Chemical Companies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chemical Companies - Research Paper Example Expenditure in research and development by firms globally summed up to 344bn pounds among the countries with heavy investments in this sector such as Japan, Us, Germany, France Switzerland and the UK. These countries through the respective corporations contribute to a tune of over 82% of the spending in R & D. among the largest sectors with huge spending in R & D globally are the pharmaceuticals company, electric and electrical equipment as well as chemical companies as indicated by a registered growth in their spending on the same. (Shield, Beth, and Miriam pg. 45). On the other hand capital expenditure by firms has never seemed so controversial nor important. Together with R & D, capital spending is the long-term lifeblood of many corporations as it determines the ability of most corporations to generate cash flows enough to service their debts. It is quite hard to determine the capital expenditure of most companies if not all as this is the aspect that results into a variety of ri sks in the business in form of cash flows, competitive position, as well as the ability to price. According from evidence shown by statistics, the top capital spenders also come from the chemical and energy industry and they include corporations from china, south America like Brazil and a great deal of corporations from Europe (Frith pg. 144-8). In Europe the chemicals, plastic and rubber sectors forms a bigger part of the industrial sector generating over 3.2million employment opportunities yearly. It is in record that since the year 2000, the chemical sector in Europe has dominated the manufacturing sector by over 2/3. Among the top 50 ranked corporations is the German giant chemical producer BASF with a sale of $79.8 million, which is even an improvement from the previous period’s sales. The company through its management continues to even have more prospects of growth through increased production despite the looming economic tenacity (Festel pg. 88). A combination of the sales figures for the 50 surveyed firms shows a total of $961.8 billion. This figure indicates how much the chemical industry controls the transactions that take place worldwide. The domination of firms in the chemical industry is the same in the developed countries as it is in the developing countries. Chinese giant Sinopec recorded revenue of $56.4 billion and is ranked at number three worldwide and came closer to even being the number two chemical producer in the whole world (Kain pg. 167-9). Among the top three in terms of capital expenditure as well as research and development is the Dow Chemical at position two in the whole world. Sabic also follows in the list in that order with revenue of $42.2 billion and takes position 5 among the chemical producers. It is worth recording that these firms have shown tremendous progress through dynamic performance in their previous past operations. They have come a long way in which SABIC was all the way number 13 in the whole world to beco me number five. At the same time, SINOPEC was all the way number 14 and look at its ranking today (Shield, Beth and Miriam pg. 92-4). As compared to the year before,

How Technology Effects Our Everyday Lives Essay Example for Free

How Technology Effects Our Everyday Lives Essay Technology in Society Today Today in society technology is used in every individual’s life. Society reacts to technology in many different ways, and technology plays the major role in everyone’s everyday life. One example is that there is a new iPhone coming out, the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c. Individuals are waiting for this phone to come out, just for the upgrades that are not drastic from the iPhone 4. People use technology in their everyday life- cell phones for everything (calculators, calendars, alarm clocks, mail/texts) and I even use my cell phone to complete school work, like this discussion board in our class. Society depends on technology for new information, television, and even farmers use technology in their new tractors to keep up to date with prices of wheat and even may set a tractor to plant or spray in a certain area. Most individuals, including me, depend on technology to get through their everyday life. Today in society technology is used in every individual’s life. Society reacts to technology in many different ways, and technology plays the major role in everyone’s everyday life. One example is that there is a new iPhone coming out, the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c. Individuals are waiting for this phone to come out, just for the upgrades that are not drastic from the iPhone 4. People use technology in their everyday life- cell phones for everything (calculators, calendars, alarm clocks, mail/texts) and I even use my cell phone to complete school work, like this discussion board in our class. Society depends on technology for new information, television, and even farmers use technology in their new tractors to keep up to date with prices of wheat and even may set a tractor to plant or spray in a certain area. Most individuals, including me, depend on technology to get through their everyday life. Today in society technology is used in every individual’s life. Society reacts to technology in many different ways, and technology plays the major role in everyone’s everyday life. One example is that there is a new iPhone coming out, the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c. Individuals are waiting for this phone to come out, just for the upgrades that are not drastic from the iPhone 4. People use technology in their everyday life- cell phones for everything (calculators, calendars, alarm clocks, mail/texts) and I even use my cell phone to complete school work, like this discussion board in our class. Society depends on technology for new information, television, and even farm ers use  technology in their new tractors to keep up to date with prices of wheat and even may set a tractor to plant or spray in a certain area. Most individuals, including me, depend on technology to get through their everyday life. Today in society technology is used in every individual’s life. Society reacts to technology in many different ways, and technology plays the major role in everyone’s everyday life. One example is that there is a new iPhone coming out, the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c. Individuals are waiting for this phone to come out, just for the upgrades that are not drastic from the iPhone 4. People use technology in their everyday life- cell phones for everything (calculators, calendars, alarm clocks, mail/texts) and I even use my cell phone to complete school work, like this discussion board in our class. Society depends on technology for new information, television, and even farmers use technology in their new tractors to keep up to date with prices of wheat and even may set a tractor to plant or spray in a certain area. Most individuals, including me, depend on technology to get through their everyday life.

