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A comparative study of Tonga and Ila.
Get PDFArticleThis study made a comparative analysis of Tonga and Ila languages of Zambia. Particularly, the study investigated some linguistic variations of the two languages namely, Ila spoken in Namwala, Itezhi-Tezhi, Mumbwa districts in the central parts of Zambia and Tonga spoken in Gwembe, Sinazongwe and Maamba districts in the southern and central parts of Zambia. The aim of the study was to establish the linguistic variations and similarities in terms of the phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical parameters between the two languages under study. The major findings of the study were that Tonga manifested variations and similarities at various levels of linguistic analysis in relation to Ila.There are few differences between Ila spoken in Namwala and Tonga spoken in Maamba, Gwembe and Sinazongwe districts. In addition, the study found that there were lexical differences exhibited among the two languages, followed by syntactic and phonological variations which were found to be few between the two languages. Tonga and Ila shared more similarities in terms of their morphological structure and lexical. Among others, one of the major recommendations made was that a large scale study, beyond the current one on comparative of Tonga and Ila languages be carried out in order to include other languages from Lake Tanganyika and Zimbabwe so that the conclusions to be made would be based on all forms of the Tonga and Ila languages therefore.
Key words: Lexico, lexicology, linguistics, morphology, morpheme, phoneme, phonology, semantics, synta
Experiences, needs and coping strategies of women caring for husbands with cancer at the cancer diseases hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Clinical Nursing.Background: Cancer does not only affect the patient alone but also affects the entire family in all dimensions. The number of men with cancer at the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) has almost doubled from 581 (2015) to 1126 (2019). In general, their wives care for these men. The CDH offers free treatment (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy), but patients pay for laboratory and diagnostic investigations. The study aimed to assess the needs and explore the experiences and coping strategies of women caring for their husbands with cancer attending the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka. Methods: A concurrent convergent-mixed methods design using analytical cross-sectional survey and descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach was used. Stratified random sampling was used quantitatively and stratified purposeful sampling qualitatively. Data were collected using a 27 ITEM Needs Assessment of Family Caregivers- Cancer (NAFC-C) tool and the interview schedule and analyzed using SPSS version 23 and STATA version 17 and qualitatively, qualitative
thematic analysis. Chi-square test and Ordinal Logistic regression test was used to test for significant associations among variables. The sample size of 211 participants were recruited quantitatively and 20 participants qualitatively. Results: The needs include financial, physical, psychological, emotional, social, communication and health care needs. Women’s financial resources directly impacted their husbands’ care. When four specific needs were met, the women’s emotional distress was low. Wives’ challenges included mobility difficulties and hospital admissions/problems; socio-economic problems, psychological
and emotional distress; caregiving liability and spiritual anguish. Benefits included knowledge about cancer and infection prevention, a strong marital relationship, tolerance and perseverance, resilience and hope. Coping strategies included; spiritual support from spiritual carers, prayer and meditation, music and storytelling, social support and a good marital relationship. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that wives of patients with cancer experience many
challenges in their caring journey. Nurses must anticipate and/or intervene to in their nursing practice to reduce their negative impact and put both the patients and their caregivers at the center of the oncology nursing care
A spartial framework for managing sewer and water networks using sensor networks: a case of the university of Zambia.
No full textThesis of Master of Science in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation.Public institutions generally have a lot of facilities and infrastructure catering for the population of the institution. Some important infrastructure such utilities which include water, sewer, electricity, and telecommunications require constant maintenance, management, and adequate monitoring for them to function effectively. This study aimed to build a framework for Managing Sewer and Water Networks Using Sensor Networks at the University of Zambia. The methodology involved understating the existing operations of the Resident engineer’s office to ascertain the user needs. These needs formed the basis of the study, the development and design of the prototype of the Web based Framework. Data Collection was done using various methods. A presurvey (Reconnaissance Survey) was done to have an idea of the existing infrastructure and a more accurate survey was done using GPS GNSS equipment GIS software was used to process data and create shapefiles. A 15-digit coding system was created and was used to assign unique identification numbers and extra attribute information to the water and sewer network shapefiles. A QR code was generated for each node and the serial number recorded. Tagging was done using the QR code for each structure. All the shapefiles were loaded into a PostGreSQL spatial database and were used as input in the Web GIS application. The web application had some tools imbedded in it which were mainly for monitoring and management of the structures. Using internet of things (IOT) technology, water level sensors were placed in a prototype to mimic some critical manholes to help with the monitoring of the sewerage network. The system could therefore be used for identification of any infrastructure by scanning the QR code and a map showing the structure would be seen online by the field technicians. Students could also be able to send out notifications to the resident engineer in case there was a damaged or malfunctioning structure. Monitoring of the sewer system could be done using the sensors and ultimately the framework would ease the management of the water and sewer systems at the University of Zambia
Nutritional status, dietary patterns and lifestyle risk factors of mental health patients admitted to hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Human Nutrition.Mental disorders are a public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. There is convincing evidence from mechanistic studies demonstrating association between nutrition and mental health status. The latter can also be influenced by other factors apart from dietary factors.
