Download or read book Social Capital Micro and Small Enterprises and Poverty alleviation in East Africa written by Mary Njeri Kinyanjui and published by OSSREA. This book was released on 2005 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, based on an extensive review of literature and fieldwork, contributes to the growing discourse on social capital by examining its use as a strategy for an entry and stay in trade, manufacturing, transport and micro and small enterprises in East Africa. A social capital model in formulated and tested. The book shows how social capital has been articulated and utilized through networks, relationships, norms, values and actions to facilitate entry and stay in these enterprises. The book provides details on how entrepreneurs constantly construct their social capital and evolve business logic and practice that is used in business transactions. The book does not only focus on theory and empirical findings but also derives lessons for poverty-alleviation strategies. It reveals that there are limitations to the application of social capital when it comes to interaction and conflict between different stakeholders in transport enterprises. The political economy model was found to be appropriate in such a case, indicating that the social capital model can be used in combination with other theoretical frameworks.

Download or read book Small and Medium Sized Enterprises SMEs and Poverty Reduction in Africa written by Ameen Alharbi and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-18 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Poverty Reduction in Africa addresses the vital question of why the millions of dollars of governments’ and international development interventions in the SMEs sector are yet to deliver significant and sustainable employment and poverty reduction in Africa. The book also addresses the question of how the SMEs sector can help in the eradication of poverty in Africa. The book also tackles the question of what policy makers, SMEs operators, would-be entrepreneurs and trainers can do to contribute to poverty reduction through the SMEs sector. To address these three key questions, the book has adopted innovative concepts and ideas that will appeal to the sensibilities of African policy makers, trainers, business operators and would-be entrepreneurs. For example, the existing literature on system thinking and spirituality in business is used to offer a novel approach and departure from the perennial focus on “technical training” and hardnosed pursuit of “individualised” business and personal goals as a means of developing entrepreneurs and crafting SMEs policy. The key features of the book are: • a focus on changing the mind-set of SMEs operators, policy makers, trainers and would-be entrepreneurs; • contextualising the role of SMEs in poverty reduction by emphasizing the relevance of the African worldview, belief systems and spirituality during policy making, policy implementation and training of SMEs operators and would-be entrepreneurs; • theoretical explanations to why good intentions in policy formulation and implementation do not deliver expected outcomes in terms of the SMEs sector’s contribution to poverty reduction; • practical guidelines on how SMEs can develop a poverty-related mission statement, business strategy and business plan within the context of poverty reduction; • personal development guidelines for SMEs operators and prospective entrepreneurs on how to develop poverty-related personal mission statements and strategies; • the introduction of spiritual poverty and system thinking as the foundation for policy formulation and poverty reduction interventions in Africa.

Download or read book Social Capital and Institutions of Poverty Reduction in Africa written by Osaore A Aideyan and published by . This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There have been many books written about the issue of poverty in Africa. Most of them look at failed policies and criticize what does not work. This text looks at what does work, and outlines how to implement these effective policies. The question of credibility and strategic behaviors in institutions of poverty reduction is an area that needs to be addressed adequately and the author attempts to deal with it in a pragmatic way.In the academic literature on designating effective institutions of poverty alleviation programs and policies in sub-Saharan Africa, it is rare to find direct assessments of the success of particular social policies and programs. In country after country, one is much more likely to see research on the failure of poverty reduction programs. Very often, contributors to the literature gravitate towards the presentation of raw numbers and figurers indicating that these policies and programs have failed and thus call for the discontinuation of such policies. Curiously, the most straightforward questions that many people outside of the development circle seem to want answered OCo such as, on what criteria are these conclusions reached, or what particular policies and programs have made a dent in poverty, are less popular in the discipline. This study focuses on the preconditions for success in poverty reduction programs. It proposes a framework which incorporates a mixture of social and political, as well as economic relationships, which these programs embody. Using evidence from original surveys of two micro-finance programs in Southern Nigeria, this policy evaluation study attempts from the standpoint of institutional and social capital theories to accomplish two goals: first, to fill the gaps in the literature by developing an evaluation framework emphasizing institutional design features and a strong network of relationships which lower costs for beneficiaries and providers; and second, to provide critical input for the policy task of designing effective institutions of poverty reduction programs."

