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An exploration of the challenges faced by hospital based social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Omusati region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in social workThe purpose of this study was to explore the operational challenges that hospital based
social workers faced throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research also
focused on the effects of the COVID-19 on hospital based social workers, and the coping
strategies hospital based social workers employed to reduce the severity of the challenges
brought about by the same pandemic. The research utilized an exploratory qualitative
design. In-depth interviews were performed with ten (10) individuals who were
intentionally selected, and their comments were recorded, transcribed, examined, and
reviewed. Participants were hospital-based social workers recruited via non-random,
deliberate sampling procedures. Through thematic analysis using open coding, themes and
subthemes were developed, and these were examined in detail with supporting literature.
The findings of the study were safety concerns and risks, professional dilemmas,
decreased capacity to engage in self-care and increased adoption of unhealthy habits, loss
of interaction between social workers, and emotional discomfort. The impacts of the
pandemic extended as far as having hospital-based social workers (SW) participate in
distant operations with diminished engagement; happiness was affected; there was the loss
of jobs, early retirement for some, and stress, among other things. To try to reduce the
detrimental consequences of the pandemic, several coping strategies were put in place,
such as the WFH policy, decontamination of offices, national lockdowns, natural cures,
and the provision of tele-behavioral therapy to clients. Building on existing pandemic
preparation frameworks, these findings might enable future studies to create both
individual and systemic solutions. It will also assist Ministry of Health and Social Services
to request training institutions of higher learning to actively enroll men in the social work
course. Furthermore it will help in fast-track access to technology for the Omusati Region
staff, which consists of hospitals, health centers, and clinics, and to provide devices (e.g.
smart phones, laptops) to the focal emergency staff. Clients can become more comfortable
with technology-enabled care, such as using existing training curricula, by receiving
training on how to use Zoom, Teams, and other platforms of communication
Exploring parental involvement in learners’ education: A case of selected junior primary schools in the Kavango West region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Curriculum, instruction and assessment studies)This study set out to find out how involved parents are in their kids' education in the Kavango
West Region. Parents should be equipped with the knowledge necessary to enthusiastically support
their children in their academic endeavors, as they are an invaluable resource for students'
education. Three primary goals guided the study: (1) finding out how involved parents are in their
kids' education at selected junior primary schools; (2) identifying barriers to parents' involvement
in students' education at selected junior primary schools; and (3) identifying possible ways to
increase parents' involvement in students' education. The qualitative method was applied in this
study along with a case study design. In order to facilitate a more comprehensive study in an
organic environment, a case study was selected. All in all of twenty-three (23) participants,
consisting of three (3) principals, ten (10) teachers and ten (10) parents formed the study sample.
Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were employed for data collection.
Convenience sampling was employed because it enabled the researcher to take a sample from a
conveniently accessible but relevant population. Thematic data analysis was used as it breaks down
the data into more manageable smaller groups. The study revealed that most parents are involved
in the education of their children, however, they are faced with some barriers. Such barriers include
parents’ other responsibilities, parents’ attitude towards school activities, parents’ educational
background, dissemination of information in English, parent’s financial constraints, and parents’
cultural differences. The study further suggested the strategies that the schools could adopt to
strengthen parental involvement in the education of their children. Such strategies include building
trust between schools and parents; providing home activities; treating parents as partners and major
stakeholders; and organising volunteer programs for parents. The study propose that the Ministry
of Education, Arts and Culture should have responsibilities to ensure parental involvement. The
Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture should recognise the community as a partner in education,
and schools should have good lines of communication to keep parents well informed about
everything their children are doing at school. The study further suggests that schools should have
good lines of communication to keep parents well informed in everything their children are doing
at schoo
Development and characterization of sintered porous bioactive glass scaffolds for medical application
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Metallurgical EngineeringThere is an ongoing effort to innovate engineering materials that are used in medical
applications to support, enhance, or replace damaged tissue or perform a biological function.