The composition and function of the human brain rely on the availability of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, lipids, and proteins. There is paucity of data on nutritional status, dietary patterns as well as other lifestyle factors on mental health in low income countries. This study aimed to assess lifestyle risk factors, dietary patterns and nutritional status of mental health patients admitted to the Chainama Hills Mental Facility in Lusaka, Zambia. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, and the target population included 44 conveniently sampled nonviolent adults. Four key informant interviews were conducted with caregivers (psychiatry nurses, doctors, nutritionists, and chefs). Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were performed, and patient information was collected from caregivers and hospital files. Data from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were used to assess the dietary patterns as well as dietary inflammation index (DII) of mental health patients. Sixty four percent (63.6%) of the study participants were males. Most participants (59.1%) were from high-density population areas. The mean ± SD age of the participants was 33.3 ± 10.4 years. None of the participants participated in physical exercise. More than half of the patients (54.5%) consumed alcohol and only 20.5% had a history of smoking. The dietary patterns were generally characterized by consumption of mostly plant based foods and meat, the latter was also found to have pro-inflammatory potential due to a high DII score (score of +2). Regarding nutritional status, 9.1% of patients were underweight, and 61.4% were normal i.e. body mass index (BMI) of <18.5kg/m2 and 18.5-24.95kg/m2. It was also reported that psychotropic drugs contributed to weight gain. Approximately two fifth (38.7%) of the hospital admissions were related to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Unfortunately associations could not be established due to exposures (diet and physical activity) that did not vary across patients and small sample size. Generally patients consume a fairly healthy and balanced diet, however there is need to improve on diversity of the animal sourced foods to reduce the pro-inflammatory potential of patients' diets. There is also a need to monitor the nutritional status of patients, especially those who may be at risk of malnutrition owing to their mental health condition. Finally, physical exercise should be considered for mental health patients
Contextualizing environmental education within the green economy and growth agenda: a case of Lusaka district, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Education in Environmental Education and ManagementThis study aimed at exploring how Environmental Education could be contextualized within
the Green Economy and Growth agenda in Lusaka, Zambia. It was governed by three
objectives namely: exploring how Environmental Education can support the Green Economy
and Growth agenda through promoting the efficient use of natural resources, establishing how
Environmental Education can be used to influence social inclusivity within the Green
Economy and Growth agenda, and examining how Environmental Education can be used to
integrate the low-carbon economy into the Green Economy and Growth agenda in Lusaka,
Zambia. The study was guided by qualitative approach whose specific research design was
hermeneutic phenomenology. The study sample size comprised 22 participants who were
chosen using nonprobability purposive sampling. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used
to extract data from the six University of Zambia Environmental Education 2024 fourth year
students, and expert purposive sampling was applied by the researcher in order to obtain data
from key informants who included officials from Zambia's Ministry of Green Economy and
Environment, a private company called Community Markets for Conservation, a non governmental organisation called Green Cosmos Zambia, and lecturers of Environmental
Education at the University of Zambia. A structured schedule of focused group discussion
guide and an interview guide were used to gather data from the participants. The data was
processed using thematic analysis and descriptive analysis to produce themes and codes, which
served as a roadmap for the formulation of the thesis and conclusions. The findings of this
study revealed that Environmental Education could be used to influence social inclusivity
within the green economy and growth through educating and raising awareness about efficient
use of resources, promoting sustainable behaviours, encouraging innovation, fostering
responsible production and consumption, and building skills and capacities. The findings also
reviewed that environmental education may be used to influence social inclusivity through
enhancing inclusive curriculum and content, diversity in leadership and representation to
promote social inclusivity. Furthermore, Environmental Education could serve as a
fundamental catalyst for transforming attitudes, behaviors, and systems towards sustainability,
thereby contributing to the achievement of a low-carbon green economy. Given a thorough
review of the study's essential findings, it is recommended that the government, through the
Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, consciously incorporate Environmental
Education into the larger plan to green the economy and all green transitional approache
Modeling integrated management of construction tender price inflation.
