NIRP
Netherlands-Israel Development Research Programme (NIRP) Research for Policy Series
In 1992, the governments of the Netherlands and Israel established the Netherlands-Israel Development Research Programme (NIRP), whose aim was to encourage development-related research focused on socioeconomic and cultural change. The programme was coordinated through the Directorate General of International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, and the Centre for International Cooperation (MASHAV) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. Until January 2001, the Dutch government was the principal sponsor of the programme, through the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic). During the period 2001-2003, the ongoing projects were guided towards administrative and scientific completion. The organisation and administration of NIRP were the responsibilities of Nuffic (The Hague) and Haigud (the Society for Transfer of Technology, Jerusalem).
Being policy-oriented in nature, NIRP aimed to make the results of research accessible to anyone interested in solving the problems investigated. The target groups for such knowledge include policymakers, representatives of non-governmental and donor organisations, and the scientific community. With this aim in mind, NIRP launched the NIRP Research for Policy Series as a channel for the publication of 'user-friendly' summaries of more than 20 scientific reports.
Until recently, the NIRP Research for Policy Series was hosted on the Nufffic website. When this was no longer possible, the responsible department asked DPRN to host the Series on its website to meet the interest of the one hundred or so people per half year, on average, who download one of the booklets. This request was honoured since the objective of the NIRP Research for Policy Series making 'results of research accessible to policymakers and development practitioners' fits in well with the objectives of DPRN.
- Bird-David, N., Karugu, W., Oduol, M. and Wandibba, S. (2000). Technological change and rural third world women: an impact study in Machakos District, Eastern Kenya. ISBN 90 6832 662 7.
- Felsenstein, D., Foeken, D., Muraya, A. and Schwartz, D. (2000). Small-scale enterprises in rural Kenya: constraints and perspectives. ISBN 90 6832 663 5.
- Ajaegbu, H.I., Grossman, D., Berg, L. van den (2000). Market gardening, urban development and income generation on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria. ISBN 90 6832 664 3.
- Helman, A., Vermeer, E. and Xiaoshan, Z. (2000). The shareholding cooperative system in China. ISBN 90 6832 665 1.
- Munene, J. and Schwartz, S. (2000). Cultural values and development in Uganda. ISBN 90 6832 666 X.
- Spolsky, B., Tushyeh, H., Amara, M. and Bot, K. (2000). Languages in Bethlehem: the sociolinguistic transformation of a Palestinian town. ISBN 90 6832 667 8.
- Abu-Saad, I. and Mburu, J. (2001). The influence of settlement on substance use and abuse among nomadic populations in Israel and Kenya. ISBN 90 6832 672 4.
- Degen, A.A., Nunow, A., Zaal, A.F.M., Otieno, D.A. and Hoorweg, J.C. (2001). Market dependence of pastoralists in Kenya and Israel. ISBN 90 6832 669 4.
- Wondimu, H. (2001). Ethnic identity, stereotypes and psychological modernity in Ethiopian young adults: identifying the potential for change. ISBN 90 6832 670 8.
- Dangbégnon, C., Blum, A., Nederlof, E.S., Röling, N. and Tossou, R.C. (2001). Platforms for sustainable natural resource management: the case of West Africa. ISBN 90 6832 671 6.
- Sherman, N. (2002). Refugee resettlement in Uganda. ISBN 90 6832 674 0.
- Gidron, B., Quarles van Ufford, C., Bedri Kello, A. (2002). NGOs dealing with refugee resettlement in Ethiopia. ISBN 90 6832 673 2.
- Schwartz, M., Hare, A.P., Saasa, O.S., Nwana, I.E., Devkota, K. Peperkamp. B. (2002). Israeli settlement assistance to Zambia, Nigeria and Nepal. ISBN 90 6832 675 9.
- Groot, W. de (2002). A future for the Mandara mountains, North Cameroon. ISBN 90 6832 676 7.
- Zuzovsky, R., Haddad, M. and Yakir, R. (2003). Education for international cooperation: the Middle East water management case. ISBN 90 6832 677 5.
- Ruben, R., Lerman, Z. and Siles, G. (2003). Continuity and change of rural organisation in Nicaragua: from co-operative contracts to social capital. ISBN 90 6832 678 3.
- Bruins, H.J., Akon'ga, J.J., Rutten, M.M.E.M. and Kressel, G.M. (2003). Drought planning and rainwater harvesting for arid-zone pastoralists: the Turkana and Maasai (Kenya) and the Negev Bedouin (Israel). ISBN 90 6832 682 1.