Sub Saharan Africa Ssa Politics Essay

Sub Saharan Africa Ssa Politics Essay Sub-Saharan Africa is the largest current aid recipient region of the world since 2001 having overtaken Asia as the largest aid-receiving region. Since more than five decades ago, over $1 trillion has been disbursed to the region to spur development and integration into the global economy (Moyo, 2009; Dessai and Porter, 2009; and Handley et al. 2009). Despite the huge amount of aid flow to sub-Saharan Africa, widespread poverty, chronic hunger and prevalence of life-threatening diseases are unprecedented in the region. Institutions and scholars are now referring to food-malnutrition-hunger problems in the developing countries as the third crises' (Chibba, 2011:76-77).There are also increasing dependency on aid, foreign technologies, institutions and value system, (Todaro and Smith, 2011; Collier, 2008; Kelsall, 2008). The World Bank (2008) on the monitoring of the progress of MDG reported that the first goal of halving absolute poverty has been disappointing in sub-Saharan Africa. The failure of aid has generated debate among scholars and policy practitioner alike. This is because of the failure of fifty years of challenging aid interventions. Poor political leadership and weak state institution of recipient countries, and the agenda and conditionality imposed by donor countries and governments are attributed for the failure of aid politics and economics of aid. However, the availability of abundant natural resources in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries have not affected their fortune so-called resource curse (Ushie, 2012:1; TI, 2012; Handley et al 2009). The aid-growth debate, multilateral and bilateral institutions and prominent scholars like Jeffrey Sachs and Arndt et al. in Chibba (2011) support the view that aid has a key role to play in achieving poverty reduction and development. There are increasing demand for focussed aid to developing countries, especially small states, low-income countries and post-conflict states (Chibba 2011, Paulo and Reisen, 2010). Critics of Sachs work on aids role in development such as William Easterly (2006), Dambisa Moyo (2009) among others argued that poverty could be solved more by income redistribution than by growth and that aid is destructive to the economy of developing countries. However, the most important thing is finding workable and real-world solutions to address both poverty and development challenges. The role of institutional quality of a country is more significant and not closely related to the volume of development assistance to the country. It is also more important than the geographical location and integration of the country into world trade (Booth, 2011). He said this could be an argument for lack of strong positive link between aid and development outcome in sub-Saharan Africa. Kofi Annan in UNDP 2006 noted that governance issues remain crucial elements of all strategies towards poverty eradication and human development governance matters for development. Institutions, rules and political processes have major roles to play in whether children have access to quality education, whether people have access to basic things of life, and whether there is development or retrogression. Promoting human development is beyond overcoming economic, social and technological challenges: it includes political and institutional challenges, which causes poverty and insulation to developmen t (UNDP, 2002; Abdellatif, 2003). The governance crisis in sub-Saharan Africa is obvious in prevalent corruption, public services that are inefficient and inability of citizens to exercise their basic rights to choose their leaders court without justice, public officials demanding bribe and hospital without doctors and drugs. Good governance is crucial in eradicating poverty and promotes development through effective institutions and rules. These can be achieved through accountability, transparency, empowerment, participation and rule of law. Failures of social policies often occur because the beneficiaries lack political power and adequate representation in the decisions that affects their lives. Developing countries will promote human development for all with governance systems that are fully accountable to the citizens. People can be better off when they can participate in the debates and decisions that affect their lives (UNDP 2002). For aid to achieve its aims, the people that aid target must be empowered. Aung San Suu Kyi cited by UNDP (2002:52) argued, Development as growth, advancement and the realisation of potential depends on available resources and no resources are more effective than people being empowered are. Governance for human developments must protect human rights; promote wider participation of the people in the institutions and rules that affects their lives. It is not just about efficient, equitable economic and social outcomes, but must embrace fair process. Succinctly, it must be democratic in substance and in form by the people and for the people (p, 52). Todaro and Smith (2011) noted that development needs improved functioning of the public, private and citizens sector. Each of these actors has their weaknesses accountability. These weaknesses must be addressed to achieve balanced, shared and sustainable development. Civil society organisations have the capacity to reduce accountability gap in global governance. Scholars and policy-makers have come to accept the fact that active involvement of civil society organisations in governance will provide solution to accountability deficit in global governance (Scholte, 2011). Civil society should be a major player to achieve that goals by mobilising communities, delivering services and shaping policies (Ibrahim and Hulme, 2010; Bank and Hulme 2012; and Collins 2012). To critics, civil society might aggravate the problem because they themselves are poorly accountable to their constituency even if they have one (Scholte 2011; Steffeks et al, 2008, Kaldor 2002). The recent studies and international commitments reiterate the necessity of increasing research on poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development. Official monitoring of the impact of Paris Declaration where developed and developing countries make commitment to make aid effective by 2011 showed that only one of the thirteen targets has been met(OECD, 2011). Making aid effective and achieve its goal remains a crucial goal of development. Democratic governance is the answer good governance or good enough governance is democratic governance from human development perspective (UNDP 2002; Grindle, 2007). 1.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE This research intends to study how to overcome constraints to poverty reduction and achieving sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The research intends to answer these questions: What are the obstacles to poverty reduction and development in sub-Saharan Africa? What are the role of NGOs and civil society in promoting democracy in global and national governance institutions? What are the roles of civil society and NGOs in shaping governance policies and as alternative provider of social services? 1.2 METHODOLOGY There is an extensive literature on the role of state and non-state actors in governance of aid and capacities of different actors in governance institution towards poverty eradication and achieving human development in developing countries. This research will provide answers to the above questions by reviewing literature as a secondary data source. This method is selected considering the timescale of the study. It is possible to carry out this type of research by evaluation of secondary data source in assessing the core issues and approaches in providing solution to the research questions. This allows the critical appraisal of different literature source. Ethically, there is no research participant, hence no implication on any. This research is limited to the review of relevant literature on role of CSOs in poverty reduction, development and aid in developing countries and no field research This research work is structured in five chapters. The first chapter contains introduction of the issues in aid governance, the rationality for this research and research objectives methodology. Second chapter captures the rationality for aid in the development of sub-Saharan Africa. Its shed light on the challenges facing sub- Saharan Africa, and why aid has not been effective in reducing extreme poverty and promote human development. The concluding part of the chapter discusses global governance challenges and previous roles of NGOs and civil society in global governance and development. The third chapter discuss the centrality of democracy in governance and achieving sustainable human development. The focus of chapter four is the roles of NGOs and civil society in promoting democracy and addressing economic and development policy challenges. The fifth chapter is the conclusion of this research CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. RATIONALE BEHIND AID, AID DEBATE AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Attainment of development by any nation depends on combination of factors. These include the countrys resources endowment and population; its governments policies and objectives; the availability of external capital and technology international flow of financial resources; and the international trade environment (Todaro and Smith, 2011). External capital comes in three main forms. The first of these involves private foreign direct and portfolio investment by large transnational corporations and purchase of bonds, stocks and notes in the developing countries credit and equity markets by private institutions and individuals. The second involves remittances of earnings by international migrants; and the third involves public and private development assistance foreign aid. In the case of sub-Saharan Africa, there are factors that make it unattractive for private foreign direct and portfolio investment. Political instability and incessant military take-over; economic factors and poor bu siness environment; geographical factors majority of the countries in the region are landlocked nations; and insecurity of life and property and poor infrastructure makes it unattractive as a place for foreign investment (Sachs, 2005:63). In addition, remittances of earnings by international migrants are small. According to United Nation report cited by Todaro and Smith (2011), only Nigeria and Egypt have remittance of 4.7 and 5.8 percent of their GDP. The above situation makes the role of aid in the development of sub-Saharan Africa significant. Aid aims to fill the gap limiting development by supplementing savings to boost investment for improving productive capacity and needed infrastructures that facilitate development (Burnell, 2008; TI, 2011 and Todaro and Smith, 2011:702). The argument is that developing countries lacks adequate domestic savings required for investment opportunities. Coupled with this, African countries have low foreign-exchange earnings to finance imports. Lack of physical and human capital to attract private investment does not also help matter. Despite the increasing flow of aid, government policies and objectives are militating against its effectiveness. Defining foreign aid is conceptually problematic. To Dambisa Moyo (2009), aid is simply the sum total of both concessional loan and grants. Concessional loans are funds to be repaid, but with a more favourable repayment conditions to the borrower than what can be obtained through standard financial markets. It is sometimes at the expense of the lending countries. Grants are money given for nothing in return. She mentioned three types of aid. The first is humanitarian aid. That is, aid in response to catastrophe and calamities. The second is charity-based aid. These are aid disbursed by charitable organisations (NGOs and other voluntary sectors) to institutions or people on ground (p7). The third form of aid is systemic aid. This is aid payments made directly to governments which could be either through government-to- government transfer( bilateral aid) or transfer through institution such as World Bank(multilateral aid). The widely used concept of aid is the combination of all official grants and concessional loans. It may be in kind or currency. Peter Burnell(2008), viewed aid as including transfer of finance, commodities and other goods, technical cooperation and debt relief and grants is the common form of bilateral aid to least developed countries because of their inability in the past to service concessional loans acquired,(p.503). The intention is transfer of resources from developed countries to developing countries to reduce poverty and facilitate development the common target of aid now (Todaro and Smith, 2011; TI 2011). The focus of aid on the human development, poverty reduction and good governance is a recent development in aid governance. The reason for the new focus of aid is the increasing high profile of other non-state actors in governance, particularly, civil society organisations (TI, 2011, UNDP 2007). This weakened the monopoly of the state in promoting development and the role o f these non-state actors are increasing as the power of the state declines and global economic activities intensifies (Dessai and Porter, 2008: 499). They defined the state as the network of government, quasi-government and non-governmental institutions (traditional institutions) that coordinates, regulates and monitors economic and social activities (p. 499). The US Marshall Plan (1948-51) of post-war reconstructions in Western Europe success set spur the use of aid vehicle in promoting development, but the failure of aid to achieve same in least developed nations is a case for concerns. The contemporary experiences generated heated debate on the relevance of aid to national development and spurred the queries of rationalities behind aid (Moyo, 2009; Burnell, 2008 and 1997; Collier, 2008 and Todaro and Smith, 2011). In the first decade of twenty-first century, the common reason given by donor nations for giving aid are moral and humanitarian interest in helping the less privileged. Some development assistance has been in the form of emergency food relief and medical program currently in Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti, Southern Sudan and Syria. As true as that may be, there are historical evidences that support the claim that no donor nation give aid without expecting something in return. Some of the reasons are political and economic gain, counterterrorism especially after September 11, antinarcotics in Mexico and Latin America, and prevention of HIV and AIDS. Common motivation by donor countries is political benefits. Burnell (2008) argued that even US aid for post-war reconstruction in Western Europe was motivated by political and concerns for national security and superpower competition with USSR (Todaro and Smith, 2011). The hidden rationale of the US Marshall Plan was mainly to contain the spread of communism. The success achieved in bringing Western Europe back on sound economic footing was clear, but it also gave US the advantage of influencing foreign policy with that part of Europe becoming its allies. It enhanced the emergence of US-led multilateralism (Moyo 2009:12). The focus shifted in 1950s from Europe to developing nations while the agenda of containment embodied in the US aid programme dictated a shift in emphasis toward political, economic, and military support for friendly less developed nations especially those considered geographically strategic (Todaro and Smith, 2011:701). The Cold War marked the political contest between USSR and US. African countries were used as battleground to make the newly independent nations either communist or capitalist. The protracted disaster in Syria reflects the hegemony between Russia, China and US. In the Latin America, Alliance for Progress in 1960s was established to promote economic development of the region, but underlying that is the motivation to counter rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba and the fear of communism in other Latin America nations. The doomed fate of the Alliance for Progress showed its irrelevance to US scheme of affairs. Dated back to 1940s, Britain government gives aid for infrastructural projects to poorer nations, majorly to commonwealth member countries and British Colonial Development and Welfare Act was established to fund social services (Moyo, 2009). In sum, Western donors give aid as a political instrument to prop up friendly political regimes in developing nations based on their own national security interest. Critics of aid argued that the fight against AIDS is to prevent it from spreading to the West and likely state collapse that might be a haven for terrorist (Moyo, 2009; Maathai, 2009). There is strong economic rationale for foreign aid from developed countries. Chief among them are Japan and Germany. Japan gave aid to less developed Asian neighbours to promote its private investments and expanding trade. Chinas aid in Africa currently have same motive. The aim of Marshall Plan was for Europe to regain their social, political and economic stability and to regain their level of development. US injected about $100bilion (current value of the aid package) as rescue package under George C. Marshal, the then US Secretary of State in 1947, for post- Second World War reconstruction in Europe. The birth of Breton Wood institutions (IMF, World Bank and WTO) in 1940s with the agenda of restructuring international finance, establishing a multilateral trading system and formation of framework for economic cooperation to avoid the experience of the Great Depression of 1930s reinforce aid system. They were to enhance capital investment for reconstruction and manage global financi al system purposely to share investment risk between countries where all member nation bankroll the risk involved (Moyo, 2009; Todaro and Smith, 2011 and Dessai and Porter, 2008). Economic benefits also accrues to the donor countries especially from tied aid loans or grants that requires the recipient countries to use the fund to purchase goods and services from the donor countries. According to Todaro and Smith (2011:705), a large fraction of US aid has been spent on American Consultants and other US businesses. The recipient countries accept aid based on their belief on the economic tenets of developed nations as a requirement for the achievement of their own development and in some cases and lack of domestic resources. To some corrupt leaders aid is attractive because they hardly account for it and sometimes used to suppress opposition and retain power military assistance. Moral obligation, some argued, compel the donor countries to assist the less developed nation on humanitarian ground. They believe that the rich countries, especially former colonial masters such as Britain, US, France, Italy, Spain Portugal to mention a few, owe the poor countries reparation for their past exploitations. Aid and aid governance has generated hot debate and political disagreement among scholars, policy-makers and the public (Collier, 2008:99). The first argument is on aid effectiveness in promoting development. Proponents of aid believe that it has engendered economic growth and transformed many developing countries. The Nobel Laureate, Maathai (2009), in her book The Challenge for Africa observed that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) alone has provided over $650 billion in development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. She noted the flows have not reversed the increasing death of poor African because of malaria, HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases. However, the impact of foreign media and development experts concern on Africa issues especially on preventable diseases has been helpful, but that is not the concerns of sub-Saharan Africa public officials. Collier (2008) noted that aid tends to speed up growth. In Africa, he pointed out that aid has added about 1 percent to the countries annual economic growth rate of the bottom billion. Though not encouraging, but according to him, the growth rate in those countries has been less than 1 percent or even zero. The aid addition to the growth rate is the difference between economic stagnation and severe cumulative decline and without aid, cumulatively the countries of the bottom billion over would have become poorer than they are today: aid has been a holding operation preventing things from falling apart (Collier, 2008:100). The renewed commitment of the world leaders and international organisation involved in the governance of aid reinforced the position that aid is relevant to the development of sub-Saharan Africa. They agreed that properly administered aid would meet its development objectives (Paris Declaration, 2005). Critics of aid argue that aid does not promote growth and develop ment, but contrarily may even be destructive to development of developing nations. Moyo (2009) vigorously criticised aid in Africa. She argued: the notion that aid can alleviate systemic poverty and has done so is a myth. Millions in Africa are poorer today because of aid; misery and poverty have not ended but have increased. Aid has been and continue to be, an unmitigated political, economic, and humanitarian disaster for the most part of the developing world (p.xix). In the same vein, Peter Baueras cited by Moyo (2009), noted that aid distort development as the fund ended in the hand of a selected few. He said aid is a form of taxing the poor in the developed countries to enrich the new elites in their former colonies. Baueras concluded that aid-based theories and policies are inconsistent with sound economic management and with reality of the situation in developing nations. The argument that aid had had little or no impact on the development of sub-Saharan Africa is strong. However, one can be curious to ask what befell the income from the countries earnings from natural resources and other revenues. In reality, those resources also have not been of any impact on the development of the region (Ushie, 2012; Handley et al. 2009; and Chibba 2011, TI 2012). Moyo (2009) agreed on this and admitted that the problem of Africa is beyond aid because domestic earnings also seem to be a curse. Collier argued that the growth rate in countries with natural resources (oil windfall) such as Nigeria that earned over $280 billion from crude oil were not different from those other countries without such resources and with even negative effect of oil windfall on their economies. He lamented that more aid without changes in approach to governance is doomed to fail: but as a general instruments (aid) for developing the bottom billion they would be more reassuring had oil and other natural resources revenues been more successful in achieving development(2008:102). Maathai supported this claim: Unfortunately, too many African governments have used their budgets, and their natural resources, not to invest in their people, but in precisely the opposite manner(Maathai, 2009:75). Another dimension of aid debate is aid-conditionality. Formal president of South Africa, Dr Nelson Mandela, at the United Nation Summit in 1995 said it is to perpetuate difficulties of the South for the North to relate to us as hapless victims to dictate to regarding loans and the employment of aid (cited by Todaro and Smith,2011:684). Argument against conditionality is popular among civil society, governments and the international institutions involving in the governance of aid. Conditionality-based lending started in 1980s with recommendation for economic policy and institutional reform with Structural Adjustment Programme taken central stage. It incurred resentment because people viewed it as coercive and offensive to sovereignty (Burnell, 2008:505). Based on Dollar and Burnsides (1998) recommendation, selectivity was introduced to aid favouring countries that show commitment to sound development policy and good governance. Critics view this as depriving assistance to countries that desperately need the help. Nevertheless, Collier noted that aid agencies have little incentives to enforce conditionality because people get promotion by disbursing fund, not by withholding it. He advocated for a shift in the focus of governments to the welfare of their citizens. He argued that the internal process by which citizens force government to be accountable to them is weak in developing nations and must be strengthened. To achieve this, external pressure is needed and legitimate: Why should we give aid to governments that are not willing to let their citizens see how they spend it (2008:110). The focus of all stakeholders in aid governance now must be how to make it effective in meeting its development goals, because aid is at the heart of governance today and it is unlikely to disappear, (Moyo, 2009:66). Aid effectiveness can be viewed as efforts gear toward ensuring the maximum impact of development aid for getting the most possible lives improved. Elliot Stern et al (2008:20) based on the principle of Paris Declaration (PD) defined aid effectiveness as arrangement for the planning, management and deployment of aid that is efficient, reduces transaction costs and targeted towards development outcomes including poverty reduction. The theme of PD is how to improve the way aid is delivered and it was to supplement PRSP. It demands from donors to harmonise their assistance with the policies and systems of recipient countries to support country-owned development (Booth 2011). Development effectiveness of aid is conceived as the effectiveness of aid in promoting development. Human development requires more than achieving economic growth in GDP and raising income. The focus of development must shift from national income accounting to people-centred policies. Development is defined as the process of improving the quality of all human lives and capabilities by raising peoples levels of living, self-esteem, and freedom (Todaro and Smith, 2011:5). Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (2003) viewed development as the elimination of obstacles to what a person can do in life. Obstacles such as illiteracy, ill health, lack of access to resources or lack of civil and political freedoms. Amartya Sen (2001) noted that development should be viewed as a process of expanding the real freedom that people enjoyed. UNDP (2001) supported this by saying that the fundamental capabilities for human development are to live healthy and long lives, to be educated, to have access to resources for good standard of living and ability to participate in the life of the community. THE CHALLENGES TO DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa are multi-dimensional, most importantly, the prevalence of extreme poverty and chronic diseases across the region. They form one-sixth of the world population, described by Paul Collier (2008) as the bottom billion. Sachs (2005:18) described them as too ill, hungry, or destitute to step the ladder of development. The webs of poverty make it extremely difficult to escape it on their own. Extreme poverty, according to him, means that households are unable to meet their basic physiological or biological needs for survival. Education is unaffordable for the children and there is no proper shelter for the household. Sachs (2005) reported that 93 percent of the world poor population lives in three regions: East Asia, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. While it has reduced substantially in Asia, the percentage of extremely poor people has risen in sub-Saharan Africa (Handley et al. 2009; Moyo 2009; and Collier 2008). National Bureau of Economic Research (NGO) as quoted by Maathai (2009) reported that the economic growth of the world grew at 2 percent between 1960 and 2001, but the reverse was the case in Africa. She noted, GDP growth was negative from 1974 to mid-1990s and by 2003, sub-Saharan Africa GDP lowered by 11 percent than thirty previous years (p.48). In early 1960s, only 10 percent of the world poor were African, but in year 2000, African population formed 50 percent of the world poor. The growth rate of sub-Saharan Africa countries did not exceed 0.5 since 1960 when the population was 277million. With a population of over 900million, the growth rate remains unchanged. Such economic performance cannot guarantee meeting the basic needs of the people. Moyo (2009) also noted that sub-Saharan Africa remain the poorest region in the world with per capital income of $1 a day, lower than what it was in 1970s. The number of people from that region living in abject poverty doubled between 1981 and 2002. UNDP(2007) cited by Moyo(2009) predicted that by 2015, one-third of third of the world poor would be African contrary to one fifth in 1990. Life expectancy stands at 50year, the lowest in the world. And still, across important indicator life expectancy, literacy rate, maternal- infant mortality and income inequality the trend in Africa is not just downwards: Africa is (negatively) decoupling from the progress being made across the rest of the world(Moyo 2009:6). Collins (2012) described poverty as one of the greatest challenges to human security and basic human needs. In Nigerian newspaper, the Punch of 27th February 2013, former president of US, Bill Clinton said the cause of Boko Haram (Western Education is bad) insurgency in the Nige ria and other sub-Saharan countries are rooted in prevalence of extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa is now a theatre of terrorism. Some of the factors adduced for these challenges in sub-Saharan Africa are classified as geographical, historical, cultural, tribal and institutional. Collier (2008) argued that geographical environment and topography of a country determines its wealth and success. Some environments are easier to manipulate than others are. This gives some society opportunity to tend plants and animal better than others do. The climatic condition, location, topography, species of plants and animals influences peoples ability to provide food for consumption and export. These have positive impact on the economic and development (Moyo 2009). Jeffrey Sachs (2005) gave example of how the climate and location of Britain helped in its economic and social development. He said, Geographical location of Britain enabled it to benefit from trade, productive agriculture and energy resources in vast stock of coal (p.35). He revealed that Britain has favourable climatic condition for agriculture and extensive navig able river ways for internal and external trade. The reverse is the case in sub-Saharan Africa. Historical factors particularly, colonialism was given as one of the reasons for poverty and underdevelopment in Africa. Sachs (2005) opined that Europe superior powers coax weaker societies to take action favourable to their advantage. They commandeered natural resources including natural wealth of Africa, and private army were raised to ensure compliance (p.41). Maathai (2009) also noted that the legacy of colonial master the territories they established was meant to serve their interest. They had no genuine interest in the development of the local population, but in raw materials to their various countries. She noted that outcasts of the traditional society that cooperated with the colonial authority were elevated to positions that they would never have held in traditional societal institutions. This cultivated a system that de-emphasised merit and competence that still endures today. It perpetuates underdevelopment because merit and competence is not a condition in filling offi cial positions against sound governance and justice. Even after independence, the new leader faile

