While the inclusion of extreme poor people is a noble and necessary objective, it is challenging. Attempts to include extreme poor people in development interventìons have often been disappointing.... Show moreWhile the inclusion of extreme poor people is a noble and necessary objective, it is challenging. Attempts to include extreme poor people in development interventìons have often been disappointing. This book addresses the challenge of including the poorest people. lt provides deeper understanding of the mechanisms of in- and exclusion of extreme poor people, the structural causes of extreme poverty and the desirability of a univocal definition of extreme poverty. The book contributes to such an understanding through an analysis of extreme poor and marginalised people and their multiple dimensions of wellbeing. Furthermore, this book sheds light on the discourses and practices applied by development agencies in order to draw lessons about how the extreme poor can be sustainably included in development interventions. This is based on original field research - using a partipatory approach - carried out in Bangladesh, Benin, and (rural and urban) Ethiopia. Show less
This research project aims at understanding the expectations and motivations of young women in Ghana's Upper East region with regard to starting their own business. Supporting the owners of small... Show more This research project aims at understanding the expectations and motivations of young women in Ghana's Upper East region with regard to starting their own business. Supporting the owners of small-scale businesses in the informal economy has become a central objective of the global development agenda. Using an anthropological approach, this research contributes to and criticizes the dominant discourse on the need to advance entrepreneurship. It argues that the theoretical discourse underlying efforts to advance entrepreneurship among the poor are fundamentally flawed. Four cross-cutting issues should be taken into account: the weak conceptualization of entrepreneurship in development discourse; the neglect of the socio-economic context in which "entrepreneurial" activities take place; the importance of cultural and psychological factors; and the ongoing attractiveness that entrepreneurship carries for development policymakers. These issues are relevant to the situation of seamstresses in Bolgatanga, but also apply to a wider field. Based on the stories of seamstresses in Bolgatanga, this thesis is an appeal to rethink policies designed to promote (female) entrepreneurship among the poor. It calls into question the portrayal of self-employment as "entrepreneurship" and the depiction of poverty as an individual problem.This book is based on Merel van ‘t Wouts’ Master's thesis ‘Entrepreneurs by the grace of God : life and work of seamstresses in Bolgatanga, Ghana’, winner of the African Studies Centre, Leiden's 2015 Africa Thesis Award. This annual award for Master's students encourages student research and writing on Africa and promotes the study of African cultures and societies. Show less
This book is based on Leonor Faber-Jonker’s Research Master's thesis 'More than just an object: A material analysis of the return and retention of Namibian skulls from Germany', runner-up in the... Show moreThis book is based on Leonor Faber-Jonker’s Research Master's thesis 'More than just an object: A material analysis of the return and retention of Namibian skulls from Germany', runner-up in the African Studies Centre, Leiden's 2016 Africa Thesis Award. This annual award for Master's students encourages student research and writing on Africa and promotes the study of African cultures and societies. In September 2011 twenty Namibian skulls were repatriated from the collection of the Charité university hospital in Berlin. The remains had been in Germany for more than a hundred years: they belonged to victims of the 'German-Herero war' (1904-1908) in German South-West Africa, a genocide that cost the lives of eighty per cent of the Herero and half the Nama population. The majority of the skulls had arrived in Berlin as preserved heads, and all had been used for scientific race research in the first decades of the twentieth century. Despite the triumphant return of the skulls, not everything went smoothly. The Charité was criticized for failing to answer questions about the identity of the remains, and the Namibian government and Nama and Herero representatives failed to agree on their final resting place. This had everything to do with the complicated nature of the skulls involved. Faber-Jonker analyses how these human remains – remains of individuals – became war trophies, anthropological specimens, and, finally, evidence, symbols, and relics, by examining how, by whom, why, and in what context the skulls were physically handled in the practices of collecting (1904-1910), studying (1910-1924),- and repatriating (2011). Show less