This study focuses on researching bioactive glass scaffolds resembling natural trabecular
bone tissues that are widely used in medical applications. The research investigates the
relationship between processing parameters and the resulting microstructures of borosilicate,
borophosphate, and phosphate bioactive glass scaffolds. The study developed glass ceramics
using traditional melt-quench methods; silicate composition S53B50 was processed at 1200
°C, while the P40B10 and Sr phosphate glasses were heated to 1100 °C. The sintering ability
of the three types of glasses with a NaCl sacrificial pore-generating agent was achieved via
spark plasma sintering technology at a rapid heat rate of 100 °C/min and temperatures
ranging from 490- to 610- °C. The research work employed analytical techniques of
thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analysis (PSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD),
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to
gather data and characteristic results. It was observed that producing the glass ceramics by
fritting the melts produced more desirable amorphous microstructures with less than 50%
crystallization over casting and annealing. Also, the S53B50 scaffolds had the highest
strength at 1.7 MPa and Sr glass had the most deformation at 1.62 mm. The findings are
attributed to the partially crystallized microstructures, with indexes varying between 47 %
and 58 %. Sintering increased scaffold density, compressive strength, and crystallinity while
decreasing the porosity in this way demonstrating an ability to control scaffold properties
for different applications through the sintering process. This research study contributes to
the improvement of bioactive glass scaffolds and their potential applications in the clinical
sciences of drug delivery system
Risks profile of natural hazards and selected diseases in Namibia
No full textThis study represents the first most detailed and elaborate analysis of disaster risks in Namibia and
can better inform the implementation of integrated measures for reducing and managing the disaster risks at
local, regional and national levels in Namibia.The occurrence and effects of natural disasters and
infectious diseases in Namibia are diverse and vary
in different areas, indicating the varying levels
of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability within
the Namibian society. The diverse and pervasive
occurrence of these disasters are costly to the
country when dealt with in a non-holistic manner.
Consequently, Namibia promulgated a disaster risk
management law, the Disaster Risk Management
Act 10 of 2012, to provide a legal framework for
managing disaster risks in the country. This legal
instrument provided the necessary framework for
facilitating the nation’s transition from disaster
management to risk management and focus on
resilience-building, which aligns with the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
However, a comprehensive understanding of
disaster risk for various hazards in the country was
lacking.
The Government of the Republic of Namibia, through
the Office of the Prime Minister, commissioned
this study to profile the disaster risks of pertinent
natural hazards and selected diseases countrywide
at the level of Population Enumeration Area, the
lowest possible spatial scale in the country. The
study profiled the vulnerability and risk of nine
natural hazards (drought, flood, heatwave, wildfire,
sea level rise, frost, earthquakes, windstorms and
lightning) and five diseases (malaria, HIV/AIDS,
COVID-19, foot and mouth disease and diarrhoea).
As the profile shows, there is not a single place in
Namibia which is risk-free from all 14 hazards
analysed in this profile. There are, however, areas that are free from some risks such as malaria,
wildfire, foot and mouth disease, and sea level
rise. At the same time, there is not a single place
in Namibia which is at high risk of all 14 hazards.
The profiled risks are spatially differentiated.
Nevertheless, there are areas with high or very high risk levels for multiple disaster risks. In the Zambezi
Region, for example, there are areas compounded
with a high or very high risk of floods, malaria,
diarrhoea, and foot and mouth disease. The south eastern part of the //Kharas Region is concurrently
under high or very high risk of heatwaves, frost and
earthquakes. This speaks to the need for resilience building efforts to be risk-holistic and area-specific,
to reduce vulnerability and disaster risk of the
communities and infrastructure. Thus, this profile
has established the baseline information necessary
for Namibia to move from managing natural
disasters and leverage the mechanism for disaster
risk reduction in accordance with the Sendai
Framework. However, there is a need to integrate
disaster risk maps in the planning processes at
all levels of government and across all sectors to
reduce the impacts of natural hazards on society.
