Many students travel through Zithulele on rotations in the hospital, to volunteer at the NGOs, or as part of their research programs for masters and PhDs. Here we have compiled some of the interesting work they have done over the years.
Community Health Worker Performance Motivation
|
Annamaria Nagy wrote her thesis 'Do Good, Feel Good' as an analysis the performance motivation of community health workers in rural South Africa. Focus groups with the Mentor Mothers and their supervisors on what motivates them to work and the challenges they face led to important insights in how to support and encourage an effective community health worker team in a rural setting.
|
Women's Migration in The Eastern Cape
|
Christina Laurenzi's thesis examines patterns of movement and migration out of the Zithulele area of the Eastern Cape among women in their 20s and 30s, focusing on testimonies from the village perspective. This work contributes to a more focused understanding of circular migration, or short-term movements, of women in contemporary South Africa.
|
Promoting exclusive breastfeeding in south africa
|
South Africa has one of the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the world, with only 8% of women exclusively feeding their infants breast milk during the first 6 months of life. Nicolas Trad's paper explores why rates of EBF are so low in South Africa and how stakeholders can promote optimal feeding practices in a context of high HIV prevalence, funding constraints and social barriers.
|
Infant Feeding Practices In The Context of HIV
|
Despite WHO recommendations promoting exclusive breastfeeding for all infants up to 6 months, formula feeding and mixed feeding are common in South Africa. Marguerite Marlow explores the infant feeding practices in rural and peri-urban areas of South Africa through qualitative interviews with mothers of infant between three and four months old. Her research identifies several social and structural barriers that prohibited mothers from practicing exclusive breastfeeding.
|
premature introduction of solids in rural Eastern Cape
|
Focusing on the lived experiences of mothers and caregivers, this study analyzes women's understanding of infant feeding in order to create better practices for supporting breastfeeding in the Eastern Cape. Sofia Rubertsson explores the intersection of different social and cultural norms that impact mother's agency and broadens the debate on how to enable women to breastfeed and decrease the harmful practices of premature introduction of solids.
|