- Anson, O., Sun, S., Zhang, W. and Haanappel, F.W. (2003). The village doctors in different ownership clinics in China's countryside. ISBN 90 6832 683 X.
- Kouamé, A. (in collaboration with Schellekens, J. and Bosch, A.) (2003). Rural development and fertility changes in Côte d'Ivoire. ISBN 90 6832 684 8.
- Zilber, N., Youngmann, R., Workneh, F. and Giel, R. (2003). Development of a culturally-sensitive psychiatric screening instrument for Ethiopian populations: the influence of acculturation on idioms of psychological distress. ISBN 90 6832 6856.
- Slonim-Nevo, V. and Mukuka, L. (2004). Sexual attitude and behaviour among adolescents in Zambia. ISBN 90 6832 6864.
- Obirih-Opareh, N., Razin, E., Geest, S. van der and Post, J. (2004). The effects of decentralisation and privatisation on urban environmental management: waste management in the Accra Metropolitan Area. ISBN 90 6832 6872.
Abstract
This book evaluates the performance of the Sorghum and Millet
Introduction Programme (SMIP) in the Machakos District of Eastern
Kenya, paying particular attention to women in their households and
community. It warns against such sweeping generalisations as "Third
World Women" and "subsistence farmers" and shows the importance of
paying attention to culture if one is to understand people's actions,
resistance and preferences. Deep-rooted differences between the
unconscious assumptions of "donors" and "recipients" may result in
impasses in development cooperation which are difficult to understand.
One incorrect assumption about Machakos' Akamba people is that they are
subsistence farmers, with women doing most of the farming jobs, while
male out-migration to towns results in a high portion of poor
female-headed and female-operated households. Refuting this and other
assumptions, the authors put forward practical suggestions for
improving the programme's success in introducing drought-resistant
crops in Eastern Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands.
Abstract
The
authors of this book argue that small-scale enterprises are not
necessarily the marginal features of developing economies they are
often thought to be. If micro-enterprises with 0-4 employees succeed in
developing into small enterprises with 5-19 workers, they can form a
dynamic sector with vital links to agriculture and other sectors of the
economy. Taking this argument as a starting point for their research in
the Nakuru and Kericho Districts in Kenya, the authors aim to explain
why most micro-enterprises remain small. They convincingly demonstrate
that small-scale enterprises face considerable constraints at all
stages of their development. These constraints specifically operate
against female-owned, rurally located and service-oriented businesses.
Innovative policy interventions are needed to remove these constraints
and enhance the sector's contribution to peoples' cash incomes and
economic welfare. By providing detailed information on the features of
small-scale enterprises and their problems during formation, operation
and growth, this book lays the foundations for effective and
tailor-made support.
Abstract
Are
there ways to improve small-scale market gardening in and around the
city of Jos (Central Nigeria) so that its productivity and
income-generating capacity can be increased? This question, the
relevance of which extends to many other urban areas in Sub-Saharan
Africa, runs as a common thread through this book.
The study demonstrates that the Jos metropolitan area is well endowed
with suitable gardening land, irrigation water, human resources and
other conditions favourable to the market-oriented production of fruits
and vegetables. But many constraints hinder a good performance of the
gardening sector. To overcome problems like insecure tenure,
inequitable marketing patterns, lack of managerial and technical
skills, pollution and inadequate support, a multi-facetted and
concurrent approach is needed. The authors emphasise the need for
small-scale gardeners to mobilise and organise, in order to enable
collective action and effective advocacy. Considerable governmental and
institutional support and social engineering will also be needed. The
experience of some Israeli Arabs has demonstrated, however, that under
these conditions, achieving a successful transition is not a utopia.
Abstract
China is going through an almost unprecedented phase in its recent
history. It is trying to build an internationally competitive future,
while still holding on to its socialist past. Economic organisation
forms are changing accordingly. In 1987, the Chinese government
introduced the Shareholding Cooperative System (SHCS) as a bridge
between collectivism and the inevitable trend towards privatisation.
On the basis of a study carried out between 1995 and 1997, the authors
evaluate the consequences of the SHCS for rural enterprises. They shed
light on changes in property structures, management practices, profit
sharing, participation in decision making and local government
interference and how these affect the satisfaction and motivation of
the workers.
The study convincingly shows that little uniformity exists in how
shareholding collective enterprises are shaped. It is essentially this
feature of the SHCS, the authors argue, which has contributed to its
successful spread and acceptation. Some problem areas need to be
addressed, however. The study's recommendations indicate how, thus
contributing to necessary choices to be made.