Indian Cuisne :: India Food

India which is also called 'The Republic Of India', is a very large country in South Asia. By size is it the 7th largest country in the world. It also the 2nd most populated democratic country in the world. It is nearly surrounded by water but connected at the north end of the country the the rest of Asia. On it's south is the Indian Ocean. On the west, the Arabian Sea and on the east the Bay Of Bengal. It is connected to countries such as China, Nepal and Pakistan which also have had an affect on India's cuisine. India is also subdivided into 28 States and 7 Union Territories which each have different variations of Indian cuisine . Bhapa This technique is simply steaming, usually in banana leaves or in foil. This is used in Eastern India and other parts of India for Fish and Vegetables. Bhunao/Kasha This is the process of cooking mainly rich meat dishes in a onion spice base on low heat stirring frequently for a very long time. Bagar/Chowk Or Sambara This is the process of tempering foods with the final addition of spices and ghee. It is used for most lentil dishes. Dum-Pukth This is cooking in a sealed steam pot, this method is typical of the cooking of Lucknow and is used for rice dishes such as Biryanis and Pillaus. Talna This is the term for frying both deep and shallow. Tikkis and Kababs are cooked this way. Sekhna Is the process of pan roasting for nuts and griddle breads. Garam Masal Garam Masala is a term for a mixture of spices used in Indian cooking. There are many commercial brands are available, but keen cooks can grind and blend their own. This ensures freshness and means you have control over the quality and quantities of the individual spices. There is no official recipe for Garam Masala, but many Indian families have their own variety. Common ingerdients are Nutmeg, Cumin seeds, toasted Black peppercorns, Whole cloves, Cinnamon sticks, Black or green cardamom. Cumin Cumin from Western Asia, where it has been harvested since Biblical times. People cook with the fruits of the plant, which are usually called the seeds. Cumin is a very weak spice often used in highly spiced cuisines, especially Mexican and Indian. Ginger Ginger is used a lot as a cooking ingredient or spice in Asian cuisine. It is also used in many western dishes such as Gingerbread Men, Ginger Beer and Ginger Snaps.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time review Essay

Plot: Christopher Boone lives with his father in a village. His mother died when he was younger from a heart-attack and the dad was left alone with the challenge of upbringing an autistic child who does not respond like a normal child would. The father has limited money and mental stimulants for the child and does his best to hold back his frustration. However, the reader soon learns that Chris has not been told the complete truth and perhaps that the people he loves have a hidden past. He then begins to understand what has happened and Mark Haddon portrays the challenges he is faced with without the constant safeguarding he needs to feel secure. My Thoughts: I understand that this book is renowned and took the book sales by storm; managing to pick up â€Å"Best novel† and â€Å"Book of the Year† at the Whitbread book awards in 2003, but I do not find it at all appealing. I find myself unable to sympathise with Chris despite Haddon’s brilliant depiction of the mind of a child with autism, as Haddon does writes convincingly through the eyes of an autistic child. I do not think that this is a book that revolves around Asbergers; but instead about being different in general and Haddon is trying to make us see the world through a different lens. He just uses Asbergers as a means of conveying this. Furthermore, as Chris is very rational yet unemotional, there is no depth of character in the novel as Chris is only able to see the world through one plane and cannot build up good character depth, which most popular books have, eg. – â€Å"Harry Potter† and â€Å"The Lord of the Rings†. This direct approach also means that there is no humour apart from the main reoccurring joke of how Chris responds to things which lands im in all sorts of faux pas, (and the novelty of this soon wears off). However, this does not mean to say that I do not understand why it is so popular; it just isn’t something that really enraptured me, and to be honest, it seemed like a waste for a storyline that had the potential to be so rich in dramatic emphasis to be written in such a simplistic style. I have given it two stars but the average for this book is a four/five. Recommendations: If you liked this book I would strongly recommend these as they are both written in a diary style and are about people who do not necessarily fit the norm. The Diary of Adrian Mole (4/5) Molesworth (5/5)

Essay Sample on English Writing How to Write Properly

Essay Sample on English Writing How to Write Properly The importance of using logos, pathos and ethos correctly What makes an argument great depends on whether one correctly uses logos, ethos and pathos. Logos, pathos and ethos are various ways of arguments. Ethos is a term used to describe reliability with an audience. Logos is engaging the logical part of a person. Pathos defines the emotional point of an argument. In using pathos, emotions are used to gain attention from an audience or a reader. Pathos argues through emotion. These are three crucial elements that one should address while writing. If a writer lacks credibility, an audience or a reader will not take the work seriously. On the other hand, if the writer did not show logic in his work, the writing does not have any meaning. If the work showed no emotions, then the message would be lost. if an author fails to exploit these three concepts in his writing, the reader will not meet the author’s expectations. Therefore, it is important for an author to use, as well as, write to the audience’s expectations. Tone and style selection Tone and style selection is not only important in the medical field, but also in any other profession or field. For example, a certain notary public has the permission of advertising its services in other languages and in English. However, in California it is forbidden for a notary to use Spanish terms such as â€Å"Notario Publico† or â€Å"Notario† while advertising or in other forms of communication. This is because Notario refers to a person with the responsibility of giving legal advice, for example, an attorney. A notary public means he/she can certify legal documents. Proper structuring of tone and style while addressing a specific audience is important, in order to avoid any fines or other problems. The process of writing Combining the process of writing, with focus and determination on the purpose of writing, is important to any piece of writing. It is important to always remember the audience one is targeting. First, one should consider the audience that will be reading that piece of work, be it students or other individuals who may be of a different generation. One should be careful while addressing individuals from a different generation as it is easy for a writer to lose this group, if his/her work does not have a common ground. Proper writing is important while communicating in a business setting, as well as, any other profession.

The Top 5 William Shakespeare Plays

The Top 5 William Shakespeare Plays The idea of picking the top five plays by William Shakespeare is sure to spark a quarrel among literary critics and theatergoers. Though many consider Hamlet the Bards best work, others prefer King Lear or The Winters Tale. Tastes vary, but there is some critical consensus about which plays have the most enduring literary value. Hamlet Considered by many literary critics to be Shakespeare’s greatest play, this deeply moving story follows Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, as he grieves for his father and avenges his death. Possibly based on Shakespeare’s personal experience of losing his own son, Hamnet, in 1596, this tragedy manages to explore the complex psychology of its young hero hundreds of years before the emergence of psychology as a concept. For this alone, Hamlet deserves the number one spot. Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare is perhaps most famous for Romeo and Juliet, the classic story of two â€Å"star-crossed lovers.† This play has seeped into the consciousness of popular culture: if we describe someone as romantic, we might describe him as â€Å"a Romeo,† and the balcony scene is possibly the world’s most iconic (and quoted) dramatic text. The tragic love story unfolds against the backdrop of the Montague-Capulet feud- a subplot that provides several memorable action scenes. Shakespeare gets straight down to business at the start of the play and stages a fight between the Montagues and the Capulets serving men. The key reason for Romeo and Juliet’s popularity is its timeless themes; anyone of any age today can relate to a story about two people from very different backgrounds falling head-over-heels in love. Macbeth Macbeth- a short, punchy, intense piece of drama that charts the rise and fall of Macbeth from soldier to king to tyrant- features some of Shakespeares finest writing. Although all of the characters are well-drawn and the plot is perfectly formulated, it is Lady Macbeth who steals the show. She is one of Shakespeares most enduring villains, and it is her intense ambition that drives the play. This crime drama is so popular with audiences that it has inspired over 10 film adaptations. Julius Caesar Beloved by many, this play focuses on Roman senator Marcus Brutus and his involvement in the assassination of Roman emperor Julius Caesar. Those who have not read the play are often surprised to learn that Caesar only appears in a handful of scenes. Instead, the tragedy centers on Brutus conflicting morals and his psychological turmoil as he weaves a conspiracy that will transform history. Critic Harold Bloom has said that the play could have been called The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus. Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy. The play mixes humor and tragedy and is one of the Bard’s most interesting texts from a stylistic point of view. The key to the play’s popularity rests on the turbulent love-hate relationship between Benedick and Beatrice. Throughout the play, the two are locked in a battle of wits- and although we know they really love each other, they just can’t admit it to themselves. Some critics consider Much Ado About Nothing a comedy of manners because it pokes fun at aristocratic behavior and language.