Download or read book Negotiating Social Space written by Patrick O. Alila and published by Africa World Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Small and micro enterprises have been an important theme in development thinking since 1950s, yet for a variety of reasons East African governments and administrations have been sceptical about their role in their own countries' development. While many constraints have been lifted by the more liberal policies of the 1990s, many micro entrepreneurs and their labourers, primarily women, are still fighting for an enlarged social space. The papers in this book describe these strategies of negotiation between rural micro enterprises and the new liberalised rural economy.

Download or read book Re membering Kenya Vol 2 written by George Gona and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2013-12-29 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Out of the first series of public lectures titled (Re) membering Kenya organised by the Volume editors together with Twaweza Communications and supported by the Goethe Institut Kenya, The Ford Foundation and the Institute for International Education, and whose key outcome was the publication of Remembering Kenya Vol.1 (2010) grew a second round of lecture series. The second series took cognisance of the fact that the problems that bedevil Kenya as a nation go far beyond questions of culture and identity that Volume 1 dealt with. Thus, the second presentations revolved mainly around issues of economics, governance and power. The awareness of the role and/or lack of equity and social justice in causing Kenyas persistent problems informed all these presentations. Issues of how to bring marginalised groups into the mainstream were discussed. This Volume, in part, arises from the second presentations. The authors of chapters attempt to provide answers to the question: what entails (re)membering in post-conflict Kenya? From their work, it is clear that there is a lot to (re)member in Kenya, and many ways in which to reconfigure project Kenya. (Re)membering is re-thinking and re organising our ways of doing things. It entails a juggling of priorities; between peace and reconciliation, peace and justice, and seeking justice and reconciliation without undermining peace, all of which are arduous exercises. Reconciling misconceptions about places, issues and people is part of this reconstitution too. New pathways require being embraced, past mistakes (individual and collective) acknowledged and giving earnest meaning to the vow never again! Yet, as observed in this Volume, Kenyans must be vigilant against individuals and groups that have often resisted change. There are also material constraints to the achievement of the various economic activities that come with reconfiguring the Kenyan nation. Worse still there exist certain cultural underpinnings that continue to have a debilitating effect on efforts to forge a sustainable peace after conflict. These aspects require deep reflection and honest work. In part, the contributors to this Volume suggest how it can be done. There is a hint in these chapters that we need to find new organizing spaces and principles on which a new Kenya can move forward. Equally, debating the very meanings of social justice and reconciliation against the background of potential conflict should be a project of this endeavor. Questioning and identifying where impunity begun is key to this process. In doing so, we begin liberating ourselves from Kenyan societys deep-rooted impunity. (Re)membering Kenya, after all, calls for a reconstruction of the journey to the conflict in order to find the right balance between the right of remembrance and the duty of forgetfulness.

Download or read book Micro and Small Enterprises MSEs Poverty Reduction and Group based Microfinance in Sub Saharan Africa SSA written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Uganda s Human Resource Challenge written by Jörg Wiegratz and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2009 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite significant economic recovery and improved macro-economic indicators since 1986, Uganda's economy continues to face considerable challenges. This book analyses the relationship between economic and human resource development in the country. It identifies deficits in capabilities, skills, know-how, experience, linkage building, and technology use as well as undesirable business practices. These shortcomings limit economic diversification, productivity enhancement, job and income creation, as well as poverty reduction. The book calls for more efforts towards human resource development. The current narrow mainstream economic policy focus on macro-economic stability, a favourable investment climate, and improved physical infrastructure alone will not foster economic development and broad-based well-being. The Ugandan people and the private sector need more state support - in addition to the predominant education and health focus of the government and donors - if they are to develop the required human resources. More and better training, enhanced learning at the place of work and an improved business culture are vital. It is essential to focus on technical, organisational, managerial, entrepreneurial, learning, innovative, social, and institutional capabilities. Efforts towards dealing with these challenges will require attention to the political-economic climate of the country. To make the argument, the author covers a wide range of topics such as training and learning, technology, productivity, latecomer development, competitiveness, labour market, MSMEs, entrepreneurship, value chains, cooperation and trust, and human resource management. The book contains more than 130 figures, tables and information boxes. - See more at: http: //www.africanbookscollective.com/books/ugandas-human-resource-challenge#sthash.4XThRHxq.dpuf