Abstract
Cultural values provide the context in which we act and negotiate
regarding new ideas. This means that when culture can be mobilised, it
has the potential to serve as a resource in fighting poverty and
facilitating development. The studies reported in Cultural values and
development in Uganda are both theoretically interesting and
practically applicable. Individual level values are shown to be
directly related to whether people participate or not in projects that
could enable them to move out of poverty. Community level values too
can either enhance the effectiveness of attempts to promote
development, or clash with and frustrate these attempts.
Social capital is another important factor: its far-reaching effects
can help to explain differences in the degree of development and the
conditions required for change. The findings also confirm the
hypothesis of a Black African cultural profile, shared by Uganda, as
well as that of differences between the value systems of developing
countries and those of Northern donors and NGOs. The conflict and
strain that is apt to result is a serious opportunity cost, which needs
to be studied, isolated and evaluated like any other. Further, this
research is relevant to questions of the need for cultural change in
Uganda.
Abstract
This
booklet investigates the major changes in demography, politics and
language in the town of Bethlehem. It starts by tracing the political
and economic history of the town over the past two millennia, and then
makes a detailed study of the current linguistic landscape. The study
shows the effect of the Christian institutions in introducing Western
education and languages, and of the pilgrim and tourist industries in
maintaining a high value for multilingualism.
The sociolinguistic investigation reveals major changes in the Arabic
spoken in the town. Whereas most residents formerly used a variety of
Arabic similar to that spoken in Palestinian villages, emerging social
identity issues seem to have produced new distinctions. Younger women
and some Christian men are tending to adopt an urban pronunciation like
that of nearby Jerusalem, at the same time as the speech of younger
educated Moslems is showing the growing influence of the standard
variety of Arabic. By relating the use of linguistic variants to
changes in identity, this study shows that Bethlehem is a town in
transition, being transformed from its previous status as a mainly
Christian Arab town into an important Palestinian and dominantly Muslim
city.
The study has produced information that will greatly assist the
development of language and language education policies. It shows the
need to find a way to maintain and strengthen Arabic, while encouraging
the development of competence in English, Hebrew and other languages
that are vital for economic development.
Abstract
This book
provides an overview of how settlement processes among nomadic and
semi-nomadic populations can result in social and cultural disruption
of traditional life. Based on a study among the Negev Bedouin Arab
tribes in Israel and the Maasai tribes in Kenya, it focuses, in
particular, on the influence of settlement processes on substance use
and abuse. The study is the first to provide numbers of users, types of
substances, volumes, and frequencies of substance use.
Substance use, particularly of alcohol and drugs, represents a new
phenomenon in the Bedouin society. New social environments and
conflicting sets of values and behavioural norms, which are far from
traditional, are persuading factors behind the new trend of substance
use. Among the Maasai, the settlement status is a predominating factor
in shaping their lifestyle. It greatly influences the availability of
substance, the pattern of substance use and their attitude towards it.
Although there was no evidence of any hard drug type use among the
Maasai, the use of substance is an increasing trend among them.
The results may be useful for the formulation of policies and practices
related to improving the settlement and living conditions of nomads and
semi-nomads, keeping particular attention to the substance use and
abuse policies and programmes.
Abstract
This study
encompasses a comparative analysis of pastoral groups in Israel (the
Bedouin) and Kenya (the Somali and Maasai). Besides their way of
living, these groups share the problems of increasing land constraints,
grazing restrictions and growing dependence on the food market. Without
improved pastoralism and livestock production, they will not be able to
ensure a satisfactory livelihood and continue their traditional way of
life. The study is based on the expectation that positive terms of
trade exist in caloric terms between livestock and grains. Building on
this premise, the authors present ample data on livestock production
and the markets for animals, animal products and grains. They make it
clear that the issues of market dependence and food security are
closely intertwined. Positive caloric terms of trade exist in all three
cases, implying that improved marketing channels will bring about
further improvements in food security. In addition to these new
insights into the dynamics of pastoral systems, this study also
enhances the understanding of pastoralist values. It thus lays a solid
foundation for reviewing policies on pastoralism and strategies for
increasing the financial return from pastoral herds.