Free Essays on Doctorow, Atwood And Tan

than of actions. He is hardly the stoic, decisive western hero of John Wayne movies. Initially, when resurrecting the town of Hard Times, Blue does not found it on wholesome American values of honesty and fair-dealing, but on greed and conniving. The town has no church and no jail and essentially no foundation of morality. Both the characters of Zar and Isaac are duped into staying by promises of wealth. Zar is concerned primarily with making money from his bar and prostitutes. Isaac, though more scrupulous than Zar, is concerned with profit. Their hopes are founded on the false belief that the town will expand because of a rumored mill to come to their territory. This belief, like the American dream itself, is an illusion. Inevitably they end up with all the trappings of civilization without a functional community. There is much talk of illusion in the novel. Blue is constantly frustrated by his inability to capture the truth in his ledgers. At one point, he states that it’s okay sometimes for a person to fool t... Free Essays on Doctorow, Atwood And Tan Free Essays on Doctorow, Atwood And Tan Brian Ricketts Doctorow’s novel, Welcome to Hard Times is an anti-western novel. Doctorow attempts to debunk the western myth of the American dream. The essential theme in the novel is that the west fails to live up to the hope that civilization can conquer evil. In this way, it was first seen as an un-American story without any real heroes. What it really is, is a different type of historical novel, one that does not concern itself without exact historical accuracy but rather with fictional truth in which the frontier is not a land of endless potential but one vulnerable to human corruption and evil. The characters are not typical western stereotypes. Blue is somewhat cowardly, first hiding behind Molly, and failing miserably once he confronts the Bad Man from Bodie. Though he has a talent for bringing people together (usually by conning them in some way), he is more a man of words than of actions. He is hardly the stoic, decisive western hero of John Wayne movies. Initially, when resurrecting the town of Hard Times, Blue does not found it on wholesome American values of honesty and fair-dealing, but on greed and conniving. The town has no church and no jail and essentially no foundation of morality. Both the characters of Zar and Isaac are duped into staying by promises of wealth. Zar is concerned primarily with making money from his bar and prostitutes. Isaac, though more scrupulous than Zar, is concerned with profit. Their hopes are founded on the false belief that the town will expand because of a rumored mill to come to their territory. This belief, like the American dream itself, is an illusion. Inevitably they end up with all the trappings of civilization without a functional community. There is much talk of illusion in the novel. Blue is constantly frustrated by his inability to capture the truth in his ledgers. At one point, he states that it’s okay sometimes for a person to fool t...

Observing a four-month-old baby Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Observing a four-month-old baby - Assignment Example At four months, babies are able to express themselves, making themselves an active part of their social environment. Observation The focus of the observation was a male baby named Sean Darren from Pennsylvania. This baby boy is developing fast under the care of his mother. He was born with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD), thus he was recommended to avoid certain foods like beans and soya. Some drugs or medications may also be harmful for him, thus he should not be given any medicine without the doctor’s advice. At his age, Sean is beginning to show funny tricks that make him look lovelier. He can recognize familiar faces of people around him; hence he calls the attention of his mother if he sees her around when he awakes. Similarly, he does not want to go with strangers and seems to choose people he goes with. He recognizes his own platter and jolts when he sees his mother holding it. He also takes his milk to his mouth and holds the bottle with the support of a cushion or pillow. Sean cries when he is hungry and wet. He feels uncomfortable to wear wet diapers so his mother makes it a point to change his diapers every 3-4 hours or earlier when needed. At the time of the observation, he was playing with his mother who was holding a rattle. Sean focuses his attention on the little toy, and grabs the toy from his mother and drops it on the sofa. His grip at this stage is not yet strong. He does this repeatedly, while his mother keeps on picking the toy and giving it to Sean. At times, Sean would hold the toy to his mouth and attempt to bite it but fails to do so because he could not place the handle of the toy exactly into his mouth. When he got tired, he turned to his mother’s ring and tried to take it but failed because the ring is in her mother’s finger. After a while, his attention was led to his feet, and he held his feet for more than three minutes while he laughed at his mother whom he thought was talking to him. Sea n smiles a lot when he is playing with colorful things. He has some colorful toys hanging above his crib. He tries to get hold of them by raising his hand while lying on his sleeping cushion. When carried by his mother, the little boy would grab anything, especially colorful things he sees around him. If he is successful in taking what he wants, he would usually take it to his mouth and chew. He drools while he plays with the object in his mouth. Age Based on his behavior and actions, Sean looks like a four-month old baby. Four-month-old babies are nice to hold because they can already react to stimuli in their environment. From looking at things and staring at them, four-year-olds are able to grab them and explore using their hands and mouth. Just like other four-year-old kids, Sean would take something and bring it to his mouth. At his age, he can roll on his side and sleep on his chest and crawl at short distances. With support from his mother, Sean can put his weight on his feet but is unable to stand on his own or even with support. Moreover, four-month-old babies can interact with people around them. They smile and giggle at people who are smiling at them. According to the Cooperative Extension Website, when tickled, these babies could laugh loud and babble. Additionally, four-month olds prefer sitting with support than lying on their backs. They can roll from side to side, lift their head forward, grab things around them, and put things inside

Beowulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Beowulf - Essay Example Still, the main idea is that the monsters in this story represent the disadvantages and wrongdoings of people and evil nature of human creatures. Such parallel may correspond even to present-day society, and with the help of profound analysis we may distinguish the particular evil that is inherent to a definite monster. First and foremost, Grendel should be admitted, as he is the first monstrous villain who stands on the way of Beowulf. The author even names him â€Å"black Grendel† (Beowulf, 1575-1576). This creature is remained to be of the demonic nature and regarded as a descendant of Cain. As it is known Cain has killed his brother according to the Bible and represented as insidious and treacherous person. Such characteristics may be observed in the image of Grendel, and betrayals together with execration are notable in the vision of this character. Moreover, the readers discovering the idea Cain’s successor subconsciously determine him as a negative character because of the connotations with Bible that lead them to such conclusion. The evil spirit and corrupt soul is reflected in the image of Grendel within this particular story. The second villain to whom the attention should be paid is Grendel’s mother. This monster is considered to be a personalization of revenge and anger. She has intended to kill Aeschere for the death of her son. Devilry and evil are remained the motives that operate her proceedings. This creature has been frightful and contemptible, the author calls her â€Å"monster-woman, remembered her misery† (Beowulf, 1258). We must admit that the image of anti woman and dark mind is presented in this character. Dragon is the monster that has to be noticed surely. This creature defends treasures and attained the features of invincible and aggressive monster. The furious rage with the unlimited power is the characteristics of dragon’s image through the story.

The History of Maize from the New World to Africa Essay

The History of Maize from the New World to Africa - Essay Example At present efforts are being made in order to increase Africa’s annual local production and at the same time reduce their importation rates since corn is considered to be one of the most important food sources for the people. The History of Maize from the New World to Africa Maize (Zea mays, L.) or more popularly known around the world as corn, is a cereal crop that originated from the New World, now known as the Americas. It is a tall, annual grass, from the family Gramineae, where other important monocot cereal crops such as wheat and rice also belong (Warman, 2003). It is considered to be one of the earliest grains that were borne out of human genetic manipulation, and its high yield was one of the factors that strengthened the early agricultural societies harvesting this crop (McCann, 2005). All of the numerous uses for corn owe it to its high starch content, which can range from being cooked and served as a major carbohydrate source in every meal, to being ground into flo ur for making chips and bread, to sweets such as desserts or as sources of sweetening agents, and even alcoholic drinks like beer, thus corn shows the flexibility of its products (Warman, 2003). Also, corn is known to have small amounts of minerals such as calcium and iron, even higher than in other cultivated cereals, which adds to the crop’s high carbohydrate content and subsequently, its nutritional value (Mboya, et al., 2011). It is through the wide variety of products that can be made out of corn and rather high nutritional value that made it acceptable in many countries, and its worldwide distribution a success. Among the many areas that have come to learn about planting and harvesting corn, as well as creating a culture that highly utilizes it is Africa, where it was introduced during the time when the Portuguese were still in the process of exploring the New World, as well as beginning to enter into the slave trading business (Maddison, 2007). Starting from a few seed s, the local farmers were able to grow various varieties as well as developing the crops to contain some characteristics that were deemed important, such as having attributes that were similar with locally-grown sorghum (La Fleur, 2012). This initiated a wide acceptance of Africans to a corn corn-cultivating culture and makes it one of their most important staple crops as of date. Thus, the introduction of maize, a New World crop into the African continent and culture was brought upon by the colonial rule of the Portuguese in Southern Africa around the 1500’s, and the successful propagation of the crop in the continent created an economic boost that brought up the culture of planting and consuming maize across Africa, which remains very much alive even today. Origins of the Maize Unlike other grains and cereals which were originally bred from wild ancestors and have undergone minimal changes, the appearance of the maize or corn plant and its cob has been the product of the de liberate intervention of man in its evolution. It is hypothesized that the corn has no wild ancestor, and it has been extinct long before its cultivation began.

How Parents Discipline in Public Places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Parents Discipline in Public Places - Essay Example 154). The clash of needs transpires when the mother unloads her grocery items at the cashier section while her son unwraps the chocolate bar at the checkout aisle for consumption. When the child does not get what he wants, an unwanted scene is created: the child does temper tantrum. Baumgardner (2003) says that temper tantrum is a â€Å"response of children not getting their way during a specific encounter† (p. 185). The mother is exhausted from carefully selecting and picking the items that she wants to buy -- considering the time and the mind she had allocated -- and the exhaustion is augmented when her son decides to do something which is unplanned and unimportant. Seldom, temper tantrum occurs when a child fails to have what he desires. Bergman (2001) counsels the parent not to give in to the child’s manipulation (p. 261). For him, temper tantrum is a sort of mechanism in which children greatly use in order for their parents to â€Å"get their own way† (Bergm an, 2001, p. 261). On the other hand, mothers vary in their response to this kind of situation. Some good mothers complain to the store manager for putting a â€Å"nag factor† (e.g., checkout aisle) in their grocery store. And some mothers talk to their children of what went wrong.

