UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
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A comparative assessment of the benefits of income generating activities to the beneficiaries funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in Namibia
No full textA research thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of he requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Gender and Development Studies)Income Generating Activities (IGAs) are utilised globally to create employment and
improve livelihoods, Namibia is no exception. This study was set out to comparatively assess the benefits of Income Generating Activities to the beneficiaries funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW). The study is distinct as it was conducted from a gender perspective and attempts to narrow the knowledge gap by providing Gender Disaggregated Data (GDD) on IGAs. The study used a sequential triangulation of quantitative and qualitative research methods, to collect primary and secondary data, which included secondary analysis case studies. Semi-structured interviews were the main data collection method used, supplemented by observations. Key findings revealed that from 2004 to 2016 employment was created for 1571 IGAs’
main beneficiaries from all 14 regions of whom 1010 (64.3%) were females and 482
(30.7%) males. However, this employment is in the lower tier of the informal
economic sector, thus supporting the views of the Dual Labour Market Theory
(DLMT). The outcome of the Chi-Square goodness of fit test failed to reject the null hypothesis, x2(28) =37.52, p≥.05. The results revealed that women are generating more income than men. The income was analysed against Namibia’s upper – bound poverty line as per the Geni-coefficient, 2003/2004-2015/2016 of N 520.8 and the average monthly turnover of unregistered businesses in the informal economic sector of N$ 2,100.00. The analysis indicates that less than half of the IGAs’ main beneficiaries 350 (19.5%) out of 1571 generate an average monthly turnover, which is comparable to the upper bound poverty lines and the average monthly turnover for unregistered businesses. It is recommended that the MGECW must collaborate with relevant stakeholders to devise strategies that would aid IGA beneficiaries to formalise their businesses and reap the benefits. More importantly, MGECW must leverage existing policies to facilitate the value addition of IGA products and services to maximise access to markets
An assessment of the use of social media as a corporate communication tool by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Media StudiesThe study assesses the use of social media as a corporate communication tool by the
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). The main objectives of this study were to
assess the social media platforms used by NBC as communication tools to engage with their
audience. The study examined the extent to which NBC has adopted these social media
platforms. Another objective was to determine how these social media platforms were being
used by the Corporation. The study further appraised the quality and effectiveness of
engagement with the audience by NBC through these media platforms. The study applied
a mixed method approach in collecting data with a key informant interview being conducted
with the executive and senior management of the NBC. Participants in the study comprised
of five (5) Executive managers who were decision-makers and twelve (12) senior managers
whom the researcher believed to be implementers of the executive decisions. The study
established that all respondents who took part in the study had active social media accounts
thus had the knowledge of social media and how it operates. The findings of the study
indicated that the NBC subscribes to social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. It was further established in the study that NBC engaged
its audience and stakeholders using these platforms with the purpose of communicating
news and informing the public of upcoming programmes. Institutions such as the NBC are
advised to initiate and enhance dialogue with their stakeholders on social media, create
interesting and engaging conten
A ruthenium bipyridyl molecular dye sensitizer and an excited‑state intermolecular proton transfer‑active colorimetric probe for anions, with high affinity towards CN− in DMSO
No full textA ruthenium bipyridyl-dye sensitizer (N) based on the naphthyl-thiazole anchoring-ancillary ligand was synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic methods of UV–Vis, 1H NMR, FTIR and fluorescence. The functional properties of N were investigated through its photoinduced and intramolecular based charge transfer mechanisms. Subsequently, N displayed interesting charge transfer-based properties (ESIPT) that are complementary to molecular photovoltaic and chemosensing properties. The properties were investigated and studied in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), due to its polar nature and solubility of the dye. Dye sensitizer exhibitions were investigated through solvatochromism effect on the optoelectronic properties, while chemosensing abilities were inspected through colorimetric activities, upon molar addition of anions. Thus, it was established that a dual functional N is a potential dye sensitizer with optoelectronic properties displaying high molar extinction coefficients in acetone. In addition, it was found that N is a colorimetric and fluorometric probe selective and sensitive to biologically important anions of CN−, F−, OH− and AcO− through fluorescence enhancement, as a result of hydrogenbonding leading to deprotonation. The sensing probe, however, displayed more strongly association with CN−
Isolation, identification and characterization of Cleome Gynandra L. bacterial seed endophytes from Northern Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of ScienceEndophytic microorganisms are symbionts found inside host tissue without eliciting
disease, symptoms or causing any damage. They play an integral role in spermatophyte life cycles and are endowed with multi-functional traits that promote the host’s health, growth and yield. Cleome gynandra L. (C. gynandra), is an unexplored “orphan” plant that has a diverse array of such endophytic microbial populations. C. gynandra (Ombidi in Oshiwambo; Ombowa in Herero; Gomabeb in Damara/Nama) is a neglected droughttolerant wild annual crop spread in semi-arid regions of Northern Namibia. This plant has shown great potential in agronomy, climate adaptation, economy and traditional medicine, making it stand out as a prominent contender among climate-adapted future crops. Little, however, is known about C. gynandra plant growth promoting (PGP) seed endophytes. The study aimed to isolate and identify endophytic bacteria associated with C. gynandra
spermatophyte and characterize their functional plant growth promoting potential which could be used to improve plant growth and yield. Twenty morphologically distinct isolates were assessed. They exhibited various abilities to produce growth regulators that contribute to ammonia production (85%), atmospheric nitrogen fixation (40%), fluorescence production (10%), hydrogen cyanide production (30%), indole acetic acid (IAA) production (100%), phosphate solubilization (15%) and siderophore production (80%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the isolates (excluding Phytobacter ursingii) belonged to the Proteobacteria phylum. The application of endophytic plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) is considered to have the potential for improving plant growth in extreme environments. Three best PGP producing isolates, namely Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Kluyvera cryocrescens were selected for greenhouse trials using Brassica napus L. (Rape English Giant) seeds. In comparison to the control groups, there was a statistically significant difference for root length (p=0.024), plant height (p=0.037) wet (p=0.000) and dry (p=0.000) mass in the microbial experimental group. This indicated that the microbe treatments had an effect on growth parameters.