Abstract
On
the basis of an extensive survey among young students, this study
explores the often neglected issues of ethnic identities, ethnic
relations and ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia. Unravelling stereotypes and
perceived characteristics of superiority and inferiority reveals some
of the psychosocial contributors to such conflicts and inter-ethnic
tensions. At the same time, the study makes clear that intermarriages,
friendships, united struggles for socio-economic growth and
development, and a concern for national unity prevail. The study
depicts a multiethnic society where the chances for greater political
stability and true national integration are still high if ethnicity is
properly handled. The findings will help policy makers and others in
their efforts to bring about mutual understanding and more positive
relationships and peace among the over sixty ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
By investigating the attributes of psychological modernity, this study
further helps to identify potential agents of change, thus contributing
to the need for change and future development.
Abstract
Benin, Burkina Faso and other countries in West Africa have faced
serious environmental degradation during the last three decades. After
the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s, it became clear that resource
depletion and human hardship and suffering are inextricably
intertwined. The magnitude of the problem is so great that conventional
public means and services no longer suffice to prevent further
degradation. This study therefore proposes a new approach to resource
management. By looking at resource management problems in six sites in
Benin and Burkina Faso, it shows how crises in ecosystems are triggers
of social learning by stakeholders and intervening agencies. The
authors argue that facilitation of change goes beyond the transfer of
technology, advisory work, information support and extension. Resource
problems in situations of conflict and interdependence can be solved
only through collective action and platform development. Facilitation
may help, but requires development professionals to play new roles in
conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation. Learning from the six
case studies in such different ecosystems as a lake, rangeland,
watershed and forest, this booklet clarifies the conditions for
successful collective action and effective platforms for resource
management.
Abstract
This booklet addresses the resettlement of populations displaced by
internal political violence who have relocated to sites within their
home country. On the basis of a survey in two study sites in Uganda's
Luwero District carried out in 1993-1994, it describes and analyses the
degree of success of the resettled population in rehabilitating its
standard of living and community life. The processes of resettlement
and rehabilitation are analysed in relation to the individual and
household characteristics of displaced persons and the features of
their displacement and resettlement experience. As a study of the
struggle of a population which has received only marginal assistance
from national and international NGOs and government agencies, this
booklet is a contribution to the limited body of empirical research
available on the rehabilitation of internally displaced refugees (as
opposed to refugees crossing international boundaries). The findings
and recommendations are of interest, far beyond Uganda, to all
governments and NGOs tackling the problems associated with refugee
resettlement.
Abstract
This booklet deals with the involvement of the Third Sector in relief,
rehabilitation and development activities in Ethiopia, with special
emphasis on rural rehabilitation in the Tigray province. The change of
government in 1991, when a transitional government composed of the
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) replaced the
military rule of the Dergue, brought about a spectacular increase in
the number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This booklet
discusses the functional and organisational aspects of both national
and international NGOs. Their interaction and the often strained
relationship with government authorities at the central, regional and
local level are also addressed. The study makes it clear that many
positive results can be recorded in the joined efforts at poverty
mitigation. The NGOs are also successful in resettling the refugees who
have returned from exile in the Sudan to the Tigray. Although one would
expect the Ethiopian government to be satisfied with the existence and
activities of NGOs in its country, this booklet reveals that their
relationship is a complex one. The government wants to retain its hold
over the NGOs, for fear that it might otherwise lose its power base
among the local population who perceives the NGOs as its real
benefactors. As a result, NGOs find that they do not have enough
political space to avoid being suffocated. The authors argue that
Ethiopia's problems of poverty and food insecurity will only be solved
if the actors involved start acting as real "partners in development".
Abstract
This study highlights the evolution of Israeli-assisted cooperative
settlements set up in Zambia, Nigeria and Nepal in the 1960s. It looks
into the background of Israel's settlement assistance and describes the
features, effects and sustainability of the projects. It shows that
seven clusters of factors contributed to successes and failures. Some
clusters, such as wealth, educational level, the structure and ideology
of the elites and ethnicity, refer to the situation of the three LDCs
during planning and implementation. Others are specifically "Israeli"
variables, such as architecture and physical planning, the relations
inside Israel's assistance bureaucracies and the evolution of
agriculture in Israel. The start of Israeli assistance in each country
was also decisive for the course of the project. Last, but not least,
the study shows that major developments such as the oil crisis, the
decline in copper prices (Zambia), the Biafran war (Nigeria) and rapid
population growth (Nepal) had a profound influence on the projects'
development.
Abstract
The Mandara mountains in northern Cameroon are the site of one of the
world's most complex farming systems, that supports up to 200 people
per square kilometre in spite of sandy soils and a semi-arid climate.