Abstract: Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world, has to deal with cyclones every year. The impact of a cyclone can be devastating, leaving areas with houses damaged, floods and... Show moreAbstract: Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world, has to deal with cyclones every year. The impact of a cyclone can be devastating, leaving areas with houses damaged, floods and damaged crops. The aftermath has an even greater impact.The floods increase the number of people affected by water-borne and related diseases. The NGO CARE, the audience for this thesis, is working with their Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program in Madagascar to diminish these effects and to return inhabitants to their original standard of living. In this thesis we note that, within the DRR program of CARE, the landscape-based design approach,a method commonly used in the field of landscape architecture, has not yet been integrated into this program. An integral approach could, however, improve resiliency and the standard of living. The research question relating to this statement is: What measures related to the landscape-based design approach are needed to establish resiliency in a disaster-prone developing region? The measures should relate to CARE’s methods and to physical activities implementable by the inhabitants of Vatomandry, which is the case study for this thesis.To answer this question, different methods have been used and executed, partly in the Netherlands and partly in Madagascar. Landscape analysis was performed and participatory workshops were organised. By means of the landscape analysis, a full understanding of the landscape processes of the study area was generated. The participatory workshops were important as they provided this research with local knowledge; even more relevant was establishing ownership of the project on the part of the inhabitants. The participatory workshops entailed the proven Green Towns workshop of Duchhart and a photomontage workshop.The Green Towns workshop proved insufficient on its own to proceed towards taking active steps for improvement of the environment; therefore, a photomontage workshop was also organised. This then led to an Action Day, in which one of the measures was carried out. Achieving this first measure will hopefully have a positive effect in terms of carrying out the other measures and interventions suggested in this thesis. The data gathered in Madagascar were analysed and ordered in the Netherlands; they were then used as input for the design aimed at enhancing resiliency. The results from the participative workshops were translated from short-term solutions for the benefit of individuals to a long-term landscape plan for the benefit of the community. The design is not a blueprint design. The landscape plan provides recommendations for environmental improvements in Vatomandry, along with design prinxvi ciples generally applicable for similar cities along the east coast. The interventions include a drainage system against floods, shelterbelts, sand fences, and urifying wetlands and vegetation for shelter, health and income. The final result and answer to the research question can be found in several measures – methodological and physical – aimed at improving the resiliency of the landscape against tropical cyclones. The overall methodology is intended to be replicable for similar cities that also suffer from natural disasters.Résumé: Chaque année, Madagascar, un des pays les plus pauvres du monde, doit faire face à des cyclones. L’impact d’un cyclone peut être dévastateur, laissant des régions avec des maisons détruites, des inondations et les cultures endommagés.La suite a un effet encore plus important. Les inondations augmentent le nombre des personnes qui sont touchées par des maladies portées par les eaux et des maladies connexes. L’ONG CARE, assistance de cette thèse, travaille à Madagascar pour réduire ces effets avec leur programme de Réduction des Risques de Catastrophes (DRR) et à redonner aux habitants leur niveau de vie original. Dans cette thèse nous énonçons que, dans ce programme DRR de CARE, l’approche reposant sur l’aménagement paysager (landscape-based design approach), une méthode souvent utilisée dans l’architecture paysagiste, qui n’a pas encore été intégré ici. Cette approche intégrée pourrait améliorer la résilience et le niveau de vie. La question de recherche au coeur de ce rapport cest: Quelles actions liées à l’approche reposant sur l’aménagement paysager sont nécessaires pour établir de la résilience dans une région en voie de développement enclins aux catastrophes? Les actions devraient se rapporter aux méthodes de CARE et aux actions physiques exécutable par les habitants de Vatomandry, le cas d’étude de cette thèse. Pour répondre à cette question, des méthodes différentes sont employées et exécutées, en partie aux Pays-Bas et en partie au Madagascar. L’analyse de paysage a été exécutée et des ateliers participatifs ont été organisés. Au moyen de l’analyse de paysage, une compréhension complète des processus de paysage du secteur d’étude a été produite. Les ateliers participatifs étaient importants car ils ont fourni à cette étude la connaissance locale nécessaire. Et ils ont permis aux locaux de s’approprier les mesures. Les ateliers participatifs comportent l’atelier nommé Green Towns (les villes vertes) de Duchhart, et un atelier de montage de photos. L’atelier Green Towns lui-même ne suffisait pas pour procéder à l’action pour améliorer l’environnement, donc un atelier de montage de photos a été organisé. Ceci a conduit à une Journée d’Action, où une des actions a été exécutée. L’accomplissement devrait avoir un effet positif afin d’exécuter