For this integration to be effective, it is imperative
to develop an integrated and spatially-enabled data
management system for storing data on hazards,
risks, vulnerabilities, impacts and interventions
to support resilience-building efforts. This data
management system should be accompanied by
mandatory and standardised annual reporting of all
hazards and their impacts to ensure that resilience-building efforts are evidence-base
An analysis of the influence of the Pre-Entry Tertiary Education (PETE) programme on Grade 12 (NSSC) students' admission to higher education: A case study of the NAMCOL Head Office Centre
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment studies)The purpose of the study was to assess the extent to which the Pre-entry to Tertiary
Education Programme (PETE) improves the grades of Gr 12 NSSC (high school)
students to meet the admission requirements at institutions of higher learning. PETE
was introduced in 2008 at the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) to
address the mismatch between exit skills at the secondary level and the required entry
skills at the higher education level. The main objectives of PETE are (a) to improve
the grades of high school students to enable them to meet the admission requirements
of higher education and (b) to be able to cope with curriculum demands at the tertiary
level. Since its inception in 2008, little research study has been conducted that assesses
the extent to which PETE improves the grades of high school students and enables
them to meet the admission requirements of higher education. This case study
employed a mixed-methods approach, to investigate the influence of the PETE
programme on Gr 12 NSSC students' grades. The study aimed to determine the extent
to which the programme improves student academic performance and facilitates
students' eligibility for higher education admission requirements. Findings revealed
that there was improvement among participants. Eighty per cent (16) of the selected
20 students with documented grades before and after the programme demonstrated
improved academic performance. The results further showed that there were
improvements in subjects and only 20% (4) of the students had at least one ungraded
subject. The study identified several factors affecting students' success in PETE studies
and potentially influenced their access to higher education. Positive factors included
commitment, motivation, supportive social circles (friends and family), self confidence, encouragement from tutors, dedicated study time on campus, effective
examination preparation, and emotional support. Conversely, negative factors
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included a lack of motivation, frequent absences, low self-esteem, and insufficient
support system
A blockchain-based land titles registry in Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Information TechnologyLand administration systems in many countries are vulnerable and lack transparency,
which leads to fraud, delays, and significant costs, especially in developing countries
like Namibia. This study aims to address these issues by proposing a blockchain-based
land titles registry to preserve land rights in Namibia, drawing inspiration from
successful implementations of countries such as Sweden. The study employs a
quantitative methodology, using synthetic data to simulate real-world land transactions
and scenarios, resulting in a controlled experimental environment. The research
findings reveal significant dissatisfaction among Namibians with the existing land
administration system as a result of various challenges encountered during land
registration. The study proposes a hybrid blockchain network as a promising solution,
balancing flexibility, transparency, and privacy, with the potential to reduce
bureaucratic delays and improve accessibility for all stakeholders. This network's
cryptographic foundation ensures data integrity and increases transparency in land
transactions, which may influence land rights protection and stimulate economic
growth. Despite its potential, the literature review identifies several challenges, such
as contract legality, co-ownership management, and legal framework alignment, that
must be addressed before widespread blockchain implementation can occur. This study
however lays the groundwork for future investigations into infrastructure scalability,
legal framework integration, infrastructure challenges, user adoption strategies, and
interoperability issues. These critical areas of research will help understand
blockchain's transformative potential for revolutionizing land administration system
A stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo wedding songs in a book entitled Oshipapa Moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Degree of Masters of Arts in African LanguagesThe purpose of this study was to analyse the stylistic features that are employed in
Oshiwambo wedding songs in Oshapapa moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi. The data was
collected through a desktop research by analysing documented wedding songs in the
aforementioned book. No participants were involved in the collection of data in this study.
This study used a qualitative research approach that allowed the researcher to stylistically
analyse Oshiwambo wedding songs. The study employed the theory of stylistic criticism
as presented by Ngara (1985) and the meaning theory of Leech (1981) as the theoretical
framework. The theory of stylistic criticism accounted for both linguistic and literary
aspects of oral poetry. By employing this theory, the researcher analysed the stylistic
features that are employed in Oshiwambo wedding songs in the book titled Oshapapa
moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi at the different levels of language. The theory of
meaning deals with semantics as a branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words
in language. The theory assisted the researcher to identify how meaning was conveyed in
Oshiwambo wedding songs.The study revealed that the stylistic features are appropriate
for the Ovawambo tribe as the stylistic features help Ovawambo to deliver the intended
messages effectively. The study identified rhyme, dialects and onomatopoeia as stylistic
devices under phonology. The study further revealed the lexical devices such as
borrowing, repetition, anaphora and parallelism. Syntax is another language aspects which
is discussed in this study; the identified devices that are discussed in this language aspect
are: sentence length; types of sentences; questions as stylistic features; rhetorical question,
hortative sentences and refrain. At semantic level, the study identified simile, metaphor,
euphemism, anti-thesis and enjambment as the stylistic and linguistic features that were
analysed in Oshiwambo wedding songs. This study contributes to the study of literature,
specifically a stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo. The knowledge acquired through this study
could be utilised by other scholars as literature in the same field of specialisation. This
study, therefore, recommends that more research should be conducted on Oshiwambo
wedding songs, particularly on their functions, performance and paralinguistic feature
Evaluation of HIV test and treat strategy in Windhoek, Namibia: Development of an operational framework
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy in public healthNamibia started with the implementation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test
and Treat strategy in July 2016 as a pilot phase in three high-volume sites in the Zambezi,
Ohangwena, and Khomas regions. In 2017, the strategy was expanded to all the regions in the
country. The HIV Test and Treat strategy is envisaged to serve as treatment and as prevention
based on scientific evidence that supports the use of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) treatment
for the prevention of HIV. The study aims to develop an operational framework based on the
assessment and identification of pitfalls in the current HIV Test and Treat strategy implemented
in Namibia, specifically Windhoek. The researcher used a concurrent mixed-method design
with retrospective and cross-sectional quantitative data collected from the electronic patient
system as well as from patients attending ART clinics in Windhoek. A qualitative design was
used to explore the views of the HCWs and managers on the implementation of HIV Test and
Treat. Also employed were the systems and resource-based theories on which the study was
anchored. The study was subdivided into four phases.