What will happen to this farming system that is grounded on century-old
traditional knowledge, now that out-migration and cotton growing are
rapidly expanding? Will the seasonal and permanent exit of
predominantly young people threaten the very existence of this
labour-intensive terracing system that cannot be maintained by women
alone? Will cotton cultivation lead to soil destruction? The authors of
this booklet argue that the currently prevalent policy notion that
farmers should come down to the plains to become part of mainstream
society will ultimately lead to the collapse of the farming system.
Apart from the enormous cultural loss and economic disinvestments this
would entail, the issue will then be where these 200,000 people should
go? Based on the integrated results of three studies, this booklet
offers decision makers the core arguments and building blocks for
policy principles that will provide the mountains and its people with a
future.
Abstract
Knowledge is the key to building beliefs and attitudes. Taking this as
a starting point, the authors of this study developed an educational
programme aimed at changing prevailing attitudes towards the management
and fair allocation of shared water resources between Israel and
Palestine. They argue that peaceful solutions to water resource
conflicts demand a willingness to compromise and cooperate. In the
existing psychological atmosphere in the region, this willingness is
weak. In the case of conflict, an educational intervention based on a
cognitive approach to attitudinal change can serve to mobilise public
opinion. This study is concerned with the effects of this educational
intervention on knowledge and attitudinal change. Did the programme
succeed in weakening territorial views and changing attitudes in favour
of peaceful solutions and regional cooperation? The findings make it
clear that beliefs and attitudes, although dependent on ethnic and
religious affiliation, are not fixed and can be changed. Attitudes of
cooperation and compromise are possible, but must be supported with
well-defined peace treaties and water management agreements that are
respected over time.
Abstract
The complex and unstable institutional environment of Nicaragua
provides a challenging background for the analysis of changing patterns
of rural organisation. Over the years, the roles and functions of the
state, the market and community organisations have undergone frequent
modifications. The authors present an analysis of the different
structural and behavioural factors that explain the dynamics of rural
organisation and the emergence of new types of agrarian contracts. They
do so on the basis of a study carried out in four main regions of
Nicaragua, which differ in terms of agro-ecological potential, land use
and accessibility.
The main focus of attention is the role of cooperation in providing
safeguards and access to information. The innovative approach employed
here relies on a detailed appraisal of the income diversification and
social capital effects of present and past participation in cooperative
ventures. This represents a clear shift in emphasis with respect to
earlier studies on cooperative behaviour in Latin America.
The authors present various recommendations for the reinforcement and
consolidation of cooperatives and rural organisations through enhancing
rural income diversification. They believe that cooperatives should be
recognised as agents in channelling rural services and that the
important role of rural organisations in the design of successful rural
development programmes should be acknowledged.
Abstract
This
study addresses the problems of drought and drought-coping strategies
of arid-zone pastoralists in Kenya (Turkana and Kajiado Districts) and
Israel (the Negev). It is characterised by an interdisciplinary
approach of geographical and social sciences, with a view to
formulating recommendations for integrated drought contingency planning
for pastoralists. The relevance of its results is twofold. First, the
study makes clear that the use of Normalised Difference Vegetation
Index data from satellites is very useful to measure the degree of
vegetation cover between and within regions for the purpose of
comparative pasture-base analysis, drought impact and desertification
assessment. Second, the study contains data on drought management and
rainwater harvesting in the three study areas, providing insight into
drought preparedness and the needs for mitigation planning. The authors
conclude that drought vulnerability among pastoral societies declines
with increasing economic diversity and a better infrastructure, but
that drought remains a hazard in every society, even when the impact
becomes less life threatening. The necessary adaptation has to come
from within, but outside help is significant. Specific attention is
paid to rainwater harvesting for its drought-mitigating potential at
household level. The authors warn that integrated drought contingency
planning is a must in Kenya, as well as in Israel, because food
availability on the world market cannot be taken for granted.
Development and infrastructure improvements raise the threshold of
drought vulnerability but, paradoxically, cannot lead to
invulnerability in a complex world where food reserves are shrinking.
This monograph includes broad recommendations which point the way
towards a comprehensive drought mitigation strategy.
Abstract
This
study explores the health care system in China's HeBei Province, where
private clinics operate along with collective and government clinics.
The three types of ownership differ in the immediacy of the association
between the practitioners' income and medical practice. At one end of
the continuum are private practitioners, whose income from medical
practice is completely dependent on patients' fees for the medicines
prescribed and sold to them, and on the treatment and diagnostic
procedures performed. At the other end of the continuum are the
salaried doctors employed by the government or by county hospitals.