From this study, it is concluded that C. gynandra seeds harbour a reservoir of endophytic bacteria with the ability to improve plant growth and with the potential for use as inoculants (biofertilizers) to establish sustainable crop production systems
West Nile virus Seroprevalence in a selected donkey population of Namibia
No full textWest Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus enzootically maintained in birds. However, it can incidentally infect other species, leading to sometimes severe clinical consequences like in horses and especially human beings. Despite the topic relevance, the presence and distribution of WNV are currently unknown in Namibia. Several countries implement surveillance systems based on virus detection in birds, mosquitoes, and vertebrate species including horses. The present study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by serologically evaluating WNV exposure in Namibian donkeys, whose population is remarkably bigger than the horse one. Forty-seven out of 260 sampled animals showed neutralizing antibodies against WNV (18.07% [95% CI = 13.59-23.30%]), demonstrating its circulation in all country territory, although, with apparent regional differences. On the contrary, no association with animal age or sex could be identified. The present study demonstrates the widespread presence of WNV in Namibia as well as the practical utility and effectiveness of donkeys as sentinels for infection surveillance. Due to clinical relevance, vaccination campaigns should be considered for horses of high economic or genetic value. Additionally, the burden of WNV infection on human health should be carefully evaluated.The research project was funded by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale
Isolation and taxonomic analysis of Bacillus species in Anthrax negative cases at Central Veterinary Laboratory, Namibia
No full textA mini thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Microbiology)The emergence of anthrax-like infections caused by Bacillus spp. other than Bacillus anthracis is quickly becoming a topical issue. This brought more concern to the scientific community, guardians of public health, and veterinarians around the world. Some bacillus species that cause anthrax-like infections harbor plasmids similar to those in Bacillus anthracis that encode for toxin genes while in some cases anthrax-like etiologic agents have not been investigated for virulence genes. In some instances, however, anthrax-like etiologic agents harbor virulence genes different from those of B. anthracis yet still cause anthrax-like infections. The present study aimed to isolate bacillus species from anthraxnegative samples and analyses the possibility of isolates to cause anthrax-like infections. The samples used were obtained from the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) in Windhoek, Namibia. The samples analyzed in the study were submitted to CVL over the
period of May 2019 to March 2020 for B. anthracis test, but they tested negative. Twentythree (23) samples were obtained and analyzed for the presence of Bacillus spp. by culture methods. This was followed by DNA extraction and then amplification of the 16S rDNA gene using universal 16S bacterial primer sets 27F and 1492R. From the 23 original samples, 13 different Bacillus spp. were identified by BLAST search on NCBI. The identified species were Bacillus australimaris, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus simplex, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus albus, Bacillus aryabhattai, Bacillus acanthi, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus zhangzhouensis and Bacillus safensis. Due to COVID-19 related complication, the isolated bacillus species could not be tested for the presence of virulence genes. However, statistical determinations were carried out to determine if there were correlations between the isolated strains and the symptoms presented by the animals from which the samples were obtained. The chi square value is 0.104 which is greater than the significant value (p=0.05). Of the isolated bacillus species B. cereus, B. pimulus, and B. megaterium where once isolated from anthrax-like infection. This study isolated bacillus species from anthrax negative samples that may not be responsible for anthrax-like infections based on the statistical analysis. However, screening of virulence genes in further studies is recommendable to prove this conclusion
Quality improvement training framework adoption at Katutura hospital in Windhoek Namibia
No full textIn Namibia, most health care facilities have not been yielding good results in
response to patients’ health care needs. Health care systems are becoming
more complex with paradoxical challenges resulting into inefficiencies due to
ever increasing science and knowledge in medicine, which makes it difficult
to internalise and understand, as well as to implement certain procedures.