The situational analysis in Phase I consisted of both qualitative and quantitative data collection
approaches. The first quantitative part was conducted by retrospectively analyzing patients’
outcomes in terms of retention in care and viral load suppression of patients who initiated ART
due to WHO clinical stage and patients who initiated ART due to HIV Test and Treat strategy.
An abstraction tool was used to retrospectively abstract data from the electronic patient
monitoring system (ePMS) by following a cohort of patients that initiated ART between 2010-
2016 before the HIV Test and Treat implementation as well as patients that started ART between
2017-2018. About 17,570 adult patient records were included in the study of which 2,399 were
allocated to HIV Test and Treat, and 15,171 were assigned to the WHO clinical stage arm.
Moreover, three hundred and eighty-five (385) patients above the age of eighteen (18) years
collecting their treatment at different facilities in the Khomas region completed a structured
questionnaire to obtain information on factors associated with HIV Test and Treat. Quantitative
data analysis was performed using STATA version fourteen (14). In addition, to describe and
analyze factors associated with HIV Test and Treat, Key informant interviews (KIIs) were
conducted with nine (9) Healthcare workers (HCWs) as well as nine (9) KIIs inclusive of
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policymakers and program managers. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and
the NVIVO version ten (10) was used for analysis. The findings were that HIV Test and Treat
strategy is reaching its objectives. However, the implementation of the strategy had challenges
such as lack of space, insufficient health care workers, medicine stock out, and lack of training
for the HCWs. Also, viral load suppression (VLS) was associated with the regimens that the
patient was taking and the patient’s status on ART.
The study's quantitative and qualitative findings informed the conceptual framework developed
in Phase II. Amongst the findings that informed the conceptual framework is the fact that
overall, 31.8% of the patients were lost to follow-up, while retention in care was 57.6% amongst
the patients that initiated ART due to HIV Test and Treat compared to 43.1% amongst the
patients in the WHO clinical stage category (Table 4.3). This, therefore, requires more resources
in order to conduct patient tracing as well as to do continuous adherence counseling. In addition,
about 38.10% (Table 4. 28) of the patients recommended fewer clinic visits which will require
sufficient ARV storage at facilities that was mentioned as not enough during HCWs interview
(006). The researcher used the systems theory, resource-based theory, and central concepts to
guide the development of the conceptual framework.
Phase III developed and described the operational framework to facilitate the implementation
of the HIV Test and Treat strategy in Windhoek using the main findings from Phase I. The
framework was described in terms of its goal, purpose, structure, and assumptions. The key
attributes of the framework are that it is made up of interrelated and interlinked components that
are derived from the systems theory, resource-based theory, the logic model, and the six steps
of Dickoff’s orientation theory.
Lastly, the researcher developed the guidelines to operationalize the framework based on the
central concepts and the theories used to guide the development of the framework in Phase IV.
Peer evaluation of the framework was conducted in terms of its clarity, simplicity, generality,
accessibility, importance and it was found to be compliant (Chapter 6, 6.9).