d’autres actions et les interventions suggérées dans cette thèse. Les données recueillies en Madagascar ont été analysées et organisées aux Pays-Bas et ont été utilisées comme données pour concevoir l’augmentation de la résilience. Les résultats des ateliers participatifs ont été transformés à partir de solutions à court terme pour des avantages individuels en un plan paysagiste à long terme pour des avantages pour toute la communauté. La conception des mesures mises en place n’est pas une conception de modèle universel. Le plan d’aménagement paysager fournit des recommandations pour des améliorations environnementales de Vatomandry et des principes applicables pour des villes similaires le long de la côte est. Les interventions impliquent une canalisation contre les inondations, des brise-vent, des barrières de sable, des lagunes d’épuration et l’utilisation de la végétation comme abri, la santé et des revenus. La réponse finale à la question de recherche ce sont plusieurs actions – méthodologiques et physiques – pour atteindre la résilience améliorée du paysage contre les cyclones tropicaux. La méthodologie générale devrait être reproductible pour les villes semblables qui souffrent également des catastrophes naturelles. Show less
For many Malawians the concept of home is strongly associated with the rural areas and one's (supposedly rural) place of birth. This 'grand narrative about home', though often reiterated, doesn't... Show moreFor many Malawians the concept of home is strongly associated with the rural areas and one's (supposedly rural) place of birth. This 'grand narrative about home', though often reiterated, doesn't necessarily depict lived reality. Malawi's history of movement and labor migration coupled with contemporary rapid urbanization makes that the amount of people whose lives do not fit this grand narrative, is increasing fast. In the current context of extreme poverty, destitution and devastation - the latter due to the flash floods of January 2015 - slum areas in Blantyre city are growing and so is the number of street children and youth. Some of them are taken in by organizations such as the Samaritan Trust; a street children shelter. This program aims at taking street youth home by 'reintegrating' them in their (rural) communities. When asked, the majority of (former) street youth adhere to the grand narrative and state their home to be in a rural village. Yet at the same time, this home is a place they intentionally left and do not wish to (currently) return to. Hence they are generally depicted as 'homeless'. I wondered: how do (former) street youth in Blantyre, Malawi, engage with 'the grand narrative about home' in trying to imagine their 'becoming at home' in the city? My thesis departs from the idea that (the search for) home is an integral part of the human condition. During eight months of ethnographic fieldwork in Blantyre, Malawi, I used qualitative methods - mainly interviews and participant observation - to come to an understanding of the meaning of home for (former) street youth. Some of them, the street girls, currently reside at Samaritan Trust and the former street youth are boys who formerly resided there. Their home-making practices in relation to a marginalized socio-economic position in an overall challenging economic context point towards more fluid and diverse constructions of home that exist alongside the grand narrative without rendering it obsolete. Under pressure, (former) street youth paradoxically attempt to solidify home - even though home remains fluid in practice. These attempts assist in coping with life in liquid modernity while they are at the same time fraught with contradictions, especially when these solidifications are themselves solidified in policies. These policies subsequently hamper (former) street youth's becoming at home in town by following the grand narrative and thus confining their homes to rural areas. I conclude that home can best be seen as a fluid field of tensions (re)created in the everyday, thus leaving space for both (former) street youth's roots and routes. An alternative way in which (former) street youth try to become at home in the city is by searching for a romantic partner to co-construct this (future) home. This book is based on Tanja D. Hendriks’ Master’s thesis ‘’Home is Always Home’: (Former) Street Youth in Blantyre, Malawi, and the Fluidity of Constructing Home’, winner of the African Studies Centre Leiden’s 2016 Africa Thesis Award. This annual award for Master’s students encourages student research and writing on Africa and promotes the study of African cultures and societies. Show less
