Masters Degrees (Faculty of Science (former Departments))

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Faculty of Science (former Departments)) by Author "Cress-Williams, Lise"

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    Food micro-enterprises for food security in an urban slum community in East London : development of an awareness-creating programme
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-12) Cress-Williams, Lise; Senekal, M.; O'Neill, D. R.; Vosloo, M. C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to develop the content of a programme to increase the awareness of women in Duncan Village of I) the potential role of food micro-enterprises in the improvement of food security; 2) the consumer demand concerning the operations of food micro-enterprises; and 3) appropriate microenterprise training programmes available in the greater East-London area. This was based on an identified need for the inclusion of a module on food security in a comprehensive programme to prevent growth failure in 0 to 24-month-old children attending local government clinics in Duncan Village by improving the capacity of mothers or primary caregivers to care for their children. Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. The potential role of food micro-enterprises in the improvement of food security was established through a literature review. It was established that street foods contribute to individual food security by providing food where people work or congregate at cheap prices, thus increasing availability. It also helps in meeting energy and nutritional needs if safe, nutritious food is provided. The main method by which it increases an individual's access to food is by supplying an income to food micro-enterprise owners if they sell street foods. The consumer demand concerning the operations (including the products) of food micro-enterprises was determined through personal interviews with the customers and non-customers of food micro-enterprises in Duncan Village, using a structured questionnaire. One hundred and twenty-nine customers and 129 non-customers were selected using a combination of cluster and convenience sampling. Food microenterprises operating at the schools and on pavements in Duncan Village and at the taxi rank in East London were included. The results of this particular survey indicate that the consumer behaviour is influenced by the trade area where the customers purchase their food, the age and gender of the customers as well as the friendliness of the vendor. The product choice of consumers was mostly determined by taste, price and how filling the food is. There was general satisfaction with the operating times of, and the products sold by, food micro-enterprises. Street food consumers were least satisfied with the locations where the enterprises were situated. The dusty environment was given as a reason for dissatisfaction. Further, cleanliness of the food, the vendor and the environment were the main problems cited, especially by the non-customers. The appropriateness of micro-enterprise training programmes available in the greater East London area for current and prospective food micro-enterprise owners in Duncan Village was determined by compiling a profile of food micro-enterprises, their owners and their business operations in Duncan Village; identifying the features of the ideal training programme for current and prospective food microenterprise owners in Duncan Village; investigating the supply of micro-enterprise training in the greater East London area; and evaluating the appropriateness of the identified training programmes. The profile of food micro-enterprises in Duncan Village owned by women, included a profile of the owners, the enterprise itself as well as the business operations thereof. The data were gathered by means ofa personal interview (using a structured questionnaire) with the owners of food micro-enterprises. The enterprises included in the study were operated by women producing and trading processed foods from non-permanent structures at schools and on pavements in Duncan Village, as well as at the taxi ranks in East London. Systematic sampling techniques were used to select food micro-enterprises at the schools while all the enterprises at the pavements and at the taxi rank were included. This resulted in the inclusion of 41 food micro-enterprises. The results indicated that the profiles of these owners do not differ significantly from micro-enterprise owners operating in the informal sector elsewhere in South Africa. Furthermore, they indicated a clear need for training in all aspects regarding their business operations. The identification of the features of the ideal micro-enterprise training programme for the training of current and prospective female food micro-enterprise owners operating in Duncan Village was based on the profiles of street food consumers and food micro-enterprise owners, discussions with experts and on the literature. The identified features were used for the development of a framework to evaluate the appropriateness of micro-enterprise training in the greater East London area for current and prospective food micro-enterprise owners in Duncan Village. The supply of micro-enterprise training in the greater East London area for food micro-enterprise owners was investigated using a structured questionnaire, completed during a personal interview with the training managers of the organisations. All governmental and non-governmental organisations in the area offering training programmes with the objective to motivate and enable persons to establish a microenterprise in the informal sector; or with the objective to enable established micro-enterprises to operate more efficiently within the informal sector, were included in the study population. These organisations were identified through snowball sampling and resulted in ten organisations and 17 programmes being included. Subsequently, the appropriateness of micro-enterprise training programmes available in the greater East London area for current and prospective food micro-enterprise owners in Duncan Village was evaluated using the Evaluation Framework. The results indicate that only one programme, combining business management and cooking skills, could be rated as appropriate for current and prospective food microenterprise owners in Duncan Village. Five other programmes could be rated as moderately appropriate for particular groups. These programmes, with the exception of one, included business management skills and no cooking skills. The remaining programmes were rated as either not very appropriate or inappropriate for current and prospective food micro-enterprise owners in Duncan Village. It is concluded that a need for the mentioned awareness-creating programme exists. Furthermore, it is recommended that the programme developed in this research, be used as basis for the household food security module of the comprehensive programme.