Institute of Social Transformation

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The Effects of Poverty On Children's Education
(Tangaza University College, 2004-04) Kassaye, Antuan Petros
Our world has consistently and persistently suffered from the cry of the poor. Some human rights activists, church organizations and governments preach about the eradication of poverty to pave the way for all people to live better lives; however, poverty is still proudly walking on our doorsteps. What is poverty? Poverty is a persistent problem, which has presented political and moral challenges to all societies at all times. In its simplest definition, poverty is a lack of the basic means of survival. The poor are those who, in normal circumstances, are unable to feed and clothe themselves properly, and risk death as a consequence. Latria sees poverty as a humiliation and the sense of being dependent and of being forced to accept rudeness, insults and indifference when we seek help. This definition makes lots of sense in our society today, especially when one is to make any comparison between the so-called rich and poor, the poor man is always trampled upon. The poor has no mouth and has no rights where they matter. The poor suffer from the hands of the rich and the poor are at the mercy of the rich. Such are the conditions of the poor as one poet describes them: The issue of poverty, therefore, is commonplace, but more visible on our continent of Africa. So many people are ravaged by poverty and so many children cannot go to school, while others are not privileged to enjoy the sweet moments of childhood because their parents have no time for them, as they go in search of food for their young ones. Other children suffer abuses from frustrated parents who are alcoholic. Other children go through the hard experience of broken dysfunctional homes. Education, on the other hand, is seen as a tool for enlightenment and salvation for the human race. Education, both informally and formally, is vital for the growth and the proper development of an individual. Challenged by poverty, many families in Africa are not able to offer basic education that should be provided in the family; hence it is harder to provide children with formal education. Poverty adversely affects education and the consequences include prostitution, robbery, the increase in moral decadence among the youths, and so on. Hence, unwanted pregnancies and abortions are very prevalent among young people. In my opinion, the lack of education caused by poverty plays a major role in these social problems. During the fact-finding stage of this research, the writer was personally involved in the day-to-day activities of the Bosco Boys Kuwinda project, Nairobi. The project is a non-governmental project run by the Church congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Bosco Boys Kuwinda deals with the poor youth. They pay special attention to street children. The activities of Bosco Boys Kuwinda include: rehabilitation programmes, tailoring training, carpentry workshop, garden/shamba, dairy cattle, computer courses, piggery, poultry and sports (scouting, football, basketball, volleyball). In this research, the pastoral circle method of See, Judge and Act is the guide post in this narrative. The "See" dimension is where information on the ground is analysed. The information on the ground has been gathered from the writer's experience of working among the youth in the Bosco Boys Kuwinda project. The writer has broader and in-depth experience of working with the poor in Kuwinda for five years (1998-2004). All these five years of experience have been a challenge and a time of reflection for the writer about the plight of the poor youth. Therefore, this research paper is a part of an action taken in order to deepen our understanding and raise awareness about the poor who bleed daily in our neighborhood. The primary and secondary information in this paper is largely obtained from Tangaza library materials and interviews conducted in Kuwinda slum.
Religious Brothers - Hidden Treasure: The Witness of Vowed Brotherhood in The Church
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Massay, George
Marcellin Champagnat once wrote: "A brother is one for whom the world is not a big enough place." These words capture quite starkly the vocation of a brother. A brother is in relationship with whomever and whatsoever is around him He is in relationship with the whole universe. The words of Champagnat, I believe, are about the heart of being brother, the heart, filled with passion for love. The brother, I believe, is the one who opens his heart wide to love, serve, and save humanity and nature from human destruction by being sensitive. Sandra Schneiders comments: "What we do with our hearts, affects the whole universe."2 These are powerful words, loaded with meaning. The human heart can have an impact on the whole universe. The way one relates with people and nature can have far greater impact than one can imagine. The brother's heart is wide enough to embrace the whole universe. Brothers live and work amongst people. Their role in the church is not as evident as compared to that of priests, sisters and the laity. They live together in communities and most of them dress in a very simple manner. Most of these men are cheerful, and filll of life and enthusiasm. Yet, quite ironically, religious brothers in the Catholic church occupy an ambiguous position. Very few people know who they are. The majority of Catholics simply confuse religious brothers with priests who, they think, have similarities such as being unmarried men, celibate, and ministers in the church. Catholic religious brotherhood is not valued highly by many people, neither lay nor clergy. According to my observation, it is seen as an incomplete state of life -- men who are not good enough for anything else. Brotherhood is seen as halfway towards priesthood. Because of this ambiguity and the non-recognition of religious brothers in the life of the church, I have a very special interest to explore, study and understand the nature and dynamics of this lifestyle -- the very one to which I have been called. I hope that this study might, in some small way, re-awaken the interest of laity, the brothers, and the clergy in further exploration about, and recpgnition of, the gift of brotherhood in and for the church. These factors now lead me to explore the identity of brothers and where they "fit" in the church. Hopefully, this exploration will help brothers to respond to the needs of the church and of the wider society. The whole of humanity is faced with the crisis of identity. Are brothers an exception to this?