Macroeconomics Assignments & Disscussions Assignment - 1

Macroeconomics Assignments & Disscussions - Assignment Example Two years before Pearl Harbor, the United States was a neutral country, meaning it did not want to be involved in the war since the country was still recovering from the effects of the Great Depression. But after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt sought reason to enter the war. The president said that the only way to fight was to produce weapons and materials for war. This led to economic activities in the once sleepy towns of the U.S. which had been hard hit by the Great Depression (â€Å"PBS.org: War Production† par. 1). Production of war material such as aircraft and aircraft carriers, artillery pieces, tanks and hundreds of thousands of army trucks triggered the growth of the American economy. The United States manufactured more guns and ships than Europe and Japan did. The US had to shift from manufacturing agricultural products to war material (â€Å"PBS.org: War Production† par. 4). This is a report of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2014 which has registered at $17,311,300,000,000. GDP, the article explains, is the gross economic output of the country, which may include goods and services. GDP is an economic measure which tells whether the economy is doing fine or not good. The article also explains about nominal in relation to real GDP. Nominal GDP provides information about economic output, with some quarterly output statistics but with no inflation calculation, and is also used for U.S. debt comparison. Debt-to-GDP ratio, which has been calculated at 102%, is an important part of the nominal GDP report. On the other hand, the U.S. per capita for 2013, an economic indicator for every American in the U.S., was estimated at $52,800. The article clearly explains the amount of GDP the country attained for the second quarter which is more than $17 trillion, but only for the second quarter of this year. It does not only provide news about GDP but it also explains about the U.S. economic output. The

Teaching the Lnguage Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Teaching the Lnguage Skills - Essay Example It is a believed by many parents that inborn intelligence will control how well their kids learn to read no matter what type of instruction is given, however, the evidence suggests otherwise. It has been proved that, in general, IQ has very little bearing on early reading ability. Only recently, the researchers have found that children who have difficulty learning to read usually have acceptable level of IQs (Rayner et al. 2002). It is a fact that teaching children to read well in their early age obviously helps to develop a priceless lifetime habit; thus, it is not surprising that educators have placed enormous emphasis on finding the best way to teach these skills (Rayner et al. 2002). At one time, a great deal of debate in educational circles centred on whether whole-word or phonics instruction was the most effective way of teaching reading skills. But over the past decade or so, arguments have revolved around the relative merits of phonics and whole-word's successor, whole-language. The concept of whole-language approach has been adopted by many teachers because of its intuitive appeal. As making reading fun ensures to keep children motivated, and learning to read depends more on what the student does than on what the teacher does (Rayner et al. 2002). But the prospect of keeping kids interested would not have been enough by itself to convince teachers to use the whole-language method. What really made it a success was an educational philosophy that empowered teachers to compose their own curricula and encouraged them to treat children as active participants, an enticing combination that was promoted with flair by some educator celebrities. The presumed benefits of whole-language instruction and the stark contrast to the perceived dullness of phonics led to its growing acceptance across America during the 1990s (Rayner et al. 2002). It has been clearly demonstrated that understanding how letters relate to the component sounds of words is critically important in reading. The research on the topic shows that there is no doubt about it: teaching that makes the rules of phonics clear will ultimately be more successful than teaching that does not. Admittedly, some children can infer these principles on their own, but most need explicit instruction in phonics, or their reading skills will suffer. This conclusion rests, in part, on knowledge of how experienced readers make sense of words on a page an understanding that psychologists have developed over many decades. One of the first researchers to investigate the nature of reading was James M. Cattell, an American psychologist of the Victorian era (Rayner et al. 2002). To test whether proficient readers were taking in words letter by letter or all at once, he performed a pioneering experiment, exposing subjects very briefly to whole words or to individual letters and a sking them what they saw. He found that they were better able to report words than letters. Thus, it seemed apparent to him that people do not

How Parents Discipline in Public Places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Parents Discipline in Public Places - Essay Example 154). The clash of needs transpires when the mother unloads her grocery items at the cashier section while her son unwraps the chocolate bar at the checkout aisle for consumption. When the child does not get what he wants, an unwanted scene is created: the child does temper tantrum. Baumgardner (2003) says that temper tantrum is a â€Å"response of children not getting their way during a specific encounter† (p. 185). The mother is exhausted from carefully selecting and picking the items that she wants to buy -- considering the time and the mind she had allocated -- and the exhaustion is augmented when her son decides to do something which is unplanned and unimportant. Seldom, temper tantrum occurs when a child fails to have what he desires. Bergman (2001) counsels the parent not to give in to the child’s manipulation (p. 261). For him, temper tantrum is a sort of mechanism in which children greatly use in order for their parents to â€Å"get their own way† (Bergm an, 2001, p. 261). On the other hand, mothers vary in their response to this kind of situation. Some good mothers complain to the store manager for putting a â€Å"nag factor† (e.g., checkout aisle) in their grocery store. And some mothers talk to their children of what went wrong.

Teaching the Lnguage Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Teaching the Lnguage Skills - Essay Example It is a believed by many parents that inborn intelligence will control how well their kids learn to read no matter what type of instruction is given, however, the evidence suggests otherwise. It has been proved that, in general, IQ has very little bearing on early reading ability. Only recently, the researchers have found that children who have difficulty learning to read usually have acceptable level of IQs (Rayner et al. 2002). It is a fact that teaching children to read well in their early age obviously helps to develop a priceless lifetime habit; thus, it is not surprising that educators have placed enormous emphasis on finding the best way to teach these skills (Rayner et al. 2002). At one time, a great deal of debate in educational circles centred on whether whole-word or phonics instruction was the most effective way of teaching reading skills. But over the past decade or so, arguments have revolved around the relative merits of phonics and whole-word's successor, whole-language. The concept of whole-language approach has been adopted by many teachers because of its intuitive appeal. As making reading fun ensures to keep children motivated, and learning to read depends more on what the student does than on what the teacher does (Rayner et al. 2002). But the prospect of keeping kids interested would not have been enough by itself to convince teachers to use the whole-language method. What really made it a success was an educational philosophy that empowered teachers to compose their own curricula and encouraged them to treat children as active participants, an enticing combination that was promoted with flair by some educator celebrities. The presumed benefits of whole-language instruction and the stark contrast to the perceived dullness of phonics led to its growing acceptance across America during the 1990s (Rayner et al. 2002). It has been clearly demonstrated that understanding how letters relate to the component sounds of words is critically important in reading. The research on the topic shows that there is no doubt about it: teaching that makes the rules of phonics clear will ultimately be more successful than teaching that does not. Admittedly, some children can infer these principles on their own, but most need explicit instruction in phonics, or their reading skills will suffer. This conclusion rests, in part, on knowledge of how experienced readers make sense of words on a page an understanding that psychologists have developed over many decades. One of the first researchers to investigate the nature of reading was James M. Cattell, an American psychologist of the Victorian era (Rayner et al. 2002). To test whether proficient readers were taking in words letter by letter or all at once, he performed a pioneering experiment, exposing subjects very briefly to whole words or to individual letters and a sking them what they saw. He found that they were better able to report words than letters. Thus, it seemed apparent to him that people do not

Poetry Essay Essay Example for Free

Poetry Essay Essay Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define. Poetry is sometimes hard to understand but other times its as easy as one, two, and three. Sometimes people turn to poetry to vent their feelings, to tell their high school sweetheart they still love them, to get over grief and etc. Poetry can be inspirational and motivating. Poetry can be anything you want it to be. The plot of Watch by Frank Outlaw tells us that we should be careful about what we do and to choose wisely what we act on. One of the poetic devices in this poem is assonance. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. The vowel sounds repeated in this poem are: A, E, I, O and U. Another poetic device found in this poem is imagery. Imagery is words or phrases that appeal to the senses. The poem is titled Watch, so I believe therefore, watch would be considered as imagery. This poem appeals to me because I agree that we should watch what we do, before we do that particular thing. The plot of The Greatest Artist by Udiah tells us that God is one of a kind and can create the most beautiful things in this world. It also tells us that only God can create the beautiful things on this Earth. The sky is Gods canvas to a beautiful masterpiece. It also states that whenever we are sad, he puts a smile across our face to let us know Hes there. One poetic device in this poem is rhyme. Rhyme is the similarity of ending sounds exsisting between two words. Some of the rhyming words are: compare and air, above and glove, fair and there. Another poetic device is metaphor. Metaphor is the comparison between two objects with the intent of giving clearer meaning to one of them. One of the metaphors in this poem is: God is the greatest artist. This poem appeals to me because I agree that God is the one and only who can create the most unique things and we always know hes watching us with open eyes. The plot of Before You by William Arthur Ward tells us that we should think before we do. It also tells us that we should learn from different situations. Another thing it teaches is that we should use patience before expressing our thoughts. One of the poetic devices in this poem is repetition. Repetition is the repeating of words or phrases. The repetition in this poem is before you. Another poetic device is assonance. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. The vowel sounds repeated in this poem are: A, E, I, O and U. This poem appeals to me because I agree that we should think before we act. I dedicate this poetry book to my mom. I included certain poems because poetry has such a special meaning for a special person. She is a true genuine person with a great attitude towards life. Who expresses emotions profoundly through words. I included certain poems because of the motivation and inspiration they have. Im most inspired by Adele, Adele is a famous London singer, who expresses music through her heartfelt experiences.

