About: Pathways To Livelihood

The Southern Africa RILab (SARILab), one of ResilientAfrica Network’s (RAN) Resilience Innovation Labs (RILab) is hosted by the University of Pretoria, School of Health Systems and Public Health with network-plus partners at University of Zimbabwe, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and University of Limpopo. The SARILAb has identified communities of focus spread in 3 countries, accounting for half of the regions’ population. Southern Africa RILab is interested in understanding the root causes of adverse effects of HIV and AIDS in the rural communities and developing innovations with these communities to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS and strengthen resilience. Vulnerability and Resilience factors associated with food insecurity and low income generation in Southern Africa. RAN’s Southern Africa RILab concentrates on the impact of chronic diseases, particularly HIV and AIDS, issues of access to livelihood assets and understanding the local adaptive strategies. It is also important to note that communities in Southern Africa face acute and chronic shocks and stresses with limited resources to respond. These range from floods, droughts, diseases to the debilitating social impact of chronic poverty.

• Website: http://sarilab.ranlab.org
• Facebook: Southern Africa RILab
• Twitter: @RANSARILab

Study area: Pathways To Livelihood

• Communities-Pyramid (Pretoria), Dikgale and Molepo districts (Limpopo), Betbridge (Zimbabwe) and Chikwawa (Malawi)
• Completed January 2016-Analysis and report writing in progress

Purpose of the RAN Resilience Framework

• To understand shocks and stresses that affect populations and sys­tems and the factors that render them vulnerable to those shocks and stresses
• To understand what makes people and systems resilient (what makes them capable to withstand or adapt to shocks and stresses in a manner that makes them less vulnerable to future risks)
• To identify resilience dimensions and indicators and assessing system resilience
• To identify entry points and prioritize interventions to strengthen ca­pacities and reduce vulnerabilities to build systems resilience

Role players: Pathways To Livelihood

• USAID
• Partners:
  • Resilient Africa Network (RAN)
  • Makerere University Uganda
  • Stanford University
  • CSIS
  • HESN
  • Tulane DRLA
• Investigator:
  • Prof Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf
• Co-Investigators:
  • Prof Jones Ngambi University of Limpopo
  • Dr Sunungurai  Dominica Chingarande
  • Dr Donald Makoka Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)
  • Petronella Chirawu, University of Pretoria

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