Promoting Technical Education for Self-Reliance A Case Study of Chaminade Training Centre (CTC) Mukuru Slum.
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Simiyu, Augustine
In 2002 the researcher wrote the long essay on Promoting Technical Education in Kenya: A Social Ministry Challenge in an Urban Slum. In 2003, we would like to continue with the same topic but with a new emphasis on Promoting Technical Education for Self- Reliance. The slum focused on in our discussion is Mukuru Kwa Njenga (herein referred to as Mukuru). In particular, an attempt is made to look at the technical education as a response to the plight of young people in this slum. The youth (between 16 and 30 years of age) are the living force of their countries and how they are formed, determines what the country will be now and even in future. The Youth constitute a large percentage of the population around the world and especially in the developing regions, Africa included. Ojore rightly intimates, "Currently more than half of the world population is below the age of twenty five years and 29% are between ages ten to twenty five; 80% of these live in developing countries." Pope John Paul II is on record having noted that, "The church in Africa knows very well that youth are not only the present but above all the future of humanity."2 With regard to Kenya, Colin notes that the youth " form 61% of the population."3 This means that no holistic development worth its name can exclude the youth. This same segment of the population, potential as it obviously is, however, is confronted with diverse crises situations worldwide. These include, educational bottlenecks in their yearning to pursue further education; untold and alarmingly growing number of school drop-outs; adverse effects of drug abuse; pre-marital related problems such as sex, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unplanned pregnancies and abortions; dehumanising effects of child labour and street life; HIV/AIDS pandemic; and rising levels of unemployment, among others. All are linked to abject poverty. This is what this work would like to put into light and make some proposals. It has generally been assumed and is readily expected that the government, the church and Non- Governmental Organizations (NG0s) give proper attention to the young people and their concerns, and, therefore, set a large financial budget for their integral formation. However, the reality on the ground negates this assumption. In many areas, overcome by the increasing number of young people and their demands, the government, church, NGOs fail to set practical ways of meeting the youth's basic needs such as food, shelter, education, security, employment and recreational facilities among others.
An Integral Response to Challenge Of Leprosy a Case Study of Misufini Leprosy Centre
(Tangaza University College, 2002-04-03) Mwinami, Vincent M.
The researcher examines the phenomenon of people with leprosy, highlighting some of the major causes that lead to these people being discriminated against and isolated from their families and society to languish in poverty. The study explores the general attitudes of the society towards people with leprosy difficulties and comes up with possible strategies for intervention. People with leprosy are part and parcel of human life. But the society does not recognise them. The society views these people as a problem rather than as a priority in development plans. Drugs are being provided free by international organisations such as World Health Organisation (WHO), German Leprosy Relief Association (GLRA), and International Leprosy Presentation (ILEP). But due to lack of interest among the leaders, corruption, misuse of funds, economic instability, our government have failed to import them. The research clarifies that leprous people are keen on improving their life, but they lack sufficient support from the government and society. Given proper facilities these people could contribute more in their own development. This work is divided into six chapters. Chapter One gives background information on the area and issue of research, stating the problem, objectives, basic assumptions and justification of the study. The second chapter is a review of literature related to the study. The origin of leprosy, its causes and risks and the current situation in different countries are looked at. The gaps regarding studies on leprosy are identified. Chapter Three shows the research methodology used in data collection. In particular the sampling procedure and the tools used in carrying out this research are discussed. In the Fourth Chapter, we have analysis of data emanating from research findings. Chapter Five is a theological reflection on people with leprosy. Views of the society, from the Bible and the social teaching of the Church on the reality of leprosy are explored. The attitude of people with leprosy towards themselves, the researcher's experience with these people and role as a social minister are included in this chapter as well. Recommendations and conclusions deriving from the study finalise the chapter. Chapter Six is a project proposal for the work. It represents the pragmatic response to the issues highlighted in the study. The researcher has come up with a project proposal as a step addressing the real needs of the people with leprosy in Misufini Leprosy Centre (MLC).
