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Bernard Matolino’s outline of the basis for a new Afro-communitarian democracy
Get PDF In this paper, I engage with Bernard Matolino’s proposal for a new Afro-communitarian democracy as presented in his works “An Outline of the basis of a new Afro-communitarian political theory”, “Afro-Communitarian Democracy” and “Consensus as Democracy in Africa”. In these works, Matolino proposes limited communitarianism, which he believes takes care of the challenges presented by majoritarian democracy, socialism, and consensus democracy. His main argument is that democracy is possible in Africa. But this democracy should not be understood as majoritarian, socialist or consensus since these other ideas have their foundation in Afro-communitarianism, which limits individual rights. Instead, democracy should be built on limited communitarianism, which does not diminish individual rights but provides an environment conducive to realizing individual privileges, potentials, and rights. I will go about my task by looking at how Matolino outlines the weaknesses of Afro-communitarianism and the democracy that it inspires. Secondly, I will look at his proposal for a new Afro-communitarian democracy, which he called limited communitarianism, by considering its strengths and weaknesses. 
Challenges Facing Learners’ Acquisition of Employability Competencies under Competency-Based Education and Training Approach in Vocational Education and Training Centres in Tanzania
No full textThe purpose of this article is to investigate the causes of inadequate employability competencies among vocational education and training (VET) graduates using a competency-based education and training (CBET) approach. The article identifies respondents' perspectives on the challenges of acquiring employability competencies during the civil artisans' training and learning process in VETIs under CBET and explores opinions for overcoming those challenges. Data were gathered from 126 respondents through semi-structured interviews with trainers and employers, an open-ended questionnaire for learners, and employee-focused group discussions. A qualitative exploratory approach research design was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyse documents and interview transcripts. The findings revealed that the acquisition of employability competencies is hampered by learner characteristics, insufficient training and learning resources, shortage of trainers, English language problems, training methods, and negative perception of parents and learners on VET programmes, all of which were identified in the conceptual framework and mentioned by all categories of respondents. It is likely that the challenges discovered were not novel, with the exception of a lack of internet and a scarcity of clean water and food, which were context-specific issues. As a result, the study recommends that government and VET stakeholders should ensure the availability of learning resources to enhance effective training and learning at VET. More serious English language instruction should begin in primary school, according to the government and VET stakeholders. VET trainers should improve field supervision exercises and expose trainees to the working environment where employability competencies can be imparted more easily than through classroom training alone. Trainers should also participate in workshops and industrial visits to gain skills and knowledge about labour market needs. This will improve trainers' and trainees' understanding of labour-market requirements
Editorial: A pertinência da preservação do património público angolano como necessidade coletiva.
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Nutritional status at diagnosis of childhood cancer in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Get PDFBackground: Although most childhood cancers are curable, comorbid malnutrition can result in delayed initiation of treatment, increased treatment toxicity, and reduced overall survival. At cancer diagnosis, appropriate classification of nutritional status enhances nutritional surveillance to improve supportive care and cancer treatment outcomes.Objective: The study objective was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition at the diagnosis of childhood cancer, compare weight-based measurements with arm anthropometry in the assessment of acute malnutrition (wasting) and determine the association between malnutrition and selected cancer characteristics.Methods: The study was conducted at the Paediatric Oncology Unit (POU) at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Using consecutive recruitment, 133 participants of age ≤ 12 years with a new diagnosis of cancer were enrolled from January to December 2019. Stunting was assessed using a height-for-age z-score (HAZ). Wasting was assessed using a weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and upper arm muscle area (UAMA) percentile. Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association between nutritional status, cancer type and risk group.Results: The median age of participants was 4.5 years, and 64.7% ( n = 86/133) were male. Of the 133 participants, 60.9% ( n = 81) were diagnosed with solid tumours, 23.3% (n = 31) with leukaemia, and 15.8% (n = 21) with lymphoma. At cancer diagnosis, the prevalence of stunting was 16.8% (n = 22/131) while the prevalence of wasting was 21.8% (n = 29/133 ) and 40.5% (n = 53/131 ) using weight-based measurements (WHZ or BAZ) and arm anthropometry (MUAC or UAMA), respectively. No participant was obese. Lymphomas were significantly associated with wasting (p = 0.022). Participants with high-risk cancers were more likely to be stunted and wasted.Conclusion: Mid-upper arm circumference and UAMA detected more children with wasting than WHZ and BAZ at cancer diagnosis. Advanced-stage disease and lymphoma were associated with wasting. Establishing a nutritional rehabilitation programme at the POU, KBTH would ensure early and appropriate nutritional interventions to correct or prevent further nutritional deficits