The guidelines provide a detailed plan for the implementation of the framewor
An investigation of the relationship between tax revenues and economic growth: The case of Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in economicsThis study empirically investigated the relationship between tax revenue and economic
growth in Namibia using the annual data for 1981-2020. The time series on GDP, net tax,
private consumption and gross capital formation were extracted from annual national
accounts tables available on Namibia Statistics Agency’s web site. The ARDL bound test
confirmed no cointegration between tax revenue and GDP growth hence, the short-run
ARDL was employed. The results of the short-run ARDL revealed a positive and
significant contemporaneous relationship between taxation and economic growth. It is
therefore, inferred that Namibia conforms to the hypothesis that economic growth and tax
revenue reinforce each other In the same vein economic growth is significantly and
negatively affected by the some historical values (lags) of net tax.. Moreover, the Granger
causality test divulged neither unidirectional nor bidirectional causal relationship between
tax revenue and GDP growth. In the final analysis, it is recommended that tax policies
should be concurrently implemented with accelerated supply side policies such as
business financing, product cost subsidization, entrepreneurial skill acquisition, especially
in growth-driving sectors and eventually broaden the tax base. In other words, the results
of the study implies that growth policies should be supplemented by a strong tax system
so as to optimize revenue collection. The consistence of the findings of this study with the
optimal tax theory implies that excessive taxation can distort economic activity, therefore,
slow down productio
A statistical analysis of endogeneity and instrumental variables of education on income in Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in applied statistics and demographyEducation is a well-known driver of income and a causal factor for economic
prosperity and social development in modern society. It provides one with capital such
as qualification, knowledge and skillsets relevant to secure stable gainful employment,
as well as increase one’s income, improve health conditions and general welfare.
However, the measurement of the influence of education most often suffers from
endogeneity suspicion due to the possible presence of a correlation between the
education variable and the error term. This presents a critical issue when performing
a cause-and-effect relationship analysis as neglecting endogeneity can lead to
unreliable estimation results even when dealing with large samples because estimators
of the model parameters will be inconsistent. To date, most studies that focuses on
analysing the effect of education in Namibia have done so with other factors such as
fertility and not income, while most of these studies used regression approaches such
as the linear regression and logistic regression methods to perform their respective
analyses. However, no study has simultaneously tried to account for the endogeneity
of both education and income in Namibia. Thus, using the 2015/2016 Namibia
Household Income and Expenditure Survey as well as accounting for the possible
presence of endogeneity and for non-linear effects of continuous observed
confounders, this study aimed at estimating the impact of education on income in
Namibia, in addition to exploring different modelling strategies to capture the
relationship between income and education, and other socio-economic and socio demographic factors.
A total of 495,311 households containing 2,250,122 individuals aged 18 to 60 years
who have been to school and have earned salary and/or wage as their source of income
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in the last 12 months of the survey period were considered in this study. Three different
modelling strategies were carried out, namely: (i) Basic Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)
regression without considering the clustering, stratification and weighting factors, (ii)
Basic OLS regression considering the clustering, stratification and weighting factors,
and (iii) Instrumental Variables & Two Stage Least Squares (IV-2SLS) regression,
while the best fit modelling strategy to use for exploring the relationship between
income and education, and other socio-economic and socio-demographic factors was
determined using the Durbin and Wu-Hausman test of endogeneity.
Results from this study showed that majority (82.1%) of the households in Namibia
derived their source of income from salary and/or wage in 2015/2016. The IV-2SLS
was identified as the best modelling strategy to use since the Durbin and Wu-Hausman
test of endogeneity confirmed the presence of endogeneity (i.e, education must be
endogenous), thus, making the OLS strategies unreliable to use. Furthermore, factors
such as education, age, sex, marital status, type of work, employment period, total
hours worked and transport mode to work had positive and significant influences on
income, while factors such as region, dwelling unit type, main material for the wall,
household size, and no contribution to investment had a negative and significant
influences. However, the type of employer had a mixed effect on income. In addition,
the IVs estimators revealed that the average rate of return of schooling was 13% which
was higher compared to the OLS estimates of 5%.
It is therefore recommended that the Namibian government and policy makers
consider boosting more funding into education, especially in communities within the
rural and underdeveloped regions still having traditional dwelling households whose
structures are made of corrugated iron/zinc sticks, wooden poles, clay and/or cow dung. In addition, as part of their poverty alleviation strategies, the government should
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ensure the distribution of equitable resources, particularly the educational resources,
to enhance the development of rural and underdeveloped regions so that they too can
benefit from high-quality education opportunities in the countr