Women as Custodians of Continuos Creation and Their Holistic Empowerment a Case Study of Oldonyiro Women Group
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03) Achieng Origa, Vincentia
Real development is only realised when it addresses the very needs of the people. Kenya like any other contemporary society undergoes many changes from all aspects of life that is economical, political, social, cultural and religious changes. All these affect women in one way or another. This study is based on Samburu women in Oldonyiro Division. The study seeks first to get the information from the Samburu community especially the women through questioner about the hash climate, cultural background of the Samburu people, their nomadic kind of life, occurrence of draughts, banditry or insecurity, economic problems, illiteracy and the poor attitude of the Samburu people. All these factors have hindered development in Samburu land in the past. Therefore, the researcher together with the community suggests other alternatives that will help eradicate these negative factors. The community would do this by initiating income-generating projects to improve the economy, improve the environment by planting trees, encouraging the government to enforce both formal and informal education, step up security in the area, helping the Samburu people to seek alternatives concerning their nomadic life, and some of their culture and their attitude towards life. All these factors have hindered development in the area for many years. Therefore, the women of Oldonyiro Parish have taken it upon themselves to embark on the development that would answer their very needs. They do this by initiating icome-generating projects in order to he self-reliant, and improving the environment by planting trees. They have planned to be the pioneers in initiating the informal education for themselves through seminars and workshops. They Vdould like to encourage the government to reinforce formal education especially to the girl-child who because of bad cultural practises have been left behind almost in every thing. This has jeopardised the equality between men and women in Samburu land and as a result the women have never been part of the decision making with the elders of the community. The earth is our common heritage, upon which our future development relies. Sustainable development will be achieved only if humankind accept the unique contribution of women and men as equal partners with a shared responsibility for the care of planet. Although both genders are equally dependent on the capacities of ecosystems, men and women's perception of the human relationship with nature are governed by tradition and their different gender related roles. Traditional rural women especially in Samburu land are nearer to nature than men. They almost have total dependency on the environment and therefore have realised that true development would not be achieved unless the environment is enhanced as this will enforce other kind of development in the area.