This book is based on Pedzisai Maedza's Master's thesis 'Theatre of testimony: An investigation in devising asylum', winner of the African Studies Centre, Leiden's 2014 African Thesis Award. This... Show moreThis book is based on Pedzisai Maedza's Master's thesis 'Theatre of testimony: An investigation in devising asylum', winner of the African Studies Centre, Leiden's 2014 African Thesis Award. This annual award for Master's students encourages student research and writing on Africa and promotes the study of African cultures and societies. The use of testimonies in performance is enjoying increased artistic and critical popularity and has a long and rich tradition on South African stages. Both internationally and locally, emerging and established playwrights working on migration and refugee issues are seeking to incorporate the testimony of asylum seekers into their work. This necessitates a critical reflection of the influences that shape and structure the staging of these testimonies. This study argues that increased migration and the growing number of asylum seekers arriving on South African shores, has motivated at times violent interaction between host communities and the newcomers. These incidents have inspired a distinct trend of testimonial performances around the concept of asylum. This study uses narrative analysis to read examples of contemporary theatre of testimony plays that examine this phenomenon. It examines how playwright positioning informs the structuring of asylum testimonies on stage, in addition to contextualizing the ethical and moral complexities the playwright’s positionality places on their practice. Through three case studies, the study interrogates how playwright positioning informs notions of authorship, authenticity, truth, theatricality and ethics. Furthermore, it investigates the challenges that speaking for ‘self’ and speaking for the ‘other’ place on testimonial playwrights. Show less
This book is based on Enid Guene Master's thesis 'Copper, Borders and Nation-building: The Katangese Factor in Zambian Economic and Political History', runner-up in the African Studies Centre,... Show moreThis book is based on Enid Guene Master's thesis 'Copper, Borders and Nation-building: The Katangese Factor in Zambian Economic and Political History', runner-up in the African Studies Centre, Leiden's 2014 African Thesis Award. This annual award for Master's students encourages student research and writing on Africa and promotes the study of African cultures and societies. The Copperbelt has, for about a century, formed the economic backbone of the two countries that host it: the Republic of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Zambian and Congolese Copperbelts share long-standing economic, social and political ties, resulting in their histories being peppered with points of interconnections. Yet, there exists no integrated history of the Copperbelt. This tendency to see the Copperbelt as not one but two entities has to do with several factors, at the root of which is the Copperbelt’s distribution over two countries. This created an artificial division in the eyes of many observers, a division which, crucially, was reflected in academic research. The Zambian and Congolese Copperbelt have traditionally belonged to two distinct academic traditions, one English-speaking and the other French-speaking. As a result, there has been a tendency to overlook the actual interplay that existed between them. This interplay is what the present narrative proposes to investigate, going from pre-colonial linkages to the circumstances in which the border was set up and the patterns of migrations that the appearance of two competing and neighbouring mining centres engendered. The influence of these processes on Zambian political development will also be considered. Show less
In this work, I attempt to contribute to the future of African and intercultural philosophy. This is undertaken by a comparative appraisal of the late lamented Kenyan philosopher Henry Odera Oruka... Show moreIn this work, I attempt to contribute to the future of African and intercultural philosophy. This is undertaken by a comparative appraisal of the late lamented Kenyan philosopher Henry Odera Oruka's (1944-1995) philosophic sagacity, and intercultural philosophy as conceived by Dutch intercultural philosopher Wim van Binsbergen. Oruka (1990a) identifies four main trends in contemporary African philosophy: ethnophilosophy, professional philosophy, nationalist-ideological philosophy, and philosophic sagacity or sage philosophy. He later added hermeneutic and artistic/literary trends (Oruka 1991). I review the debate on the existence, nature, and identity of African philosophy and posit the relevance of intercultural philosophy to contemporary African philosophy. I examine the major issues around ethnophilosophy with a reading of Tempels and Kagame and the main criticisms, especially those of Oruka, in a bid to posit his rationale for endorsing philosophic sagacity. I focus on Oruka's philosophic sagacity and the methodology used in investigating it. I attempt to answer two main questions: what is sage philosophy and how does one distinguish it from the other forms of philosophy that are available in Africa? African sage philosophy or philosophic sagacity commonly refers to the body of thought produced by persons considered wise by their communities. Oruka categorizes these wise persons into two groups: folk sages and philosophic sages. Folk sages are well versed in the popular wisdom, culture, and beliefs of their people. They are essentially conformists with the communal set-up. They are folk sages because they do not transcend the celebrated folk wisdom of their people. They remain at the first order of sage philosophy: popular wisdom. Philosophic sages are those that seek rational foundation and critically evaluate commonly held cultural beliefs. They are able to transcend the communal beliefs of their societies by taking a critical and rational distance. When interviewed by a