Background: Parents of children with disabilities have faced difficulties in looking after their children, be it socially, economically and financially. Parents in rural areas are mainly left with a huge burden, as there is a lack of services and support from both the state and non-governmental organisations. Parents in Sekhukhune district, a rural area in Limpopo province of South Africa, face challenges in raising their disabled children related to lack of resources and lack of services at their disposal.Objectives: This study focuses on the experiences and life circumstances faced by parents of children living with different types of disabilities at Lehlaba Protective Workshop in Sekhukhune district of Limpopo province, South Africa.Method: The study consisted of 14 participants who are parents of children living with disabilities. An interview guide with a set of questions was utilised to gather data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and themes that emerged were grouped together.Results: Themes that emerged from the data showed that most of the participants had varying understandings on the causes of disabilities to their children. The participants also were of the view that a ‘cure’ for disability was available medically, spiritually or through traditional African medicine. The study also brought the notion of absent fathers, as most men do not want to be associated with children who are disabled. Stigmatisation of the parents was also a theme that the study revealed. The parents are subjected to name labelling as they are viewed to be practising witchcraft or to be paying for their sins they committed.Conclusion: Parents of children with disabilities are in their own battle in raising their children. There is a lack of support structures available for parents of children living with disabilities. There is a lack of legislation available for protecting and promoting the rights of children with disabilities. The researchers concluded that raising a child with a disability is expensive, time-consuming and straining.

Poor adherence to antihypertensive medications remains a significant challenge in the management of hypertension among women living in rural areas. The objective of the study was to assess the reasons of nonadherence in women suffering from hypertension. The researchers used a qualitative exploratory research design to conduct the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select fifty (50) Black African women who participated in five ( 5) focus group interviews. The NVivo program was used to manage and organize the qualitative data. The study revealed that inadequate health literacy, financial constraints, forgetfulness and cultural differences are some of the barriers that prevent women from adhering to antihypertensive medication. Health promotion activities to empower women to become more proactive about their health needs and care should not be underestimated. As a result, they will be more likely to comply with their treatment, which will make them healthier in the long run.

AIM: This research project aimed at exploring the views of secondary school teachers and hostel matrons on the landscape of substance abuse amongst the youth at a border town situated in the northern region of Namibia. METHOD: In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with secondary school teachers and hostel matrons, selected by means of a purposive sampling method from five schools representing state schools and private schools. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Namibia’s ethical approval committee, whilst permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Namibia.  Participation was voluntary and based on informed consent. FINDINGS: The themes identified in the study were amongst others; the types of substances used by the youth, the use of substances on school premises and easy access/availability of substances. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that substance abuse seems to be normalised in the community because of the excessive availability of alcohol in the community. The need for law enforcement and law reform as well as prevention programmes at all levels of society is highlighted.

Women’s vulnerability to climate-induced shocks hinges on a high dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods and a natural resource base aggravated by the acute inequalities that they experience due to patriarchal dominance. This article’s purpose is to unpack the vulnerabilities and inequalities that rural women experience in the climate change terrain which necessitates the involvement of the social work profession. This study adopted a qualitative methodology guided by a multi-case study design. A sample of twenty-five participants, including community members and social workers, participated in the study. These participants were selected through simple purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. The thematic content analysis was followed to analyse the findings. The study established that rural women are impacted by various vulnerabilities and inequalities in the climate change discourse, which serve as barriers to their effective adaptation. The vulnerabilities and inequalities manifest through lack of land and property rights, discrimination from decision-making processes, poverty and lack of adequate knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Social work involvement to address these catastrophes is scant in the Vhembe district in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study recommends that all climate change interventions should put an end to inequalities women experience in order for them to be effective and social workers should be at the frontline of such initiative.

The proximity and density of alcohol outlets are positively associated with drinking patterns and increase in alcohol consumption resulting in deviant behaviors such as excessive drinking, risky sexual behaviors, violent and crime in communities. This study was aimed at identifying and assessing the proximity, density of alcohol outlets as a risk factor to potential behavioral influence amongst the youth in a border town in the northern region of Namibia. The study was qualitative in nature and used ethnographic design in order to describe the proximity and density of alcohol outlets. Data was collected through unobtrusive observation method and analyzed by means of content analysis. The researchers used field notes to capture data observed. Eco-systems theory was used as a theoretical framework for this study. The study found out that there were quite a number of shebeens in close proximity of educational establishments, churches, public roads and residential areas which contribute to easy accessibility of alcohol by youth in and out of school. Various themes emerged from the study such as closeness of alcohol outlets to schools and churches and residential areas, mushrooming of shebeens, children and youth spending time at shebeens and Drunkenness. The study concluded that the closeness of alcohol establishments to residential areas, churches and schools influence drinking behaviors of people residing in these areas. Equally important, the more alcohol outlets in the environment, the higher the alcohol consumption which results in deviant behaviors and excessive drinking.

The primary aim of this article is to explore and describe the production and consumption of homemade alcohol and its associated challenges in relation to implications for social work practice. Qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual design was ideal and purposive and snowball sampling methods were used in this research. Data was collected through interviews with brewers and consumers of homemade alcoholic beverages. It was found that foreign substances are put into homemade alcoholic beverages for commercial reasons in an attempt to address social exclusion.

Aim:The aim of this study was to examine the alcohol drinking patterns among young male and female alcohol drinkers.Method: Data were collected though a questionnaire from 71 grade 11 learners who expressed that they had had an alcoholic drink in the preceding month. 62% of the respondents were male and the remaining 38% was represented by female learners. The data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Results:This study showed that young people begin using alcohol at a relatively young age. Furthermore, male drinkers have an earlier alcohol debut than their female counterparts. Beer, cider and wine were the most consumed beverages, with males more inclined to drink beer and females gravitating towards drinking wine. There was an even split between ciders in the study, with the majority of both male and female respondents indicating that their drink of choice was cider. Weekends are the most opportune moments for the youth to consume alcohol. Holidays are also earmarked by the youth to engage in alcohol consumption. Conclusion:The results show that the age of alcohol debut is as low as 8 years for males and 10 years for females. Males have a higher prevalence of alcohol use than females. There is however no difference in binge drinking between the two gender as binge drinking and drinking to get drunk are the preferred methods of alcohol consumption for both genders.

Alcohol abuse amongst the youth is one of the major problems the world is facing, especially in rural communities where the majority of young people are unemployed and have little to do with their time. This study sought to determine the accessibility of alcohol amongst the youth of a rural community in Limpopo province, South Africa. This was a qualitative study which employed the exploratory case study research design which allowed the researchers to explore the risk factors for youth alcohol abuse. Interviews were conducted to collect data which was analysed thematically. The Eco-systems theory was used as a guiding theory for this study. The study found that there were clear associations between physical availability of alcohol, its affordability and high density of liquor outlets in one area and youth alcohol abuse. This study concluded that alcohol and other substance abuse call for preventative and intervention measures in rural communities targeted at the youth. Issues such as educating parents and guardians on how to improve their parenting skills in relation to alcohol consumption and the dangers thereof proved to be of greater need in the rural communities.