The study explored and found that research indicates that total quality management (TQM) and continual quality improvement (CQI) principles can be applied to strengthen a health system to improve its quality. This could be particularly useful in Namibia where people demand basic services and the health service users raise their issues with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS). It becomes essential to ascertain the extent to which health care facilities have responded to this call. Against this background, it is important to analyze the responses to QI and QA and how it could be used to develop a framework for quality health care delivery at the health care facilities in Namibia. The main focus of this paper is to identify quality improvement aspects at Katutura Hospital and to develop a quality improvement training framework to empower and equip health professionals with the right knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and behaviours to apply the methods and techniques with the purpose of improving customer service
Humanising climate change through climate fiction: A literary examination of New York 2140 (2017) by Robinson and the Drowned world (1962) by Ballard
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English StudiesCli-fi is a neologism that is accredited to Dan Bloom, and it is used to refer to novels, short stories and films whose main focus is on the consequences of climate change (Svoboda, 2016). This thesis employed a qualitative desktop literary analysis and purposively sampled two cli-fi novels, New York 2140 (2017) by Robinson and The Drowned World (1962) by Ballard as they explicitly capture the main theme of this study. The study employed thematic content analysis to analyse gathered data which was systemised into different themes to ease the data analysis and presentation process. Through the ecocriticism theory and the econarratology theory, the study examined how climatic concerns are fictionally expressed in the selected novels, explored the complexity of the relationship between human systems and natural systems as presented through specific environmentally destructive events in the selected cli-fi novels and analysed how cli-fi narratives enhance innovative understandings of the human place in an expanded ecosphere as presented in the selected novels. The study found that in both novels, climate change is “humanised” by the abnormality of growth of humans, animals and plants too, as well as their declining health. Though the identified themes in both novels are similar, each novel expresses each theme uniquely. Under the climatic concern theme in New York 2140 (2017), it was established that climate change is a consequence of human activities on the environment over a long period of time. Contrastingly, in The Drowned World (1962), climate change happens naturally, and humans have to adapt and figure out how to survive the calamity. Future studies are recommended to look beyond written cli-fi narratives and look at, for example, orality and visual narratives to examine humanised climate change. Future studies could also use the Rhetorical Narrative Theory (RNT) to explore the humanisation of climate change in cli-fi works
An exploration of aristotelian proofs in commencement ceremony speeches at the University of Namibia, 2004-2018: The case of Professor Lazarus Hangula
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English StudiesGood public speaking is an art, and in order to convince or persuade an audience, one needs to master the skills for this art of oratory. This ability is often enhanced by employing a variety of communication strategies, among them Aristotle’s proofs of persuasion (Aristotle, 1976, & Yenawine, 1997). This study explored the usage of Aristotelian proofs of persuasion in commencement ceremony speeches delivered by Professor Lazarus Hangula, the second and former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Namibia (UNAM), from 2004 to 2018. Rhetorical ethos, pathos and logos when used in speeches effectively have been credited with profound impact of persuasion on the audience (Borg, 2004 & Yenawine, 1997). This study, thus,
explored how Aristotle’s proofs of persuasion - ethos, pathos, and logos = are used in the commencement ceremony speeches at the University of Namibia to persuade members of staff and students to be dedicated to their work.
The study is grounded on Aristotle’s Theory of Rhetoric (Aristotle, 1976), which identifies ethos, pathos, and logos as a means of persuasion. Vastly employed for the analysis of speeches, the theory examines emotion, authority, and logic, which are essential parameters for an effective speech (Borg, 2004). It also helps to determine the effectiveness of persuasion; a rhetorician should consider in discourse when addressing an audience. The study employed a qualitative document analysis research design in which five commencement ceremony speech samples by Professor Lazarus Hangula were explored. The study, in identifying and interpreting the usage of ethos, pathos and logos in the speeches using Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric, largely observes that the speeches make extensive use of the proofs of persuasion in negotiating meaning and proposals with the audience
Risk management impact on non-performing loans and profitability in the Namibian banking sector
No full textThe Banking sector has a pivotal role in the development of an economy. It is
the key driver of economic growth of the country. Various literature revealed
that non-performing loans were one of the causes of the financial crisis in
2007. The rise in non-performing loans has been taken under consideration
by many banks in the world, as banks look at different methods on how to
reduce non-performing loans. The following study was carried out with the
objective to analyze the impact of risk management on non-performing loans
in the country and identifying different strategies used around the world that
assists banks in battling non-performing loans. The study used the four major
commercial banks in Namibia as samples. The study analyzed two theories Agency Theory and Credit default theory. The study used only secondary data to answer the research objectives. The limitations of the study were that the study only looked at non-performing loans of credit risks the banks face. The study was not able to use all the commercial banks as samples to gather data.
The strategy of the study was an archival strategy and the study used a qualitative approach. The study found that the Namibian banks experienced an in crease throughout the five years in both profits and non-performing loans.
The year 2018 was the non-performing loans of the banks the highest. The
study concluded that even though banks have all the risk management systems in place non-performing loans are still increasing