Rural China thus offers the opportunity to test hypotheses embedded in
conflict theory and derived from the critique of sociologists of
medicine of the ongoing privatisation of health services in western
societies. The specific purpose of this study was to examine whether
health care delivery patterns, characteristics of practitioners, access
to and affordability of health care and the health status of China's
rural population are associated with the form of clinic ownership.
The picture that emerges from this study is far more complicated than
the simplistic argument that economic motives lead to inequity in the
distribution of health services, to inequality in access to health and
health care, and to revenue-oriented medical practice. The authors
found indications of inequity in the distribution of health care, but
the data also suggest that the social context in which the medical
practice takes place is far more important for understanding access to
and affordability of health services than the direct dependence of
income on practice.
Abstract
This study deals with family planning policy in the context of rural
development and change in Côte d'Ivoire. It stresses that, in order to
attain the objectives of the population policy:
- sensitisation programmes should be adapted to the prevailing cultural context of childbearing and
- parallel programmes should be put in place to reinforce agricultural production capacities and village infrastructure.
Such measures require a sound knowledge of the Ivoirian rural context
and how it has evolved during the last 40 years as a result of social
and economic changes induced by rural development programmes. Providing
a thorough analysis of the relationship between these changes and the
cultural determinants of childbearing, this booklet offers policy
makers and development practitioners building blocks to render the
population policy more effective.
Abstract
The Ethiopians experience and express their mental distress via somatic
complaints which are cultural idioms usually unknown to non-Ethiopian
physicians or to general practitioners educated according to the
bio-western system. This often leads to a wrong diagnosis and to
inadequate treatment that constitutes an incorrect response to the
patients' problems. This study seeks to develop and validate a
culturally sensitive psychiatric screening instrument for Ethiopian
populations, both in Ethiopia and Israel. It raises the problem of the
validity of the tool for Ethiopians who are at different levels of
"acculturation" or exposure to western medicine. The results show that
an adapted Self-Reporting Questionnaire for Ethiopians (the SRQ-F) is
an effective tool that can be used to screen for mental disorders among
Ethiopians in primary health care settings in Ethiopia and among
Ethiopian immigrants, such as the Ethiopian Jews in Israel. It can
therefore serve as a reference instrument for the detection of mental
problems by any healthcare worker working with Ethiopian populations.
Social workers and any other professional might also benefit from the
use of the instrument which allows early detection of emotional
problems. Through its diffusion, the primary caregivers should become
more sensitive to mental health problems and become aware of the fact
that the typical somatic complaints of Ethiopian patients may mask
serious mental problems.
Abstract
The AIDS epidemic in Zambia is accelerating at an alarmingly rapid
rate. Based on the largest and most comprehensive survey of its kind
conducted in Zambia, this study shows that adolescents in this country
are exposed to a considerable risk of HIV infection due to their sexual
activities. The data presented is extensive and diversified, covering
rates of engagement in various sexual behaviour, substance use and
abuse, peer behaviour, contraceptive use, knowledge about AIDS,
attitudes towards AIDS prevention, self-efficacy with regard to
prevention, the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and living
conditions among different groups of Zambian adolescents. The study
includes up-to-date data on sexual and physical abuse among adolescents
in Zambia - a topic that to date has not been studied in-depth. It
brings several new issues to the fore, including the impact of child
abuse on AIDS-related behaviour, the vulnerability to HIV infection of
married adolescents and the relatively low impact of AIDS-related
knowledge and attitude on the adolescents - level of engagement in
high-risk behaviour. This booklet contains recommendations for further
research and action and should be read by all those involved in health
care, education, social and pastoral work in order to begin tackling
the AIDS epidemic immediately.
Abstract
This is a study of new institutional arrangements for solid waste
collection in Accra, the capital of Ghana. It shows the impact of
decentralisation and privatisation on the practices and performance of
service provides in the Accra Metropolitan Area. The authors make it
clear that many conditions for successful decentralisation and
privatisation are not fulfilled, especially in terms of domestic
political support, an appropriate institutional framework and adequate
financial mechanisms. Decentralisation of solid waste management does
not lead to significant results and funding is the major constraint. On
the other hand, privatisation is proving to be much more effective,
although the quality of the services still varies widely. The study
indicates that a majority of consumers are willing to pay more if
services are organised more effectively. The authors formulate
recommendations on how such improvements in solid waste collection can
be achieved.