Preface by Prof. Philomina Okeke-Iherjirika (Women Studies Program, University of Alberta) -- Chapter 1: Introduction: MDGs in Retrospect in Africa (by editors) -- PART 1: VULNERABILITIES, POVERTY & EMPOWERMENT -- Chapter 2: Social Protection: An alternative or not for Africa’s Post-2015 Development Agenda? – Julie Drolet (University of Calgary) -- Chapter 3: Are We Able to Lift the Downtrodden? The MDGs and Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Ghana – Patricia Serwaa Afrifa (Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana) -- Chapter 4: Urbanization and Poverty in Kinshasa: Thinking Beyond the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - Clément Longondjo Etambakonga (University of the Witwatersrand/Johannesburg) -- Chapter 5: Reducing Extreme Poverty and Hunger: The case of Children in South African families in the Mpumalanga Province. Monde Makiwane (Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa) -- Chapter 6: Empowering Local Institutions for Better Outcomes from Large-Scale Agricultural Investments in Nigeria – Evans S. Osabuohien (Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria) -- PART 2: EDUCATION & GENDER -- Chapter 7: Millennium Development in Retrospect: Higher Education in Africa's Development Beyond 2015 – N’Dri T. Assié-Lumumba -- Chapter 8: Funding Quality Education in Rural Central Tanzania: A Case for Social Entrepreneurship – Serena Koisaaba (Independent Researcher, U.S.A.) -- Chapter 9:  The African Gender Development Gap: Rethinking Strategies to achieve MDG's – Stephen Macharia Magu (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA) -- Chapter 10: Climate Change: Vulnerbility and Adaptation, A Case Study of Men and Women Farmers in Eritrea – Yordanos Tesfamariam (University of Regina) -- PART 3: MDGs & THE DIFFERENT SHADES OF HEALTH -- Chapter 11: Dimension of childhood development within the Millennium Development Goals: The role of water-related characteristics in reducing the burden of childhood diseases in South Africa – Furzana Timol (Human Sciences Research Council and University of KwaZulu-Natal) -- Chapter 12: Culture, Traditions and Maternal Health: A community Approach towards Improved Maternal Health – Mary Ssonko Nabacwa et al. (Uganda Christian University) -- Chapter 13: (Ad)dressing Sexual Reproductive Health Issues and its Determinants in Eight Priority Areas of South Africa: Evidence from a Situational Analysis of Millennium Development Goals in KZN and EC – Nene Ernest Khalema (Human Sciences Research Council and University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa) -- Chapter 14: Civil Society Activism for the Prevention and Treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases in South Africa: Implications for Policy and Practice. Catherine Ndinda (Human Science Research Council and University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) -- PART 4: POST-2015: PARTNERSHIPS & AID -- Chapter 15: Developing global partnership for development: Chinese investments in Africa and impacts on sustainable development – Daouda CISSE (Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) -- Chapter 16: Aid Effectiveness and Development Policies in Botswana: A Successful Story” - Cristian Talesco (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) -- PART 5: POST 2015: GOVERNANCE & DEVELOPMENT -- Chapter 17: Evaluating women’s political participation and the impact on sustainable, socio-economic development – Stephen Macharia Magu (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA) -- Chapter 18: From Rhetoric to Reality: Bridging the gap between Aspiration for Democracy and Governance Performance in Nigeria and South Africa – Patrick Oluwole Ojo (Afe Babalola University) -- Chapter 19 Trusting the Coalface: Public Trust in South African Local Government and the Millennium Development Goals – Steven Gordon (University of Kwazulu Natal and Human Sciences Research council) -- Chapter 20: Democratic political leadership and governance: Envisioning a post 2015 development Agenda in Africa:  Uganda as a case study – Evelyn Mayanja (University of Manitoba) -- Chapter 21: Conclusion: Africa Beyond 2015 – MDGs Prospects, its Discontents, and Implications (editors with Dr. Monde Makiwane).