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Domestic water use in Morocco's Tessaout Amont irrigation system
01.07.1999
When a new irrigation scheme is introduced, water rights need to be allocated not only to crops for irrigation, but also for domestic purposes. -
Microfinance and HIV prevention – emerging lessons from rural South Africa
01.09.2005
Do the gains in confidence and economic well being that can come from participation in a microfinance programme reduce clients' vulnerability to HIV infection? Until now practical experience and an evidence base relating to such activities have been limited. This article reviews the evidence supporting an enhanced role for microfinance in HIV prevention activities. It describes the Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE) – a South African case study that has been specifically designed to explore these relationships. The paper discusses the operational integration of microfinance and HIV prevention – highlighting challenges, emerging lessons and limitations in the light of international best practice and several years of field experience. -
Unravelling context: a formative photovoice study of Indian youth perspectives of sanitation and hygiene practices
01.01.2021
Water, sanitation, and hygiene are issues of substantial public health importance. Community-based participatory research approaches such as photovoice can help explore and identify determinants that influence sanitation and hygiene-related behaviours. This study aimed to use photovoice as part of the formative research process to increase understanding of youth’s perceptions of the cultural and contextual factors that influence sanitation and hygiene-related behaviours in Thirumalaikodi, India. First, a school was recruited using convenience sampling; next, 10 participants were purposively selected to participate in an information meeting, seven photo discussion sessions, and one wrap-up session over a three-week period. In each photo discussion session, participant groups selected one ‘trigger’ photograph, and through a structured discussion using SHOWED mnemonic questions (a series of questions that ask participants to describe and reflect upon a chosen photograph), generated a new understanding of issues related to water, sanitation, and hygiene. All sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse photo discussion session text. Findings revealed that factors such as social structure, education, and culture influence behaviours that determine the sanitary conditions of an individual’s private and public spaces. Furthermore, participants described how descriptive norms generated practices (e.g. littering) that were reinforced and maintained by limited access to waste management systems, attitudinal indifference, and generational beliefs. Findings yielded an in-depth understanding of youth’s perceptions of the cultural and contextual factors that influence sanitation and hygiene-related behaviours. This study also contributes to the advancement of participatory applications in formative research and intervention adaptation processes.