RISK FACTORS: ANAEMIA AMONG ANTENATAL MOTHERS

RISK FACTORS: ANAEMIA AMONG ANTENATAL MOTHERS Anemia in pregnancy constitutes a major public health problem in developing countries. It is defined as reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood as a result of fewer circulating erythrocytes than normal or a decrease in the concentration of Haemoglobin (Hb) (Hoque et al., 2009). During pregnancy, there is an increase in amount of iron required to increase red cell mass, expand plasma volume and to allow growth of fetal-placental unit (Scholl, 2005). The deficiency occurs through reduced production or an increased loss of red blood cells. Anaemia in pregnant women in developing countries is generally presumed to be the result of nutritional deficiency. In Malaysia, the incidence of anaemia among pregnant mothers attending public antenatal clinics was reported to be 35% (Jamaiyah et al., 2007). Hadipour et al. (2010) reported a higher incidence of anaemia among Iranian pregnant women i.e. 51.4%. Iron deficiency anaemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency problem affecting pregnant women. Pregnant women are considered to be the most vulnerable group, since the additional demands that are made on maternal stores during this period exposes them to various latent deficiencies that manifest themselves as anaemia (Hoque et al., 2009). Increased iron requirements, low pre-pregnancy iron stores and continued inadequate dietary intakes of iron exacerbate this physiologic anaemia during pregnancy in many regions of this world (Christian et al., 2003). Brabin et al. (2001) reported a strong association between severe anaemia (OR 3.51, 95% CI: 2.05-6.00) and maternal mortality. Anaemia may result from both nutritional and nonnutritional factors, specifically besides iron, deficiency of micronutrients such as vitamins A, C and B-12 and folic acid may contribute to the development of anaemia. These nutrients may affect haemoglobin synthesis either directly or indirectly by affecting absorption and/or mobilization (Ramakrishnan et al., 2004). Systemic evaluation of the efficacy of antenatal iron supplementation is known to raise haemoglobin concentration, although it effects are influenced by dose and compliance level (Christian et al., 2003). Inability to meet the required level for iron and other vitamins either as a result of dietary or supplementary gives rise to anaemia (Idowu et al., 2007). According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 1998), anaemia should be considered when the hemoglobin level is below 11 g/dL. Anaemia ranges from mild, moderate to severe and WHO classifies the hemoglobin level for each of these types of anemia in pregnancy at 10.0 -10.9 g/dL (mild anemia), 7-9 g/dL (moderate anemia) and The effects of maternal anemia on the fetus were considerable and include the following: the prematurity rate among infants of anemic mothers was 18.1%, 3 times that of infants born to nonanemic mothers; the perinatal loss in the anemic mother was 13.1%, twice that of the nonanemic mother (6.8%); and the stillbirth rate among infants born to anemic mothers was 91.0/1000 compared with a rate of 15.7/1000 among infants born to nonanemic mothers. The findings indicate the seriousness of severe anemia in pregnancy. Etiological factors are considered since this will be the basis of rational therapy. Iron deficiency anemia may develop for several reasons. There is usually a dietary deficiency of iron, and there may also be a lowered absorption from the gut. Also, there may be excessive blood loss due to hookworm and menorrhagia, and there are the demands of repeated childbearing. Apart from hookworm infestation, insufficient dietary intake of iron was the principal cause of anemia among the women in the study with iron deficiency anemia. Among the women with megatoblastic anemia folic acid was the prime deficiency leading to this type of anemia. The anemia was aggravated by increasing malnutrition as demonstrated by diminished serum albumin and globulin concentration. The diagnosis of severe iron deficiency anemia was made by estimation of the hemoglobin concentration, supplemented in some cases by serum iron studies. Megaloblastic anemia in pregnancy can only be diagnosed with accuracy by a bone marrow smear. Consideration of the etiology of anemia in Malaysia led to a standard treatment among the pregnant women studies. The treatment approach is reviewed in detail. In Malaysia, pregnant women from a lower social-economic group indicated the prevalence of anaemia was 30-40%. Since then, Malaysia has had tremendous economic changes and is expected to have changes in the prevalence of anaemia as well. This study was conducted with the aim of identifying of risk factors that contributing anaemia among antenatal mothers such as sociodemografic data, prenatal care and maternal health status. 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT Anaemia still constitutes a public health problem in the world, especially in the developing countries (Royston Armstrong),1989,Abou Zahr Royston,1992).Nutritional anaemia is found more among rural mothers, where poor dietary intake and parasitic infections are more common. Many women start their lives with insufficient iron stores, but also, because of inadequate child spacing, they have little time to build up their iron levels between pregnancies (WHO,1975). The effect of anaemia in pregnancy has been shown to be associated with an increase risk of maternal and fetal morbility (Tasker,1958;Llewellen-,1965;Lourdeadin,1969;Baker,1978). However, risk factors such as anaemia in pregnancy can be controlled and monitored by good antenatal care and appropriate action, including referral, in accordance to the level of severity of the anaemia. In Malaysia, 30 to 40% of pregnant women and 25% of women from rural communities suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. The most common haematologic complication of pregnancy and is associated with increased rates of premature birth, low birth weight and perinatal mortality. According to Jamaiyah et al.(2007), found that the prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy is 35% and mostly of the mild type and more prevalent in the Indian and Malays. WHO estimates that more than half of pregnant women in the world have a haemoglobin level indicative of anaemia. ( Base on the many contradicting finding of this similar study, therefore the aim of this study is to determine the factors that contributing anaemia during pregnancy among mothers admitted at antenatal ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan. 1.2 Objectives 1.2.1 General objectives To determine factors associated with anaemia during pregnancy among mothers admitted at Antenatal Ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan. 1.2.2 Specific objectives 1. To determine the haemoglobin level for mothers who admitted at antenatal ward ,Hospital Jeli, Kelantan 2. To determine factors associated with anaemia mothers. 1.3 Benefit of study Knowledge on factors associated anaemia during pregnancy among mothers such as factors social demographic, prenatal care of maternal status and maternal nutrition of the mothers. To prevent and reduce the prevalence of low birth weight among infants and to prevent maternal and prenatal mortality. 1.4 Conception frame work Figure 1: factors that contributing with anaemia Anemia in pregnancy constitutes a major public health problem in developing countries. (Brabin et al.2001). This conceptual framework describe those maternal factors that may influence anaemia among antenatal mothers. The important factors are the socio demographic data such as the age of mother, race, parity, education level of mothers, Occupation of mothers, Occupation of father and number of dependent. Perinatal care variables that were studied were access to antenatal booking, number of visit to antenatal clinic ,parity,Period of Gestation (POG) ,vitamin and iron supplements, family planning and eating taboos. Maternal health factors such as past medical history, Big baby, APH, placenta praevia, hyperemesis , Hb level ,Multiple pregnancy and others were included in this study to determine the factors that contributing anaemia mothers. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of anaemia in pregnancy In pregnancy , anemia has a significant impact on the health of the fetus as well as that of the mother. The physiologic expansion of the plasma volume is detactable as early as 6 to 8 weeks gestationan (Wood Ronneberg, 2006). The world health organization (WHO) defines anemia in pregnancy as haemoglobin concentration of less than 11.0g/dl. WHO estimates that more than half of pregnant women in the world have a haemoglobin level indicative of anemia ( Iron is essential for multiple metabolic processes, including oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and electron transport. Iron equilibrium in the body is regulated carefully to ensure that sufficient iron is absorbed in order to compensate for body losses of iron. While body loss iron quantitavely is as important as absorption in terms of maintaining iron equilibrium, it is a more passive process than absorption. Consistent errors in maintaining this equilibrium lead to either iron deficiency or iron overload. Iron balance is achieved largely by regulation of iron absorption in the proximal small interstine. Either diminished absorbable dietary iron or excessive loss of body iron can cause iron deficiency. Decrease absorption usually is due to an insufficient intake of dietary iron is an absorbable form. It si support by Ladewig et al.(2006), found that the common anemia of pregnancy are due to either to insufficient haemoglobin production related to nutritional deficiency in iron or folic acid during pregnancy. Anemia is the most common haematologic complication of pregnancy and is associated with increased rates of premature birth, loe birth weight and perinatal mortality. According to Allen (2000), iron deficiency anemia is a factor that can cause preterm birth and low birth weight and can effect the neonatal health status. Haemoglobin values drop during the second trimester of pregnancy because of the dilution of the blood caused by plasma increases and this physiologic anemia is normal. During the third trimester, haemoglobin levels generally return to pre pregnancy levels because of increased absorption of iron from the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, a women is considered anemia if her haemoglobin is less than 11 g/dl during the first and third trimester or less than 10.5 g/dl during the second trimester (Cunningham et al., 2001). In malaysia, ion deficiencies always happen in malay and Indians pregnant women because their particular eating habits of different races. It support study done by mohanambal et al.(2002), found that iron deficiency was sees in Malays and Indians, no iron deficienciency was seen among the Chinese. 2.2 Factors associated with anemia 2.2.1 socio- demographic factors Malaysian infant mortality diffentials, because socioeconomic development has very clearly had a diffential impact by ethnic group. The Chinese rates of infant mortality are significantly lower than the Malay or Intdian rates. Low socioeconomic level was the most important risk factor for anaemia among antenatal mothers. And was independent of other factors, including those related to production and nutrition, health service and prinatal care. It is support by Sohl Moore (2000), reported that there are clear genetic and constituonal influences that act on foetal growth, it is estimated that 40% of birth weight is due to heredity and the remaining 60% to environmental factors. According to kennedy et al.(1998) and Ecob and Smith (1999), among the socio-economic factors are income, education, occupation, household leadership and gender differences related to roles within the family. It support the findings studies by Tuntiserance et al. (1999), studied a cohort of 1797 pregnant women visiting antenatal clinics, they found that significantly factors between socio-economic indicators and pregnancy outcomes. The indicators were family socio-economic status, maternal education, maternal occupation, family income and work exposures, while the pregnancy outcomes were base on anaemia mothers. Age of mother Maternal age is an important and dependent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome(Delbaere et al.,2007). Epidemiological studies suggest that there is a trend in developing nations to delay the age of the first pregnancy. Maternal age > 35 years for first pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, intra uterine growth retardation and prematurity. It is supports the finding study by Ann et al. (2007) that have same conclusion that increasing maternal age to be associated with low birth weight and anaemia during delivery. Educational level of mother Educational level of mother are linked to certain prenatal risk factors such as anaemia and to proven detrimental to birth outcomes . this can help intervention workers to identify the at risk mother. Early identification can result in focused programs administered directly to the individuals most likely to benefit (Wasser, 1995). According to Currie and moretti (2003) started that the effect of maternal education on birth weight I the US with a policy increasing the supply of colleges when the mother was teenager. The rationale is that the opening of a college reduces the cost of higher education in a way that is uncorrelated with the unobservable term correlating both education and health. Family income Family income is generally considered a primary measure of a nations financial prosperity. Income or poverty status had a statistically significant effect on anaemia mothers and both low birth weight and the mortality rate. According to Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (1997), found the effects of income or poverty status and a number of pregnancy-related health services on birth outcomes for white and black women also found that for whites but not for blaks. Prenatal care of mothers Antenatal care is the clinical assessment of mother and fetus during pregnancy, for the purpose of obtaining the best possible outcome for the mother and child. Antenatal care traditionally involves a number of routine visits for assessment, to a variety of healthcare professionals, on a regular basis throughout the pregnancy. Number of children (parity) Parity was determined to all the number of previous pregnancies resulting in either live birth or still births after 22 weeks of gestational age. Maternal parity and age were significantly positively associated with anaemia mothers. Women often become anaemic during pregnancy because the demand for iron and other vitamins is increased. The mother must increase her production of red blood cells and, in addition, the fetus and placenta need their own supply of iron, which can only be obtained from the mother. In order to have enough red blood cells for the fetus, the body starts to produce more red blood cells and plasma. It has been calculated that the blood volume increases approximately 50 per cent during the pregnancy, although the plasma amount is disproportionately greater. This causes a dilution of the blood, making the haemoglobin concentration fall. This is a normal process, with the haemoglobin concentration at its lowest between weeks 25 and 30. The pregnant woman may need additional iron supplementation, and a blood test called serum ferritin is the best way of monitoring this. Many women are anaemic during pregnancy. A recent study by the Anaemia Working Group found that about one-third of pregnant Malaysian women are anaemic. (Dr. Milton Lum , 2009).Anaemia occurs because there is increased demand for iron and vitamins in pregnancy. The mother has to produce more red blood cells for herself and the foetus. More plasma is also produced.The blood volume increases by about 50% during pregnancy with a disproportionate increase in plasma. This leads to a dilution of the blood with the haemoglobin falling. The haemoglobin is at its lowest level between 24 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. Poor diet: If the diet is low in iron and vitamins, especially folic acid, there is a risk of anaemia as these are the raw materials needed to produce sufficient numbers of red blood cells. Vegetarians who have a strict diet may not get enough iron or vitamin B12 in their food. Family history: Some women whose family members have anaemia because of inherited genes are at increased risk. Chronic conditions like kidney or liver failure, and cancer increases the risk. Chronic blood loss from some parts of the body due to ulcers, haemorrhoids, etc, may lead to iron deficiency anaemia. 2.3 Regulation of iron transfer to the fetus Transfer of iron from the mother to the fetus is supported by a substantial increase in maternal iron absorption during pregnancy and is regulated by the placenta .Serum ferritin usually falls markedly between 12 and 25 wk of gestation, probably as a result of iron utilization for expansion of the maternal red blood cell mass. Most iron transfer to the fetus occurs after week 30 of gestation, which corresponds to the time of peak efficiency of maternal iron absorption. Serum transferrin carries iron from the maternal circulation to transferrin receptors located on the apical surface of the placental syncytiotrophoblast, holotransferrin is endocytosed, iron is released, and apotransferrin is returned to the maternal circulation. The free iron then binds to ferritin in placental cells where it is transferred to apotransferrin, which enters from the fetal side of the placenta and exits as holotransferrin into the fetal circulation. This placental iron transfer system regulates iron tran sport to the fetus. When maternal iron status is poor, the number of placental transferrin receptors increases so that more iron is taken up by the placenta. Excessive iron transport to the fetus may be prevented by the placental synthesis of ferritin. 