Download or read book Re membering Kenya Vol 2 written by Gona, George and published by Twaweza Communications. This book was released on 2014-01-16 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Out of the first series of public lectures titled (Re)membering Kenya organised by the Volume editors together with Twaweza Communications and supported by the Goethe Institut Kenya, The Ford Foundation and the Institute for International Education, and whose key outcome was the publication of Remembering Kenya Vol.1 (2010) grew a second round of lecture series. The second series took cognisance of the fact that the problems that bedevil Kenya as a nation go far beyond questions of culture and identity that Volume 1 dealt with. Thus, the second presentations revolved mainly around issues of economics, governance and power. The awareness of the role and/or lack of equity and social justice in causing Kenya's persistent problems informed all these presentations. Issues of how to bring marginalised groups into the mainstream were discussed. This Volume, in part, arises from the second presentations. The authors of chapters attempt to provide answers to the question: what entails (re)membering in post-conflict Kenya? From their work, it is clear that there is a lot to (re)member in Kenya, and many ways in which to reconfigure project Kenya. (Re)membering is re-thinking and reorganising our ways of doing things. It entails a juggling of priorities; between peace and reconciliation, peace and justice, and seeking justice and reconciliation without undermining peace, all of which are arduous exercises. Reconciling misconceptions about places, issues and people is part of this reconstitution too. New pathways require being embraced, past mistakes (individual and collective) acknowledged and giving earnest meaning to the vow 'never again!' Yet, as observed in this Volume, Kenyans must be vigilant against individuals and groups that have often resisted change. There are also material constraints to the achievement of the various economic activities that come with reconfiguring the Kenyan nation. Worse still there exist certain cultural underpinnings that continue to have a debilitating effect on efforts to forge a sustainable peace after conflict. These aspects require deep reflection and honest work. In part, the contributors to this Volume suggest how it can be done. There is a hint in these chapters that we need to find new organizing spaces and principles on which a 'new' Kenya can move forward. Equally, debating the very meanings of social justice and reconciliation against the background of potential conflict should be a project of this endeavor. Questioning and identifying where impunity begun is key to this process. In doing so, we begin liberating ourselves from Kenyan society's deep-rooted impunity. (Re)membering Kenya, after all, calls for a reconstruction of 'the journey to the conflict' in order to find the right balance between the right of remembrance and the duty of forgetfulness.

Download or read book Social Capital for Micro Enterprise and Economic Development written by Biliana V. Zarankova and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book New Growth and Poverty Alleviation Strategies for Africa written by Karl Wohlmuth and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2009 with total page 571 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Volume XIV analyses the New Growth and Poverty Alleviation Strategies for Africa. Institutional issues and perspectives in designing new growth and poverty alleviation strategies are considered in various case studies (Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Botswana and Tanzania). Other studies deal with institutional problems of resource-rich countries after conflict (Sudan), and with the institutions to enhance environmental protection parallel with economic growth and poverty reduction (Niger). Further studies deal with institutions to bridge the gap between formal and informal entrepreneurial sectors in Kenya and Tanzania. Local issues and perspectives for designing new growth and poverty alleviation strategies are considered in case studies on rural-urban development gaps in Tanzania, and on microfinance as an instrument for new growth and poverty alleviation strategies (Tanzania and Eritrea). A study on small farmers in Ghana provides information on the role they can play in value chains. Two studies on Nigeria highlight the local and the sub-regional health and poverty alleviation programmes and the relation to growth. Book Reviews and Book Notes on the theme are part of the volume. This Volume builds the foundation for a comprehensive strategy of policy reforms in Africa so as to integrate new growth and poverty alleviation strategies. Complementary to Volume XIV is Volume XIII on New Growth and Poverty Alleviation Strategies for Africa - International and Regional Perspectives. Both Volumes are of importance for all those who work in African countries as officials, executives, managers, researchers, and policy-makers, but also for all those who actively support Africa's development concerns at the international, regional, country, local and project levels. They will experience this Volume XIV and also the complementary Volume XIII as indispensable sources of insight, reference and inspiration.

