Browsing by Author "Msaki, Mark M."

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Cereal Bank as a Necessary Rural Livelihood Institute in Arid Land, Makoja Village, Dodoma-Tanzania
(Asian Economic and Financial Review, 2013) Msaki, Mark M.; Mwenda, Michael I.; Regnard, Irene J.
In 2012, the study was carried at Makoja Village, in Semi-Arid region of Dodoma. The aim of the conducted study was to assess the importance of Cereal Bank to livelihood of farming households. A total of 80 respondents were interviewed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 computer program. The major findings of the study revealed that, almost all of the households (96.2 %) were poor, while more than a half of the sampled population was chronically food insecure. Income and expenditure analysis revealed that households had no opportunity to manage savings. Further analysis on expenditure revealed that despite being farming households, the later spent large proportion of their income in purchasing food for households. Cereal bank has been potential to provide food at the time of less, storage facility, seed stocking facility and a business opportunity. Cereal banks should be purposively promoted to improve livelihood and assure food security in the rural areas.
Climate Change Adaptation in Semi-Arid Areas: A Gender Perspective
(International Journal of Ecosystem, 2014) Msaki, Mark M.; Kalumanga, Venance.; Bwagalilo, Fadhili.
At current, the world is struggling to mitigate the impacts of Climate Change to the involved communities. Due to their climatic behaviours, Semi-Arids are among the most vulnerable areas to Climate Change. Adaption to Climate Change has been suggested to lessen the impacts in different areas. However, the adaption is relative to a specific area’s social-economic, physical as well as cultural set up. For this fact, it is a matter that in some areas, culture happens to side-line women in decision making and implementation while adapting for Climate Change. Therefore, the study was carried out at Chololo Eco - Village, in Dodoma Municipality. The aim of the study was to assess the existing climate change adaptation strategies or technologies and the involvement of Gender in Addressing Climate Change Adaptation Technologies. A total of 110 respondents were interviewed. The research revealed that among the proportion 36%, 29%, 35%, 32%, and 59% of female respondents attended transfer of innovation sessions for Agriculture, Water Management and Conservation, Afforestation, Food Security and Economic Adaptation. More men attended sessions for transfer of innovations as compared to women. Tradition, culture and household chores impended women not to involve much in such sessions. Fortunately, women not attending in such session did not connote not adapting to Climate Change. Roles occupied in the community and household chores had been the factor for women to decide whether to participate or not participate in the training sessions. Women struggled to attend transfer sessions which seemed to be critical such as Economic Adaptation. Fruitfully women were found to be more involved in Income Generating Activities (IGAs) introduced by Chololo Eco – Village. Deliberate efforts should be carried to ensure that women attend technology transfer sessions to become the first beneficiaries of such innovations.
Do Food Quality and Food Quantity Talk the Same? Lesson From Household Food Security Study in Embo, South Africa
(Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2013-07-25) Msaki, Mark M.; Hendriks, Sheryl L.
Objectives: Relating food diversity, quality, and intake is one of the key aspects in understanding household food security. This paper aimed at marying food intake and quality, both being measurement for food security. Methods: A household food consumption survey (n = 200) exploring food diversity, quality of foods, and their relation to food intake in Embo, a poor farming community in rural KwaZulu-Natal was carried out in November 2004 (period of insufficiency) and repeated in March 2005 (period of plenty). Household food intake strata were developed using matrices obtained from the Household Food Intake Index and nutritional adequacy ratios. Food quality was measured using food count and later using 5 food groups, namely, starches, vegetables and fruits, animal sourced foods, fats, and legumes. Results: Single food count showed dietary diversity to be significantly different across households with different food intake during the period of plenty (P ≤ 0.000). During the period of plenty, vegetable and fruits contributed significantly different proportions of energy (P ≤ 0.000), protein (P ≤ 0.006), iron (P ≤ 0.020), and vitamin E (P ≤ 0.006) to household food intake strata. Intake of vitamin A was more elastic as its intake variation from legumes, fats, and animal sourced foods was (P ≤ 0.000), from starches (P ≤ 0.008) and from vegetable and fruits (P ≤ 0.064) during the second round. Starches are the most important food group to the community, whereas fats and animal sourced food groups are less important. Conclusions: The current study has been able to include food quality in food security studies. Seasonality accounts for variation in food quality. The South African food-based dietary guidelines are relevant to the Embo community.
Measuring Household Food Security Using Food Intake Indicators in Rural Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
(Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 2014-04-24) Msaki, Mark M.; Hendriks, Sheryl L.
Estimation of micronutrients intake in food consumption surveys has generally been ignored. Focusing on similar households, a household food consumption survey (n = 200) was carried out in November 2004 (period of less) and March 2005 (period of plenty) in rural KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Diet diversity, energy, protein and micronutrient intakes were proxies of household food security. Principal Component Analysis was used to estimate household food adequacy and strength of the variables (nutrients) in determining household intake variation amongst the community. On average, variation in household intake was contributed by energy (62.8%), iron (20.2%), protein (11.8%), vitamin E (3.8%), vitamin A (1.0%), and dietary diversity (0.3%). Linking food intake to household variables can generate plausible variables for measuring household food security.