2.4 Effect of anemia on maternal mortality and morbidity The major concern about the adverse effects of anemia on pregnant women is the belief that this population is at greater risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Maternal mortality in selected developing countries ranges from 27 (India) to 194 (Pakistan) deaths per 100000 live births. Some data show an association between a higher risk of maternal mortality and severe anemia, although such data were predominantly retrospective observations of an association between maternal hemoglobin concentrations at, or close to, delivery and subsequent mortality. Such data do not prove that maternal anemia causes higher mortality because both the anemia and subsequent mortality could be caused by some other condition. For example, in a large Indonesian study, the maternal mortality rate for women with a hemoglobin concentration 2.5 Maternal anemia and birth weight The relation between maternal anemia and birth weight has been reviewed more extensively elsewhere in this issue. In several studies, a U-shaped association was observed between maternal hemoglobin concentrations and birth weight. Abnormally high hemoglobin concentrations usually indicate poor plasma volume expansion, which is also a risk for low birth weight. Lower birth weights in anemic women have been reported in several studies. In a multivariate regression analysis of data from 691 women in rural Nepal, adjusted decrements in neonatal weight of 38, 91, 187, and 153 g were associated with hemoglobin concentrations à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥20, 90-109, 70-89 and 2.6 Maternal iron deficiency anemia and duration of gestation There is a substantial amount of evidence showing that maternal iron deficiency anemia early in pregnancy can result in low birth weight subsequent to preterm delivery. For example, Welsh women who were first diagnosed with anemia (hemoglobin 2.7 Maternal anemia and infant health An association between maternal anemia and lower infant Apgar scores was reported in some studies. In 102 Indian women in the first stage of labor, higher maternal hemoglobin concentrations were correlated with better Apgar scores and with a lower risk of birth asphyxia. When pregnant women were treated with iron or a placebo in Niger, Apgar scores were significantly higher in those infants whose mothers received iron. A higher risk of premature birth is an additional concern related to the effect of maternal iron deficiency on infant health; preterm infants are likely to have more perinatal complications, to be growth-stunted, and to have low stores of iron and other nutrients. In the Jamaican Perinatal Mortality Survey of >10000 infants in 1986, there was an à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 50% greater chance of mortality in the first year of life for those infants whose mothers had not been given iron supplements during pregnancy, although the iron status of these infants and their mothers was not assessed. Apart from this survey, there is little known concerning the effects of maternal iron status during pregnancy on the subsequent health and development of the infant. 2.8 Benefits of iron supplementation on maternal iron status There is little doubt that iron supplementation improves maternal iron status. Even in industrialized countries, iron supplements have been reported to increase hemoglobin, serum ferritin, mean cell volume, serum iron, and transferrin saturation. These improvements are seen in late pregnancy, even in women who enter pregnancy with adequate iron status. When compared with unsupplemented pregnant women, differences in iron status due to supplementation usually occur within à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 3 mo of the time supplementation begins. Supplementation can reduce the extent of iron depletion in the third trimester. However, for women who enter pregnancy with low iron stores, iron supplements often fail to prevent iron deficiency. The benefits of iron supplementation on maternal iron status during pregnancy become even more apparent postpartum. This is illustrated by a Swedish study in which all pregnant women who did not take iron supplements had less than sufficient iron stores in late pregnancy compared with 43% of supplemented (200 mg Fe/d) women. Use of nutritional supplements Intake of iron supplements during pregnancy was also found to have a protective effect with anaemia in pregnancy. This is consistent with the findings of some other studies on iron supplementation and pregnancy outcome (Hesss et al.,2001). Iron supplementation during pregnancy protects a women from becoming anaemic because the required amounts may not be supplied from dietary intake during this period. Controlled trials of iron supplementation during pregnancy have consistently demonstrated positive effects on maternal iron status at delivery. The prevalence of low hemoglobin or hematocrict is reduced: serum ferritin, serum iron and almost every other measure of maternal iron status, including bone marrow iron, are increased in comparison with controls (Mohamed, 1998). Malaysia has gone a long way towards improving the nutritional status of the population. Malnutrition has been defined as a pathological state resulting from a relative or a absolute deficiency or excess of one or more essential nutrients, it can comprise four forms-under-nutrition, over-nutrition, imbalance and specific deficiency (Park, 20000. Antenatal booking Antenatal booking is a an assessment of the physical, social, psychological and emosional state of the pregnant women. The main purpose of the booking visit to obtain a comprehensive history, establish the gestational age and identify maternal and ftal risk factors. Baseline investigations are performed. According to Adesina et al. (2003), stated that early antenatal booking and good control in pregnancy are strongly advocated as means of achieving good pregnancy outcome. It support by Tayie and Lartey (2008), found that early antenatal care was associated with pregnancy outcomes. Number of visits to antenatal clinics Antenatal clinic (ANC), refer to pregnancy related services provided between conception and delivery consisting of monitoring health status mother and her pregnancy. ANC was expected to ontain of mother to get anaemia and preterm delivery rete, a higher average birth weight and decreased neonatal mortality. According to Kost et al.(1998), antenatal clinic (ANC) visits could possibly be seen as indicator of the mothers sense of responsibility to her unborn baby. Visit to ANC services could also have a positive influence on the attitude of the mother, will impact on birth-outcomes. Total numbers of ANC visits for the current pregnancy were categorized as >4 visit and 4 ANC visits with an appropriate health care provided (World health organization,2004) ANC visits as part of primary health care to early detection and treatment of probable problem areas, and contribute to the quality of the birth outcome. ANC has been associated with improved maternal and perinatal outcome, but there is no agreement on the most effecting timing of visit antenatal mother. In Malaysia, the frequency of ANC visit depends on the gestational such as 0-28 week every one mont, 28-36 week every 2 week and 36-4- week every 1 weeks. Antepartum haemorrhage (APH) vagina bleeding is an important factor predictor of adverse effects anemia mothers. About 50% of women who bleeding in last half of pregnancy have placenta praevia or abruptio placenta. When ever the bleeding occurs at the beginning of pregnancy, however the cause is often unknown ( Valero de Bernabe et al.,2004). CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study Location This study were carried out at the antenatal ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan. 3.2 Study Design A cross-sectional study design were done in antenatal ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan from period of January until March 2011. 3.3 Sampling 3.3.1 Sampling population All mothers who admitted to antenatal ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan during the period of January until March 2011 were included in the study. 3.3.2 Sampling frame A list of all antenatal mothers who are admitted at antenatal ward Hospital Jeli, Kelantan during the period of January March 2011 were obtained. 3.3.3 Sampling Method Simple random Sampling, where all antenatal mothers who fulfil inclusion criteria were selected. 3.3.4 Sample Size The minimum sample size required in this study was 30. Data were collected by using close and open ended questionnaires and recode review of admission registered at antenatal ward, Hospital Jeli, Kelantan. In this study, all antenatal mothers who admitted were choosing by Universal sampling. 3.3.5 Inclusion Criteria Mothers who are willing to participate study All The citizen mothers 3.3.6 Exclusion criteria Mothers whos refuse to participate in this study Non citizen mothers Mothers who not understand Malay and English language. 3.4 Research Instrument An interviewer administered questionnaire was developed with two sections: Section A (demographic data) Factors socio demographic (Maternal age, races, education level, family income, employment status, employment status of husband , Hb level and number of dependents. Section B (prenatal care of mothers) Period of gesational , antenatal booking, antenatal clinics ,parity, nutritional supplements,. Section C ( Maternal Health Status) Factors of maternal health status (past medical history, big baby, infection during pregnancy, Ante partum hemorrhage and hyperemesis during pregnancy. 3.5 Definition of study variables The dependent variable: Antenatal mother The independent variables socio demographic factors Age Ethnicity Educational level Primary school Secondary school Tertiary level Occupational of mothers Housewive Professional Non professional Occupational of husband Professional Non professional Agriculture forestry Montly family income. It is divided to 3 categories; 1000-2500 >2500 Hb level of mother during admission Mild anemia ( 10.0 10.9 g/dL ) Moderate anemia (7.0 9 g/dL) Severe anemia ( Number of dependents ii. Prenatal care of mothers Number of children (parity) all the numbers of previous pregnancies resulting in either live births or still births after 22 weeks of gestational age. Number of visits to antenatal clinics that divided to 3 categories 0-4 visit 5-7 visit Above 8 visit Gestational age of mother Time measured from the first day of the womens last menstrual cycle to the current date. Use of nutritional supplements such as iron, folic acid, multivitamin and others iii. Maternal Health status Past medical history -Gestational Diabetic Mellitus (GDM) -Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) -Thalasaemia Infection Ante Partum Haemorrhage -Placenta praevia -Placenta abruptio Hyperemesis 3.6 Definition of terms 1. Anaemia: Anaemia is a lack of red blood cells, which can lead to a lack of oxygen carrying ability, causing unusual tiredness. Human resource management: Tesco Human resource management: Tesco The aim of the assignment is to evaluate strategic human resource management of Tesco Plc with reference to theory and practical approach, to study their Human Resource Management functions and evaluate the contribution of approaches and organisational structure. Human resource management is the process of acquiring, appraising, training, and compensating employees and of attending to their health and safety, and fairness concerns. HRM functions include a wide range of activities, and key among them is the responsibility of human resources. This includes deciding what staffing needs the company has and whether to hire employees or use independent contractors, recruiting and training of the employees, ensuring they always give high performance and ensuring personnel management practices to confirm laws and regulations. HRM activities also include managing employee benefits and compensation, personnel policies and employee records. TRADITIONAL DEFINITION Human resource management is the moulding of the human resources in such a fashion that the goals of the organisation are met and at the same time the need satisfaction of all the employees at all levels is attained to the highest possible degree. MODERN DEFINITION Human Resource (Personnel) Management is the planning, organizing, directing and controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance, and separation of human resources to the end that individual, organizational and societal objectives are accomplished.- Edwin B. Flippo CONTEMPOPARY DEFINITION Human resource management (HRM) is the effective management of people at work. HRM examines what can or should be done to make working people more productive and satisfied.- John M. Ivancevic NATURE OF HRM Human resource management is a process of bringing organizations and people together in order to meet each others goals. Some of its features are as following: Pervasive force- Human resource management is pervasive in nature. Action oriented- Human resource management focuses on performance rather than written rules and procedures. Employees problems are solved through rational policies. Individual oriented- It helps employees in developing their potential full. It allows them to give their best efforts to the organization. It motivates them through systematic process of recruitment, selection, training and development with fair wage policies. People oriented- HRM is about people at work, as individuals as well as groups. It puts people on their assigned jobs to produce good results. Future oriented- HRM does help an organization to meet its goal in the future by preparing motivated and competent employees. Development oriented- HRM helps in developing full potential of the employees. Integrating mechanism- HRM helps in building and maintaining strong relations between people working at different levels in an organization. Comprehensive function- HRM is concerned a decision which can have an impact on the staff. Auxiliary- The purpose of the HR department is to advise and assist the operating managers to do work related to personnel more efficiently and effectively. NATURE OF HRM IMPORTANCE OF HRM People have always been the center of the organizations, and their importance is increasing in todays knowledge based industries. Success of an organization depends on knowledge, skills and abilities of the employees, especially as it helps to establish core competencies over its competitors. HRM helps an organization and its people to reach their goals at following level: Enterprise Level: Organizations can attract and retain best of the people in the organization if it has good human resource practices. Planning in advance helps the company to know what type of people it requires in short, medium and long term. It helps in training the employees for challenging roles, developing right attitude towards the company, promoting a spirit of team among employees and developing commitment and loyalty through reward schemes. Individual Level It helps in building teams and promotes team spirit among employees. It allows growth opportunities to people who have capabilities and potential to rise. It generates compassion and commitment in people towards their jobs. Society Level: Society as a whole is good beneficiary of human resource practices. It helps in generating employment opportunities. It puts talents to the best use. Companies that have good HRM policies stay ahead of their competitors and produce excellent results. National Level: Effective use of human resource results in better exploitation of physical, natural and financial resources. People with proper attitude and values and right skills help the nation to get ahead and compete with the best of countries. TESCO- COMPANY BACKGROUND Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen. He started his new business venture by selling surplus groceries from a stall in the east end of London. On the first day, he made  £1 profit from  £4 of sales. Tesco has come a long way since then and is the fourth largest food retailers in the world after Wal-Mart of the USA, Carrefour of France and Home Depot of the USA. Tesco PLC is listed on the LSE, with the symbol TSCO. It is listed on NASDAQ and Irish Stock Exchange as well. Today it is operating 5,008 stores worldwide of which 2,545 stores are in the UK, and employing over 472,000 people worldwide of which 287,669 are in the UK. Not only Tesco has managed to monopolise the food sector, it has also diversified into a number of other sectors, some of which are insurance, mobile networks, clothing and electronics. However this assignment will focus on the retail sector in the United Kingdom. Albeit that Tesco has 2,545 stores locally, it is considered as operating in global environment. Apart from the United Kingdom, Tesco has stores in six other European countries; Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland and Turkey. Furthermore, it also operates in Asia, and has stores in Malaysia, China, Korea, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Tesco requires people across a wide range of both store-based and non-store based jobs:- In store, checkout staffs, stock handlers, supervisors and many specialists such as bakers and pharmacists are needed. For distribution depots it requires people skilled in stock management and logistics. Head office provides the infrastructure that helps to run Tesco efficiently. In the head office, main roles include human resources, legal services, marketing, information technology, property management and accounting. FUNCTIONS OF HRM IN TESCO PLC RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Recruitment involves attracting the suitable applicant to apply for the vacancies. Tesco advertises for the jobs in different ways. The process varies upon the type of job available. Tesco, first of all, looks at its internal Talent Plan to fill a vacancy. In this process, its current employees who are looking for a move, either at the same level or on promotion, are listed. If it can not find suitable people in this Talent Plan, Tesco advertises the post internally over its intranet for two weeks. For