Download or read book Social Capital Local Capacity Building and Poverty Reduction written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Determinants of Sustainable Utilization of Plant Resources in the Former Kakamega District Kenya written by Chris A. Shisanya and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2011 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethnobotanical knowledge is a major component of indigenous knowledge systems which refers to a cumulative body of traditional knowledge about the interaction between human societies and the plant kingdom, and more specifically, how local people perceive, manage, and utilize the plant resources around them. This study examines the utilization of indigenous botanical plant resources in the former Kakamega District, Kenya. The study focuses on creating an inventory of indigenous botanical plant resources, their use, gender dynamics, impact of new technology, conservation measures and the quest for sustainable development.

Download or read book Informal Public Transport in Practice written by Meleckidzedeck Khayesi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transport discourse often concentrates on what is missing from transport policy and practice in developing countries vis-à-vis high-income countries rather than articulating local creativity in responding to transport needs as revealed in informal public transport modes such as matatu, motorcycle, bicycle and animal transport. This book helps to correct some of the tendency of inadequate contextualization of knowledge, technology and practice learning and transfer from one setting to another in transport and other development programmes. While countries such as Kenya have ambitions to develop their transport systems to fit into the globalized transport system, they also need to plan transport for ordinary life in both urban and rural areas. The matatu service, provided by privately-owned transport carriers, can be seen as a mirror of the life of Kenya, revealing how indigenous African entrepreneurship and capitalism straddles various economic, political and social systems. This book offers a phenomenological and situated analysis of the matatu entrepreneurship in the political economy of Kenya and its embeddedness in society. By adopting a social science approach, this book highlights a number of political, social and practical issues to demonstrate the matatu is not a decontextualized, disembodied and lifeless piece of moving metal carrying people and goods but rather part of a self-organizing industry, with its own logic of practice. This book is dedicated to Ajanga Khayesi.

Download or read book OSSREA Bulletin written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Social Capital Household Welfare and Poverty in Indonesia written by Christiaan Grootaert and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It pays for poor households to participate actively in local associations. At low incomes, the returns to social capital are higher than returns to human capital. At higher incomes, the reverse is true.

Download or read book Next Generation Business Strategies for the Base of the Pyramid written by Ted London and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book shares proven, “on-the-ground” insights for building “Base of the Pyramid” businesses that really are sustainable and green, will help alleviate social ills, and can scale to significant size and profitability. Its “second-generation” techniques reflect crucial lessons learned by “BoP” pioneers: lessons that dramatically increase the likelihood of success.

Download or read book Cultural Determinants of Adoption of HIV AIDS Prevention Measures and Strategies Among Girls and Women in Western Kenya written by Constance Rose Ambasa-Shisanya and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2009 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines the role of culture in the adoption of measures and strategies for the prevention of HIV/ AIDS among girls and women in Western Kenya. It focuses on levels of awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention measures and patterns of adoption of five the measures that are currently being promoted in Kenya: the use of condoms; screening for HIV at Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Centres; prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT); the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP); and the prompt treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This research is focused on examining the cultural context of HIV/AIDS research and programmes in Western Kenya and aims to reveal how limited has been the critical analysis of culture as a determinant of adoption of these measures despite the stated prioritization of culture as a key factor to consider