Nurturing Rural Resilience: Coping Strategies and Collaborative Initiatives in South Africa’s COVID-19 Response
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2023
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The susceptibility of rural areas to the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is readily apparent, particularly given the pre-existing conditions of poverty and resource limitations within these communities. Consequently, rural populations confront considerable adversity amid the pandemic. The capacity of these communities to withstand such challenges hinges upon their adeptness in managing the resultant impacts. This policy brief emanates from a research inquiry conducted within two distinct local municipalities in South Africa, namely Matatiele and Winnie Madikizela Mandela (WMM). It delineates the coping mechanisms employed by these municipalities to contend with the exigencies imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Notably, strategies encompassing the mitigation of food insecurity, the diversification of income streams, the enhancement of emotional well-being, and the curtailment of expenditures assume primacy among individuals endeavouring to secure alternative means of sustenance. This observation underscores the fundamental role of coping strategies, often centred around the satisfaction of elemental requisites such as income generation and food provision. To fortify these communities against potential disruptions, cultivating resilient local institutions and implementing efficacious collaborative endeavours emerge as indispensable. Such measures empower communities to identify and adopt alternative livelihoods, concurrently facilitating the establishment of a supportive infrastructural framework.
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Okem, A. E., Mubangizi, B., Adekanla, N., & John, S. F. (2023). Nurturing Rural Resilience: Coping Strategies and Collaborative Initiatives in South Africa’s COVID-19 Response. Policy Brief No.6. Durban: Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, University of KwaZulu-Natal.