The Participatory Integration of the Rural Youth in Sustainable Agriculture for Sustainable Development of Kamara Division, Nakuru, Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 2001-04) Muchunguzi, Wilbert
The right and obligation to authentic development is one of the principles enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human rights. And the issue of social integration of every individual, especially the disadvantaged people, in development was loudly expressed at the 1995 Copenhagen World summit for social Development' and later adopted as a guide by the Kenyan National Poverty Eradication Plan. These are just but harbingers that things, somewhere, were not moving the way they were expected to be. Looking back we see that, throughout history people have evolved natural units of settlement to meet their social, cultural and economic needs. This was the origin of rural communities where people strive for self-sufficiency and sustainability through available material, non-material and, most importantly, human resources inclusively. Today's rural communities seek to develop into more viable economic units within modernizing nations. How authentically this has to be brought about in the rural Kenya like Kamara division, remains the main concern. Contemporary popular development is mistakenly trapped in the local and global confusion characterized by economic, political and cultural dominance and influence that lead to social alienation. Those with no means of survival suffer deprivation the most. Unfortunately, the rural youth lie in this category. According to the Welfare Monitoring Survey of 1994, it was estimated that 12.6 million Kenyans lived below the poverty line. In rural areas, the incidences of poverty were 49%2. The effects of this is multidimensional destitution, which manifests itself in form of deficiency of material, social, economic and cultural needs and rights which an individual, household or community hold as vitally important for their survival. Deprived people experience food insecurity, insufficient income, deprivation of knowledge, low quality of life, lack of shelter, social inequality, lack of essential social services and reduced life expectancy. Since the youth constitute the biggest section of the rural population, they are the most suffering. Agriculture is the mainstay of livelihood for many of Kenyans. Since alternative sources of subsistence such as employment, industry, business and informal sectors outside agriculture are scarce, it employs more than 80% of the rural population. Small-scale farming, whose nature is subsistence (food security and reasonable income), dominates the Kenyan agricultural sector. Among the multipronged problems that face subsistence fanning are ecological, economic, political financial, sociocultural, technical, demographic, organizational and environmental. Inequalities in international trade policies also add fuel to the problems. Individually or combined, these problems destabilize the smallscale farmers and their ever scarce resources. This leads to unscrupulous exploitation of resources and unsustainable livelihood and future. We should not be shocked then to see poor fanning practices, forests and catchments inversion and destruction, environmental depletion, unpredictable weather fluctuation and recurring famines. The crown of all is rural massive unemployment, abject poverty and social alienation, which pave a way to rural-urban drift. Here begins people's vulnerability. Where does the future lie then? Which kind of legacy will the future generation receive; will they be able to meet their needs from the same resources uncompromisingly and live a decent life worth of their dignity if we fail to prepare now? What does all these call for? In fact this imposes a very serious social question for us all. It is a prophetic call requiring a critical listening in order to come up with effective interventions. The possible effective answer is participatory integration. Investing in people in collaboration and partnership should be the way forward. Proper mobilization and indiscriminate integration of the whole local population in harnessing the locally available resources) is essentially important to the sustainable agriculture and rural development process. Thus the youth will be able to act as carriers of the sustainable future.
The Contribution of Montfort Missionaries for the Development of Women through Mass Media in Malawi
(2001-04) Harry Robert Chagoma, Henry
"We can understand the meaning of development etymologically by looking at its counter part. The Old French [mediaeval stem] puts the word 'to envelop' as a related word In this sense it means to wrap-up something or somebody. A very good example is of a letter put in an envelope. The letter is hidden by an envelope. Develop is referred to the opposite way and it means uncovering, this is the process of showing what was hidden. Therefore we should understand development as a movement towards positive direction despite the prefix [de] de - velopment. Development focuses on human beings for human growth. It is through human development that one can promote other developments because it involves human beings. Whether we speak of development in psychological, economic or political contents, it must sustain life. In life sustenance people are able to get basic needylike food, shelter and protection just to mention a few. Development touches the idea of respect and recognition. It promotes self-esteem of human beings, whether poor or rich, since respect and recognition as human beings allow them to be responsible and not be used as a tool. Media play a big position either in negating people or promoting people to develop. Some women are viewed as subordinates or objects in the media in this situation the media under develop women. In such situation women can not be developed. Again, the other value of development should be the freedom of being able to choose. Development can't take place where people are silenced and can not decide. By undermining those we call subordinates, we are limiting development because we do not want the subordinates, for example, the women or the poor to know what is revealed [refer to the first paragraph of development]. The idea of having freedom to decide or to express needs promotes development. The present modern world of technology is encouraging women to use the same media, which dehumanises them. Therefore traditional African values of communication should complement the modern mass media to promote women's development.
