This article reports an empirical case study of a community self-help group (chama) in Western Kenya, utilising the study circle model promoted by a Swedish non-governmental organisation. Methodologically, it is a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and participant observation for data collection. The results show that the study…

This research seeks to better understand how older people living in sparsely populated areas learn and then use eHealth applications in their everyday lives. The study was conducted in northern Sweden and Lapland in northern Finland, the most sparsely populated areas in these countries. The study focused on the use of following eHealth services: a…

This article examines the role networking has played, at local and national levels, in facilitating communication between key actors involved in challenging the marginalisation of disabled people from education and from wider Bangladeshi society. Efforts to promote awareness of the importance of including disabled children in their local schools…

Describes Farmers Helping Farmers, a network of rural mutual-help support groups that aim to extend support, increase adaptive coping skills, and share information in rural communities. Discusses individual, family, and community treatment aspects as they relate to rural culture and the rural crisis. Contains 18 references. (SV)

Suggests a taxonomy of the grass roots movement and gives a general descriptive over view of the 60 groups studied with respect to origin, constituency, size, funding, issues, and ideology. (Author/AM)

Summarizes data showing the detrimental effects to the health of the elderly that are associated with diminution of supportive interpersonal ties. Describes six programs that illustrate the range of diversity of tasks involved in the provision of supportive associations for the elderly. (Author/GC)

Discusses the potential of self-help/mutual-aid groups as a way to reduce the demand for professional substance-abuse treatment and proposes a model that combines the two approaches for cost-effective and therapeutically effective networks of services. (SLD)

The results of an informal survey of the characteristics, composition, capacity building needs and future directions of sixty Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese Mutual Assistance Associations (MAAs) are documented in this report. Included among the survey findings are the purposes, current achievements, and future goals of the associations,…

This newsletter issue provides stories of leaders who have developmental disabilities, descriptions of program initiatives and models promoting leadership opportunities for individuals who are disabled, and an historical overview of leadership issues. Major articles include: "Leadership: Where We've Been, Where We Are, Where We're Going" (Hank…

The training manual provides self-help in six areas of leadership development for American Indian and Alaska Native women. Following an introduction describing how to use the manual are six chapters focusing on the theories and development of leadership skills, the vulnerability of Indian women to poverty, nontraditional careers for Indian women,…

This document contains 24 papers. Keynote addresses were given on the topics of autonomy for deaf adolescents and parent-adolescent dialogue. A section titled "Demographic Profiles of Deaf Adolescents in America" compares students in special schools with mainstreamed students. A section on "Family Intervention and Parent…