The role of food aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in building community resilience to disasters : a case study from Stellenbosch, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorWaddell, Joyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMilton, Nirvanaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition. en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-09T10:44:10Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-18T07:04:28Z
dc.date.available2023-02-09T10:44:10Z
dc.date.available2023-05-18T07:04:28Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: The restrictions put in place by the South African government in an attempt to contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus has had negative consequences for South Africa’s food security. Civil society and lower-income communities have stepped up to fill the gap left by the government’s lack of planning for food security during the pandemic. Using pre-existing networks and relationships fostered between NGOs and communities in need, food was distributed through to food insecure individuals during the pandemic. Protracted disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic have long-lasting effects that burden communities and governments. There is a need to look at the impact of collaborative community, NGO and government partnered food aid initiatives on the urban poor and if it contributed to community resilience. It would also be helpful to look at the lessons learnt from these projects in preparation for future disasters and even for the ongoing pandemic. This research aims to assess the role of a food aid initiative in Stellenbosch, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how it contributed to community resilience. This research sought to understand the COVID-19 lockdown impact on communities within the case study and how the communities addressed food insecurity during that time, and the role that the food aid initiative played in terms of strengthening community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research also sought to identify key lessons from the food aid initiative in Stellenbosch to support ongoing or similar collaborative initiatives with the aim of building community resilience to future disasters, particularly protracted disasters. As this research is focused on individuals’ perceptions and experience of the food aid initiative a case study research design was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with community members involved in the food aid initiative in Stellenbosch. It was found that the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic had negative socio-economic consequences for people as the national lockdown prevented citizens from going to work, businesses that could not afford to close their doors for a prolonged period of time had to shut down their businesses completely, and people lost their jobs due to these business closures. For individuals with jobs who were just able to afford to make ends meet, staying out of work or losing their jobs meant they would be in need of food assistance. The food aid initiative under study in this research was created out of this need. Now in 2022, COVID-19 national containment measures have been lifted but there are still individuals who face the lingering effects of the pandemic. NGOs were found to be trusted above the government when it comes to community development in communities in Stellenbosch. Community members trust NGOs more because they have positive reputations and pre-existing relationships with community members. This research found that resilience was seen to be built through the collaboration of private, public, non-governmental and community actors through information sharing, and by strengthening networks.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die beperkings wat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering ingestel het in 'n poging om Covid-19 in bedwang te hou, het negatiewe gevolge vir Suid-Afrika se voedselsekerheid ingehou. Die burgerlike samelewing en laer inkomste gemeenskappe het opgetree om die gaping te vul vir die regering se gebrek aan beplanning vir voedselsekerheid tydens die pandemie. Deur gebruik te maak van bestaande netwerke en verhoudings wat tussen nieregeringsorganisasies (NROs) en gemeenskappe in nood geskep is, is voedsel tydens die pandemie na individue versprei wat nie voedselsekerheid gehad het nie. Langdurige rampe soos die Covid-19-pandemie het voortdurende gevolge wat gemeenskappe en regerings belas en daar is 'n behoefte om te kyk na die impak van samewerkende gemeenskappe, NROs en regeringvennoot-voedselhulpinisiatiewe op armes en of dit bygedra het tot gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid. Dit sal ook van waarde wees om te kyk na die lesse wat uit hierdie projekte geleer is ter voorbereiding vir toekomstige rampe en selfs die voortslepende pandemie. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die rol van 'n voedselhulpinisiatief in Stellenbosch, Suid-Afrika, tydens die Covid-19 pandemie te assesseer om te verstaan hoe dit bygedra het tot gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid. Hierdie navorsing het gepoog om die impak van die Covid-19 inperking op gemeenskappe binne die gevallestudie te verstaan en hoe die gemeenskappe voedselonsekerheid gedurende daardie tyd aangespreek het, asook die rol wat die voedselhulpinisiatief gespeel het wat betref die versterking van gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid tydens die pandemie. Hierdie navorsing het ook gepoog om sleutellesse uit die voedselhulpinisiatief in Stellenbosch te identifiseer om voortgesette of soortgelyke samewerkende inisiatiewe te ondersteun, met die doel om gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid te bou teen toekomstige rampe, veral langdurige rampe. Alhoewel hierdie navorsing fokus op individue se persepsies en ervaring van die voedselhulpinisiatief, is 'n gevallestudienavorsingsontwerp gebruik en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met gemeenskapslede wat betrokke is by hierdie voedselhulpinisiatief. Daar is bevind dat die regering se reaksie op die Covid-19 pandemie negatiewe sosio-ekonomiese gevolge vir mense ingehou het. Die nasionale inperking het mense verhoed om te gaan werk, besighede kon nie bekostig om vir lang tydperke te sluit nie, en mense het hul werk verloor as gevolg van hierdie besigheidsluitings. Vir werkende individue, wat reeds op die broodlyn geleef het, sou werkloosheid daartoe gelei dat hulle voedselbystand sou benodig. Die voedselhulpinisiatief wat in hierdie navorsing bestudeer word, is uit hierdie behoefte geskep. In 2022 is Covid-19 inperkingsmaatreëls in Suid-Afrika opgehef, maar daar is steeds individue wat met die gevolge van die pandemie saamleef. Daar is gevind dat nieregeringsorganisasies bo die regering vertrou word wanneer dit by gemeenskapsontwikkeling in Stellenbosch kom. Gemeenskapslede vertrou nieregeringsorganisasies meer omdat hulle positiewe reputasies en voorafbestaande verhoudings met gemeenskapslede het. Hierdie navorsing het bevind dat veerkragtigheid gebou word deur die samewerking van private, openbare, en nieregerings- en gemeenskapsakteurs, deur inligting te deel en netwerke te versterk.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentxii, 133 pages : illustrations, includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127104
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFood security -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCOVID-19 Pandemic, 2020 -- Social aspects -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFood supply -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleThe role of food aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in building community resilience to disasters : a case study from Stellenbosch, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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