The Challenges and Problems Facing The Elderly in Contemporary Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03-31) Marango Wamalwa, Joseph
Old age is inescapable if one's life is long. In the African setting as you mature in years, you become a reservoir of wisdom. Your next of kin will come to you for advice. In fact they would like to hear from you what you might say on many things pertaining to the family lineage, clan or the village as a whole. This comes to be realised of course if your life is exemplary. It is therefore not an accident for African people to have a proverb that says, 'Old is gold.' This sounds appealing and that is why the elderly were not despised in traditional Africa unless one was involved in unacceptable practices such as witchcraft. However, things have changed. To praise the elderly people today as a unifying factor in the community and to associate them with wisdom is downgraded as sacrilege. A certain dignified person in one of the top universities in Nairobi astonished many people, when he claimed that wisdom of the elderly is no longer functional due to modem education.' Just to answer him before going too far, let us think about the so-called industrialised countries. They are rich and literacy is almost 100 percent. But when you turn on the other side of the coin, you see that promotion of wars in other countries, breakdown of family cohesiveness and the lust to accumulate is the order of the day in their backyard. Now, is this wisdom? The wisdom we talk about is that which comes from the inside of a person for the common good of all. It is inherent. It permeates all spheres of life to bring about justice and peace. This is the wisdom that we derive from our elderly friends. Affluence is becoming the most honoured and adored commodity in the world. Definitely, Africa is not spared because this new culture is catching up very fast. The social and economic trends are not elderly friendly. Physical changes such as wrinkles on the face due to aging are not admired either. Therefore, there is a need to adequately put in place checks and balances to respond to these circumstances competently. Chapter one highlights the problem at hand. Chapter two is literature review. Chapter three explains the methodology used in carrying out the research. Chapter four is about data analysis that attempts to articulate the current situation on the ground. Chapter five contains the discussions and recommendations. Finally, chapter six presents a project proposal that may be useful to counteract this sprouting phenomenon.
Technical Education and Development In Junior Technical Schools: A Case Study Of St. John Bosco Technical School In Lira—Uganda
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03) Tikhiwa, Charles J.
This study is carried out to investigate Uganda's Junior Technical Education and its contribution to human development. Before further discussion some key concepts used in the study are briefly clarified below: Many people are viewing with alarm the crisis of Technical education and the education systems in Uganda and all over Africa. As a result many questions or issues are being raised because education does not meet the people's expectations/needs. One of the questions being asked is, the education's contribution to human development as a person. Seemingly, all over Africa, technical education programmes are formulated with employment aspect in mind only, ignoring the development of the person as a whole. Students complete their education without skills on how to make life on their own.
Sustainable Rural Livelihoods for Farmers through Popular Education in Bukoba Location, Tanzania
(Tangaza University College, 2001-04) Paschal Rweyemamu, Anna-Stella
In most developing countries, rural inhabitants using locally available materials are able to provide for their own livelihood. The present study brings together studies of experiences with rural human settlements in Bukabuye, Bukoba location, in Tanzania. The case study highlights four fundamental issues in rural human settlements, development, and management; first, the need for decentralized participatory frameworks of rural development. Secondly, the potential of an enabling approach to rural development; thirdly, the importance of integrating projects within wider programs aimed at enhancing the income-generating capacity of the rural poor; and fourthly, the importance of appropriate technology in rural shelter programs. In spite of Africa having a sizeable population and many specialists who still lives in a culture which do not appreciate fully its own resources. Therefore, the immediate aim of the study is to disseminate information on the above experience, from which both positive and negative lessons may be learned. In the long run, it is hoped that this study will contribute to the formulation of coherent rural human settlement development and management policies. How should we use our minds so that all the resources, which we have, are used in a meaningful manner? We have resources such as human talents labour, land, rivers, swamps, birds, animals and rainwater which is wasted. If China has managed by using the same resources, why not Africa? "In 1949, hunger was still a constant threat to the vast majority of the Chinese people. Since then the Chinese have channeled rivers and streams, drained swamps, terraced the land and cultivated it and laid irrigation systems''. Perhaps the greatest achievement is that they relied on peasants. Ecologically it remained very sound since it used mostly human and animal excrement as fertilizers. All these resources are not difficult to find in Africa places, but are left to slip away. The good example we have is rainwater. Over the last few months we had very heavy rains in Nairobi after a long period of drought, to a point where cars were wading in flooded roads, while the taps was dry back home. At the same time power problems continue due to lack of sufficient water in the dams. It is the researcher's hope that this study will shed some light in helping Africans, specifically Tanzanians, realize the importance of using effectively African resources, and by doing so, we can make agriculture the basis of our economy here in Africa. This does not mean that we agree with the forceful means used by China on family planning.

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