Successful twin live birth following a two-step embryo transfer in a patient with poor ovarian reserve: a case report
Get PDFGlobally, the prevalence of infertility ranges from 8 - 12%, but in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is 20 - 32%. The advent of assisted reproductive technology brought hope and has become a huge solution to the social and public health challenge of infertility. However, infertile women with poor ovarian reserve remain a frustrating dilemma to fertility experts worldwide. We report the case of a 32-year-old poor ovarian responder who was successfully treated with in-vitro fertilisation followed by two-step cleavage-stage and then blastocyst-stage embryo transfers in Ghana that resulted in twin live birth
Code Switching and Code Mixing as Styles in Hausa Gospel Songs and Sociolinguistics and Economic Development
No full textThis research attempted to expose the styles of language behaviour of Hausa- based gospel singers in the Northern Nigeria. Specifically, the goal of the study was to analyze the code choices and the motivation behind such style. Stylistics is a branch of applied linguistics that deals with the study and interpretation of text- spoken or written. The idea of using music as a genre of passing information, entertainment and instruction is necessary and valuable and gospel music or sounds in particular are inevitable aspect of Christian worship as it is used to edify, to praise, to worship. A total of 50 musical artistes made up the population. The results indicated that code – switching and code – mixing among the musical artistes were sociolinguistic, economic and artistic. The trend of language choice could be used to foster unity, preserve languages from going into extinction and attract a wider audience. 
The Paradox of Underdevelopment in the Niger Delta: A Critical Stylistic Study of the Nominal Group in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water
No full textPetroleum, which God blessed Nigeria with through His endowment of the Niger Delta, has become a curse rather than a blessing. This paper looks at how Nigeria, through her brazen and reckless exploitation of petroleum resources, underdeveloped the Niger Delta. Specifically, it examines how Helon Habila uses the Nominal Group to this effect. The theoretical framework for the study is Critical Stylistics, while the grammatical model is Systemic Functional Grammar. The findings show that the Nominal Group has been used appropriately to reveal how the people of the Niger Delta have been impoverished and their environment degraded from decades of exploitation and neglect
Students’ views on learning environment for undergraduate mathematics in selected higher learning institutions in Tanzania
No full textThe aim of this paper is to find out views of students on learning environment for undergraduate mathematics in Tanzania. 303 male and 120 female undergraduate students participated in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire and interview methods. Students’ views were positive on lecturers’ characteristics, academic relationships, as well as gender sensitivity in the learning environment. However, the students had a concern on the teaching methods for the subject, the nature of tests during their coursework, as well as marking and grading styles. This paper concludes that, among others, contrary to observations in non-mathematics contexts, male and female students hold similar views on many aspects of the learning environment for undergraduate mathematics. However, these views depended on the mode of students’ participation in the subject
The relationship between self-esteem and sexual risk-taking behaviours among adolescent students in Tanzania
No full textThis paper quantitatively assessed the relationship between self-esteem and sexual risk-taking behaviours among adolescents. The study employed a correlation design, using a questionnaire for data collection. A total of 511 students participated in this study. The data was analysed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. Results showed no significant relationship between self-esteem and sexual debut (r =.081, p > 0.05), self-esteem and safe sex (r =.081, p > 0.05) and a weak positive relationship between self-esteem and multiple partners (r =.033, p .470). This implies that self-esteem did not influence sexual risk-taking behaviours. The study recommends for a related study using a qualitative approach to explore the role of other socio-cultural aspects that can influence adolescents to be involved in sexual risk-taking behaviours