professional philosopher, they are able to provide balanced answers on various themes, such as the nature of the Supreme Being, the nature of death, the nature of time, the concept of the person, the meaning of freedom and equality, the nature of education, and so on. This triggers Oruka to compare them to Western philosophers in spite of the fact that some of them are unable to read or write. He dismisses ethnophilosophy as a collective mode of philosophizing and endorses the individual sage as the valid mode of philosophizing. This, according to Oruka, is standard African traditional wisdom, which obtains in the African context. I also employ post-modernist (post-structuralist) and other criticisms of Oruka's philosophic sagacity and show how post-modernist ideas (deconstruction of single identity, Western hegemony, and bounded culture) are used as a bridge to my proposal of intercultural philosophy. I identify globalization as one of the most important socio-political and cultural developments in our contemporary world that needs philosophical scrutiny. I examine Oruka's philosophic sagacity and the orientations of several African philosophers to see if they can stand the test of time. This permits me to invite African/intercultural philosophers to think beyond local to global sagacity. I attempt to go beyond their positions by exploding their contentious conception of culture and examining whether intercultural communication is possible or not. This is achieved through a discussion of intercultural philosophers such as Ram Adhar Mall and Wim van Binsbergen. Finally, I identify the main challenges for the contemporary African/intercultural philosopher. The challenges are enormous, but we need to create an intercultural framework in a bid to go beyond borders. I propose an intercultural hermeneutic, one that is couched in counter-hegemonic discourses and that will allow us to cross borders, as the globalization process requires us to do. Show less
Land is a crucial yet scarce resource in Rwanda, where about 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, and access to land is increasingly becoming a source of conflict. This study... Show moreLand is a crucial yet scarce resource in Rwanda, where about 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, and access to land is increasingly becoming a source of conflict. This study examines the effects of land-access and land-tenure policies on local community relations, including ethnicity, and land conflicts in post-conflict rural Rwanda. Social relations have been characterized by (ethnic) tensions, mistrust, grief and frustration since the end of the 1990-1994 civil war and the 1994 genocide. Focusing on southeastern Rwanda, the study describes the negative consequences on social and inter-ethnic relations of a land-sharing agreement that was imposed on Tutsi returnees and the Hutu population in 1996-1997 and the villagization policy that was introduced at the same time. More recent land reforms, such as land registration and crop specialization, appear to have negatively affected land tenure and food security and have aggravated land conflicts. In addition, programmes and policies that the population have to comply with are leading to widespread poverty among peasants and aggravating communal tensions. Violence has historically often been linked to land, and the current growing resentment and fear surrounding these land-related policies and the ever-increasing land conflicts could jeopardize Rwanda's recovery and stability. Show less
Based on rural fieldwork in Tanzania and Vietnam, this book describes the difference in organisation of cashew production, between highest producing areas by analysing the lower level of the cashew... Show moreBased on rural fieldwork in Tanzania and Vietnam, this book describes the difference in organisation of cashew production, between highest producing areas by analysing the lower level of the cashew value chain. Using a comparative analysis the book explores the dynamic process of how cashew farmers, of the two countries, are integrated in the existing production set up. The importance of choice through economic freedom is explored by analysing the functioning of different actors to allow or hinder advancement in production and productivity. Show less
This book examines the causes of observed reversal of fortunes between Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia in the last 50 years. Specifically, it compares Kenya and Malaysia which 50 years ago... Show moreThis book examines the causes of observed reversal of fortunes between Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia in the last 50 years. Specifically, it compares Kenya and Malaysia which 50 years ago were arguably at similar levels of development. Today, Malaysia is an industrialised country while Kenya has stagnated economically. It finds itself in an awkward position, where it has to learn from Malaysia’s industrial experience as it aspires to industrialise by the year 2030. The book also examines how foreign direct investment can be attracted and used to spur industrial development and provides important lessons for developing countries Show less
