scholarly journals Disability-inclusive community development: A case of a community garden in Limpopo province in South Africa

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Tigere ◽  
Theresa Moyo

Background: Persons with disabilities living in rural areas are marginalised and excluded in most developmental initiatives in South Africa. They face many economic, political and social problems; hence, improving their quality of life is a daunting and challenging task which needs interventions from both the state and non-governmental stakeholders.Objectives: This study aimed to examine the role played by community gardens in rural Limpopo province in uplifting the lives of persons living with disabilities as well as their communities as a whole. Its main objectives were to assess the social and economic benefits they have provided to this group of people.Method: A qualitative research design was used for this study. Twenty-one participants were identified through purposive sampling. They were made up of people with disabilities, officials from Departments of Agriculture and Social Development. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data which was analysed thematically.Results: Key results were that community gardens have contributed to the economic and social well-being of persons with disabilities. They have assisted them with income to supplement their social grants. They also created jobs for their members and contributed to improved livelihoods of their families.Conclusion: The study demonstrated that people with disabilities are capable people who, if given the necessary support, can transform their livelihoods both socially and economically. The study recommends that a disability access audit be conducted to resolve the accessibility challenges of the garden.

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabelani Mudzielwana ◽  
Mugera W. Gitari ◽  
Titus A.M. Msagati ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  

Abstract Groundwater is a widely used and affordable source of drinking water in most of the rural areas of South Africa. Several studies have indicated that groundwater in some boreholes in South Africa has a fluoride concentration above the level recommended by the World Health Organization (1.5 mg/L). Fluoride concentrations above the permissible limit (>1.5 mg/L) lead to dental fluorosis, with even higher concentrations leading to skeletal fluorosis. In the present work, we evaluate the application of smectite-rich clay soil from Mukondeni (Limpopo Province, South Africa) in defluoridation of groundwater. The clay soil was characterised by mineralogy using X-ray diffraction, by elemental composition using X-ray fluorescence and by morphology using scanning electron microscopy. Surface area and pore volume was determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface analysis method. Cation exchange capacity and pHpzc of the soil were also evaluated using standard laboratory methods. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate and optimise various operational parameters such as contact time, adsorbent dose, pH and initial adsorbate concentration. It was observed that 0.8 g/100 mL of smectite-rich clay soil removed up to 92% of fluoride from the initial concentration of 3 mg/L at a pH of 2 with a contact time of 30 min. The experimental data fitted well to a Langmuir adsorption isotherm and followed pseudo second order reaction kinetics. Smectite-rich clay soil showed 52% fluoride removal from field groundwater with an initial fluoride concentration of 5.4 mg/L at an initial pH of 2 and 44% removal at a natural pH of 7.8. Therefore smectite-rich clay soil from Mukondeni has potential for application in defluoridation of groundwater. Chemical modification is recommended to improve the defluoridation capacity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
Tatyana N. Ananyeva ◽  
Galina I. Ilyukhina ◽  
Yulia V. Sazonova

Human health and well-being largely depend on a sufficient standard of living, educational opportunities and participation in social and social life, and successful professional activities. It should be recognized that in the surrounding society it is in these areas of life that people with disabilities and disabilities are especially disadvantaged, but not neglected by society and the state. Currently, in the Russian Federation, the State programme Accessible Environment is being implemented to support and assist persons with disabilities and disabilities, with the aim of creating legal, economic and institutional conditions conducive to the integration of persons with disabilities into society and improving their quality of life. The programme contains three subprogrammes that are effectively implemented in modern society, namely: (1) Ensuring the accessibility of priority facilities and services in priority areas of life of persons with disabilities and other mobile populations; (2) Improvement of the system of comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of persons with disabilities; (3) Improvement of the state system of medical and social expertise. The organizers of the Abilimpix social movement were able to demonstrate to people with disabilities their individual capabilities and prospects for accessibility to all types, forms and means of obtaining knowledge and professional skills, their effective application in practice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugendrie Naidoo ◽  
Liezel Ennion

Background: Persons with disabilities who reside in rural areas experience challenges accessing and utilising health services and rehabilitation. Due to the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in rural regions, the risk of having a lower-limb amputation is increasing. Comprehensive rehabilitation is vital to mitigate the negative impact that a lower-limb amputation has on a person. Objective: To explore the barriers and facilitators to accessing rehabilitation experienced by persons with lower-limb amputations in a rural setting. Study Design: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect and analyse data. Methods: Data were collected from 11 conveniently sampled participants from three sub-district hospitals in the rural iLembe district, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews to explore the barriers and facilitators perceived by persons with lower-limb amputations in a rural region. Results: The three main barriers identified in this study were environmental factors, financial constraints and impairments. These barriers negatively impacted the participant’s utilisation of rehabilitation. The two main facilitators identified were environmental facilitators and personal factors which aided participant’s utilisation of rehabilitation. Conclusion: Access to rehabilitation was mainly hindered by the challenges utilising transport to the hospital, while self-motivation to improve was the strongest facilitator to utilising rehabilitation. Clinical relevance Rehabilitation is essential in preparation for prosthetic fitting. If a person cannot access rehabilitation services, they will remain dependent on caregivers. Highlighting the challenges to utilisation of rehabilitation in rural areas can assist to reduce these barriers and improve the functional status of persons with lower-limb amputations.