recruitments from outside the organisation, Tesco advertises vacancies through its website www.tesco-careers.com or through display boards in stores. Applications for the managerial positions are made online. Applicants who are chosen, have an interview followed by attendance at an assessment centre for the final stages of the selection process. People who are looking for store based jobs with Tesco can submit their CV at the store or can register through Jobcentre Plus. The store prepares a waiting list of people applying and calls them as jobs become available. For jobs that are hard to fill or are specialised in nature, such as pharmacists and bakers, Tesco goes for external advertising through following mediums: Through radio and television Through website and offline media By placing advertisements on Google or in magazines. Tesco seeks the most cost effective way of attracting right applicants. Tough it is expensive to advertise on radio and television, it is necessary to ensure that right people get to know about the vacancies. Tesco makes it easy for the applicants to find out about the available jobs and has a simple application process. An applicant can find about management jobs, head office jobs and local jobs, through Tescos website. There is an online application form for applicants to submit directly. Skills required There are six work levels within the organisation and each level requires particular skills and behaviours. Level 1 These are frontline jobs and include working directly with customers, various in-store tasks such as filling the shelves with stock. Candidate should have the ability to work accurately with enthusiasm and should be able to work in a team. Level 2 This includes leading a team of employees who are involved in dealing directly with the customers. Candidate should have the ability to manage resources, set targets and constantly work manages and motivates others. Level 3 This includes running an operating unit. It requires management skills that include planning, setting targets and reporting. Level 4 These are supporting operating units and requires good knowledge of the business, ability to lead others and skills to analyse and make decisions. Level 5 People working at this level are responsible for working of Tesco as a whole and should have ability to take major decisions and to lead others. Level 6 This includes the top level management of Tesco PLC which is responsible for Tescos performance. This level requires from candidates an excellent overview of retailing and ability to lead the whole organisation. This framework of Tesco describes the skills and behaviours required at each job and every level of in the company. This helps the candidates to understand whether they possess the right skills and knowledge to carry out their roles. SELECTION Selection involves choosing the most suitable people from those who have applied for a particular job. Screening candidates is an important part of the selection process. This process makes sure that people selected for the interview are best fit with the job requirements. In the first stage of screening, selectors will carefully look at each applicants CV. A well written and positive CV helps Tesco assess whether an applicant matches the specifications required for a particular job. The company also provides a tool called job type match on its webpage. It helps people to let them know where they might fit within the organisation. Candidates who pass screening have to attend an assessment centre. The assessment centres are held in stores and are run by managers. They help to provide consistency in the process of selection. Applicants are given various tasks, this includes working in teams or problem solving exercises. These involve examples of the problems they might have to face at work. Candidates who get approved by the internal assessment centres then have an interview. Line managers take part in the interview to make sure that the candidate fits job requirements. TRAINING Training means acquisition of skills and knowledge by a person for carrying out particular jobs and tasks. The benefits of training employees in an organisation are as follows: It motivates them by increasing their sense of ownership in the organisation. Training makes the employees more productive, organised and flexible. They are able to meet the needs of external and internal customers. Training makes them more effective by imparting new skills and abilities in areas such as decision making. Tescos business image helps Tesco grow. This is because customers are more confident in the competence and knowledge of staff. Tescos training and development module is flexible and structured, which caters to each individual employee needs. This allows the company to identify the potential customers and who have desire to do a bigger and different role to take part in training and develop their skills and leadership capabilities. Tesco follows two types of training methods for the training purpose of its employees. These methods are on the job training and off the job training. On the job training methods include: Shadowing: In this method, a new employee is shown how to do a particular work by an employee who is already working there for a long time and has got good knowledge and skills for that work. Coaching: In this method a designated colleague helps trainees and inspires them to find solutions for the problems they face. Mentoring: In this method, an experienced member of staff acts as an advisor for the new entrants. Job rotation: In this method the trainee is given full responsibilities on a temporary basis. On the job training is directly relevant to the work of the employees and they get to know the people in their area and feel part of a team. The advantages of on the job training methods are as follows- It is costs much less than the off the job training methods. Managers can keep a check on the progress of employees and can help if a problem arises. The employee works during training. Hence, this method of training is more productive. The employee can apply what he/she has learned while working. This results in a better learning. In areas such as team building, organisation and planning or communications, off the job training methods are more appropriate. It involves attending qualified Tesco training staff or external courses run by professional training organisations. At the A Level Options programme detailed induction training is provided from day one. It helps in developing new recruits into managers. This makes new employees meet other trainees and learn about the company and the business objectives extensively. With this kind of elaborate training schedule, they are able to develop the first level management position while working as a Team Leader DEVELOPMENT Development focuses on the growth of the person and extending his/her abilities. Tesco takes the responsibility for training and development of its staff. Primarily, the trainee is responsible for his/her development. The trainee and the manager, both contribute to the programme. The contribution is shown in the following table: TRAINEE LINE MANAGER Identifies and agrees development needs Helps to put together the personal developmental plan Attends workshop and development days Coaching and guiding the trainee as per the developmental plan. Collects evidence of achievements Reviews performance regularly. This he does to ensure that the trainee gets the best from the training Uses the feedback he receives to improve performance and review his development plans Provides feedback Employees of Tesco are encouraged to ask certain strategic questions about themselves in order to assess their ability and skills regarding progress. These questions are:- Do I know how? Can I do it now? What are my current skills? What do I need to achieve a higher position? Options programme Options programme of Tesco provides a long term strategy for development. The employees PERSONAL DEVLOPMENT PLAN includes: Activity plans A learning log A plan, do, review checklist. This is done to monitor when plans are completed. This enables trainees analyse their own progress. Long lasting competencies are produced with the help of personal development. Employees become more productive, positive and valuable to the organisation in the long term. It is a known fact that recruiting new staff costs more than retaining existing staff, therefore for an organisation like Tesco, retaining staff is of prime importance. Development also helps to increase the level of motivation amongst the employees. According to motivation theorists, if employees are given the support to grow their abilities, skills to perform their jobs well and greater responsibility, they become more effective. Tesco needs to ensure that it has the right calibre of staff to build its management team of the future. It requires a staff who can be flexible and who can adapt to change. THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT All businesses, for financial and non-financial reasons, have to monitor and evaluate the costs and benefits of their training and development activities. The business needs to be aware if the investment of its time and money in selection and training of the employees producing any improvements. An employee needs to be given positive and structured feedback on their progress. This gives them a direction and much of confidence. This is reflected in their behaviour while dealing with customers and inspires higher customer confidence in Tesco. The tools of Tesco for monitoring and evaluation of training and development includes: Scheduled tasks Timetables Measures Checklists Employees are able to assess themselves by setting aims in Activity Plans, Recording Outcomes, Personal Development Plans and in Learning Logs. Activity plans need to have SMART objectives: Specific- This describes exactly what needs to be done Measurable- It has a target that can be measured against. Achievable- This is possible within the trainees current skills, role and experience. Realistic- It is achievable within the time and resources available. Time framed- it has a clear deadline. 360 DEGREE APPRAISALS Tesco also uses 360 degree method of performance appraisal. It involves taking feedback from all the people concerned with the employee in the organisation. In other words, all the stakeholders of the organisation who are in contact with the employee assess the persons performance and give feedback for the same. Apart from 360 degree appraisal, Tesco uses a more informal approach to development. In this approach, employees are asked to write down three that according to them they are good at and three things that they believe they could do better. The employee can make out the actions that he/she should continue to do and the bring improvement to the areas they could do better. Managers and trainees hold a weekly informal session and more formal four weekly sessions in order to track progress against their personal development plans. The feedback is carefully recorded and scored. Trainees are given a colour coded development rating: REWARDS AND BENEFITS It is important for an organisation that its people feel rewarded for the work they do. Tesco offers a wage rate that is higher than minimum salaries across all its businesses internationally. Tesco focused on its core rates and even in tough financial year, its pay competitiveness still improved in many markets. In most developing countries, staffs give priority to good basic pay and being paid fairly for overtime. In Malaysia, where there is no legal minimum wage rate, a Tesco employee receives 30% more than the Poverty Line Index for households. Tesco also provide its employees a wide range of competitive benefits in line with local labour laws and regulations. Some of these benefits are from paying at least 75% of the medical expenses, prescription drugs, dental and vision coverage after 90 days employment in the US to providing tuition subsidies in South Korea. Tesco has formulated long term reward plans for all markets so that it has clear plans on how to invest in pay and develop benefits for its employees in each country. All management teams of Tesco share in the success of its business. They are growing through bonus schemes linked to profitability. In the year 2009, Tescos employees received  £98 million worth of free shares in its Shares in Success scheme. A pay out of  £144 million was shared between fifty five thousand employees in Tescos Save as You Earn share option scheme. Tesco offers a wide range of staff discounts throughout the group. In Thailand, Tesco introduced staff discounts linked to its own Tesco clubcard in which staff received higher rewards than its customers. Tesco UK won two awards for its pension schemes. At the 2009 financial Times Pension and Investment Scheme Management Awards, Tescos schemes were awarded Defined Benefit Pension Scheme of the Year and Trustee Excellence- Large schemes. These award recognise how the funds are invested, how it communicates with its staff, how well it carries out the administration of the scheme and strength of the governance. The scheme aims at providing people with an annual income after they retire. Tesco provides benefits on ill health and death, based on their pay and their service. This benefit is one of the ways to reward loyalty and also contribute in attracting and retaining its employees. COMMUNICATION Tesco wants employees to share their views on issues that affect and business, and communicate with them regularly through face to face briefing, store and depot forums, publications, intranet and staff question times. Tescos annual staff survey, called Viewpoint, is kept confidential and anonymous. Results are fed into local plans at office, depot and store level. All of Tescos employees are given right to join a trade union and it is important for both company and employees that they exercise their rights. Tesco has a leading partnership with Usdaw in the UK, and agreements with Katz in Hungary and Solidarity in Poland. Head Office staff of Tesco gains shop floor experience through annual programme called TWIST (Tesco Week In Store Together). In the peak shopping periods such as Christmas and Easter, all head office provide support to their store colleagues through a programme called Helping Hands. Whistle-blowing Tescos whistle blowing policy and helpline number is there in all the countries. Protector Line is a confidential telephone line and e-mail address for employees to report grievances and raise ethical issues. All the calls are invested properly and serious matters are reported to the CEO. The feedback is monitored by the compliance committee. The Group Audit committee reviews the numbers of call and the quality of investigation each year. It also reviews plans to ensure that the staff is well aware of the facility. In 2009, there were around 1,700 employment related calls to the helpline. There was an increase from the last year showing that employees are gaining confidence in the service. Most of the calls are related to personnel issues, commercial issues and security and trading law. Personnel issues are resolved through grievance procedures. In the autumn of the year 2009, Tesco launched a service called Every Comment Helps, in the UK. Customers can contact the company via free text messages, e-mails, free phone calls or a card commenting on the experience in store and stating whether it was good or bad. The messages are transferred to the manager who then decides whether a stock or display issue needs to be solved, or provides feedback to the member of the staff who has been commented on. BUSINESS STRATEGY Tesco with its well-established and consistent strategy for growth tends to solidify their core UK business and expand into new markets. The objective for the strategy is to broaden the scope of its business so that it delivers strong sustainable long term growth and following the customers into large expanding markets in UK, such as telecoms, non-food and financial services, and new markets abroad, initially in Asia and Central Europe and recently in United States. Tesco adopted the strategy of diversifying its business in 1997, and this strategy been the foundation of its success in recent years. The businesses in which Tesco entered over past twelve years now are competitive, have scales and in fact they are the market leaders in some of the markets outside UK. The Tesco group has been making good progress with this strategy. It has five elements, reflecting Tescos four established areas of focus, and also Tescos long term commitments on environment and community. The momentum that this strategy has given the business has allowed the group to continue to grow despite economic downturn. The objectives of the strategy are: To be successful as an international retailer To grow business in UK. The UK is Tescos biggest market and core of its business. Tescos aim is to provide its customers a wide range of choices with excellent value. To develop its retailing services including Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com To consider community before taking any decision. CONCLUSION Tesco is a large organisation with many job opportunities, including management, graduate, school leaver and apprentice posts. Tesco needs people with right skills and behaviour in order to support its growth and development. Tesco has detailed job descriptions, person specifications and clear organisational structures. It provides friendly way of applying for jobs and a consistent approach to recruitment and selection. Hence, it can manage its changing demand for staff. An essential element of Tescos continuing growth is an efficient and effective training and development of employees to compete in this increasingly commercial world. Tesco wants its employees to be flexible and committed in order to fulfil the needs of its expanding business. Tescos expansion depends upon retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Its structured methods of training and development of new and existing employees provides a strong base for its continuing growth.