Drawing on the sustainable livelihood approach, this book explores gender dynamics in urban agriculture, which is an integral part of the diversified portfolio of livelihood strategies adopted by... Show moreDrawing on the sustainable livelihood approach, this book explores gender dynamics in urban agriculture, which is an integral part of the diversified portfolio of livelihood strategies adopted by residents of Eldoret town to cope with hard economic times. It explores the motives, needs, preferences and contributions of men and women in urban agriculture and the benefits they derived from it individually and for their households. It shows how these were mediated by social norms and gender ideologies, entitlements to farming resources, individual capabilities and personal agency. Also explored in the book are the inter-linkages between urban agriculture and other livelihood strategies and the role of gender relations in the process, as well as policy implications for sustainable and more equitable urban agriculture. Show less
This dissertation is a response to an academic and popular discussion that painted a bleak picture of the African state and by extension the endeavour of development cooperation. It focuses on the... Show moreThis dissertation is a response to an academic and popular discussion that painted a bleak picture of the African state and by extension the endeavour of development cooperation. It focuses on the Zambian health sector and the people who create it through their words and deeds. For health workers and their families the sector appears to be an avenue for upward mobility. For politicians it is a platform to further their political careers, while providing access to the resources needed to expand the presence of the state and ensure regime survival. The formal goals of providing quality health care to ordinary citizens appear to be of secondary importance. This insight into the Zambian health sector presents an African state as a dynamic human system undergoing its own historical development. It is different from what policy makers had promised or planned, or how other countries have evolved, but it is not necessarily a story of state failure or collapse. Show less
This dissertation is about northerners within an urban setting in Ghana. It discusses the processes by which Alhaji Braimah, the unelected but recognised chief and spokesman of northerners in... Show moreThis dissertation is about northerners within an urban setting in Ghana. It discusses the processes by which Alhaji Braimah, the unelected but recognised chief and spokesman of northerners in Accra, was able to utilise British colonial urban policy in Accra to establish a community called Tudu. Tudu became an urban space where northerners not only lived but also engaged in economic activities, especially transport and trade. By combining the analysis of social relations, history and individual biography, the book contributes to our understanding of the role of northerners in Accra and how they contributed to the economic development and physical establishment of the city. Show less
Based on rich and wide-ranging data, this thesis describes the sensitive issue of the contemporary emancipation trajectories of agro-pastoralist Fulɓe in Central Mali. It explores how people are... Show moreBased on rich and wide-ranging data, this thesis describes the sensitive issue of the contemporary emancipation trajectories of agro-pastoralist Fulɓe in Central Mali. It explores how people are currently dealing with hierarchies they inherited from past master-slave relations and focuses on the relational dynamics between members of a network of migrants. The importance of mobility to identity is explored by analyzing the tensions that exist among migrants to reproduce or change hierarchical relations in post-slavery societies. To purchase a copy, please email: asc@ascleiden.nl, or check www.ascleiden.nl, under Publications. Show less
Physical mobility of people from place to place as individuals or as groups is essentially horizontal, potentially limitless, and generally motivated by the desire and ambition to take advantage... Show morePhysical mobility of people from place to place as individuals or as groups is essentially horizontal, potentially limitless, and generally motivated by the desire and ambition to take advantage of new opportunities for self or group advancement. Geographical mobility is the basis of Grasslanders’ communities in Anglophone Cameroon and beyond. In this study of Kom, the second largest kingdom in the Bamenda Grasslands, the life histories and rich archival files enlighten the history of mobility in relation to the development of communication technologies. Between 1928, when the St. Anthony’s Primary School, Njinikom, Kom was opened and 1998, when the road linking Kom and Bamenda was tarred, the number of people travelling out of Kom and back steadily increased. This spatial mobility was greatly facilitated and accelerated by ‘modern’ transportation and communication technologies like the roads and vehicles. Such persons were usually among those whose horizons had been widened by other modern agencies of change like the schools and churches which are themselves considered as technologies in this study.Kfaang, a notion of newness, has become the core to understand the flexible identity of Kom people and their appropriation of ICT in their notions of being Kom and a Kom community that transgress international borders. Show less