2020 ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
V. G. Novikov ◽  
E. A. Gridasova ◽  
Yu. A. Kulikova ◽  
S. A. Gorokhov

The article deals with the issues of legal regulation of ensuring accessibility of higher education for the disabled and people with disabilities. The relevance of obtaining agricultural education in the Russian Federation, which should be as close as possible to the main consumer — the rural population, is emphasized. The openness of agricultural education to the needs of rural residents will help reduce migration fl ows and preserve young people in rural areas. Attention is drawn to the fact that obtaining agricultural education is possible and accessible not only for people without disabilities, but also for people with disabilities. The advantage of providing higher agricultural education to this category of rural residents is that they are not aimed at migration, they live permanently and for a long time in a certain territory. The review of the current legal acts regulating the issues of accessibility and training in higher education organizations for persons with disabilities and persons with disabilities is presented. The article analyzes current trends in the legal fi eld of inclusive education. The article considers the concept and legal status of disabled people and students with disabilities, the concept of inclusive education and the requirement for its implementation at all levels, including higher education.


Politeia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kgothatso B. Shai

South Africa’s local government administration is complex in that both traditional leadership and elected municipal councils play a role in it. Traditional leadership occupies an essential position and status in local government administration, in particular in rural South Africa. However, the contemporary administrative jurisdiction of municipalities cuts across both rural and urban areas. In the rural areas, the conflict over the division of roles between traditional leaders and elected councillors is evident. Due to the influence and dominance of the neo-liberal global order, modernists often accuse traditional leadership of being undemocratic and authoritarian. However, the reality is that elected councils’ administration also leaves much to be desired, and the consequences of their poor administration are not uniformly understood. Since South Africa is a democratic state, it is expected that there should be a clear separation in government institutions between party (i.e., the ruling African National Congress) politics and public administration; a phenomenon that some describe as depoliticisation. Nevertheless, the realities on the ground suggest otherwise. This article, which is based on the theory of Afrocentricity, examines a selected rural municipality (Maruleng) in South Africa’s Limpopo province to critically reflect on the ethics and the value system of African culture in the context of local governance vis-à-vis Westernised governance principles. The aim of this research is achieved through interdisciplinary critical discourse and thematic analysis in its broadest form.


Author(s):  
Oliver Lewis ◽  
Soumitra Pathare

This chapter sets out the connection between disability and human rights, examining how persons with disabilities (including those with physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, psychosocial or mental health disabilities, and intellectual disabilities) are particularly vulnerable to exclusion and discrimination, leading to human rights violations across the world. It has been a long global struggle to recognize the rights of people with disabilities and realize the highest attainable standard of physical, mental, and social well-being, a struggle evolving across countries and culminating in the 2006 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The provisions of the CRPD relate to three specific rights that are of particular importance to people with disabilities: legal capacity, the right to health, and the right to independent living. Yet, national implementation challenges remain, including finding space for mental health and disability in policymaking and developing models of service delivery that advance human rights.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5133
Author(s):  
Tshepiso Mangani ◽  
Hendri Coetzee ◽  
Klaus Kellner ◽  
George Chirima

This study aimed to investigate the socio-economic benefits stemming from bush clearing and restoration projects conducted in the Lephalale municipality, within the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study was conducted at two sites: the D’Nyala Nature Reserve and a nearby local village, Shongoane. A qualitative thematic content analysis approach and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from 14 purposively selected participants between the ages of 22 and 55 (male = 9 and female = 5). The results indicated that the nature reserve benefited from the project via the improved visibility of the landscape features and game viewing, which made the reserve more attractive for tourists and resulted in increased revenue. The costs of buying feed for game could also be curbed since the grazing capacity increased. Since the nature reserve sourced temporary labour from the local village to execute the project, the community benefited in terms of members being able to earn a wage, which led to an improvement in their livelihoods. Another indirect benefit was the morale and behavioural changes observed amongst community members. It was obvious that the socio-economic benefits derived from projects such as these far outweigh the negatives and that there is every reason to institute projects of a similar nature elsewhere.


Food Security ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. De Cock ◽  
M. D’Haese ◽  
N. Vink ◽  
C. J. van Rooyen ◽  
L. Staelens ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document