occur. This is also the stage where economic losses and potential nutritional losses are most pronounced. The results of this study offer a deeper understanding of the value chain dynamics of bush beans and nightshade, including underlying gender relations, and identify concrete loss hotspots, upon which further research and practical interventions can build.

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