Get PDFThesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management.The worldwide problems associated with the construction industry include low productivity, poor safety, inferior working conditions, lack of adequate financing, and insufficient quality. Widespread problems in the construction industry in most developing countries correspondingly include project cost overruns and schedule delays. These then affect the general economy, ranging from poor allocative efficiency to total project abandonment. Several solutions, industrialization, prefabrication, and modularization, relieve these construction problems. In the Zambian case, varying construction tender prices have been one of the general challenges in the industry, which require devising methods by clients to control project cost from the onset of the project at the bidding stage. This study provided an integrated model that proposes a collective practical solution to eminent critical Zambian construction-sector challenges regarding construction tender price inflation on public projects. The study investigated strategies contractors adopt during project pricing and explores capabilities that clients use to make informed decisions on individual construction tender prices. To that effect, the research explored decisive factors and contributory processes involved in pricing decisions by contractors in the public construction sector. This phenomenological study is driven within qualitative and quantitative paradigms through case study and causal research designs. Thus, a mixed-method approach to address specific public infrastructure tender price challenges was adopted. The findings show construction tender prices increased by 31.4% annually for upgrading roads to bituminous standards between 2008 and 2018. Whereas, between 2012 and 2021, tender prices for periodic maintenance of feeder roads increased by an average of 49.7% per annum. The research utilized the Kaizer stopping criterion and Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings which determined that benchmarking price performance accounts for 40.457% of the inflation, and eliminating errors in tender documents accounts for 33.693%. The Pseudo R2 indicated that the multinomial model explains 62.5% only of the variability between the independent variables and construction tender price inflation. The findings of the statistical analysis of the quantitative data provided a strong correlation between the dimension-independent variables and construction tender price. Regression functions correctly classify 86.4% of the inflation effect of tested predictor variables on construction tender price. The study established six key construction-related dimensions, including government, project, procurement, legal, industry, and project-specifics, with 65 indicators. It argues construction tender price inflation as a function of macroeconomic (quantitative) indicators and process management (qualitative) related variables. Further, the study notes significant positive and negative correlations between construction tender prices and foreign exchange rates, commercial interest rates, inflation rates, foreign direct investments, and government debt stock. The study developed an integrated model which acknowledges all 65 key dimension performance indicators as significant for producing a desirable construction tender price performance level. The developed model combines analytical and descriptive aspects of tender price factors
Innovations and strategies during online teaching in an Ed tech low-resourced University.
Get PDFArticleThe study focused on identifying innovations deployed by lecturers weployed by lecturers when teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Zambia. The interpretivist worldview anchors the study. Researchers adopted a descriptive qualitative case study design. Purposefully and conveniently sampled lecturers (n = 21) took part in key informant interviews from the university faculties: the school of education, the school of humanities and social sciences and the school of health sciences. Thematic analyses were applied to the data collected using face-to-face and telephone interview schedules. Results show that all lecturers fully know online instruction’s possible challenges. Lecturers have devised innovations that are lecturer-oriented, lesson-oriented, resource-oriented and student-oriented in managing online teaching and learning. The success of online teaching in an EdTech low-resourced university depends on the lecturers’ desire to learn, the availability of essential ICT devices, the use of open educational resources-OER, the potential of the use of devices and the availability of internet connectivity. However, intermittent internet connectivity, student absenteeism, a lack of primary ICT devices, and EdTech illiteracy persist. External support—such as continuous professional development programs (CPDs), import duty exemptions or corporate sponsorships and donations—should be sought to facilitate online lessons. Innovation in teaching and learning does not only entail high-tech educational technologies but the use of what works best for a community of learners in a particular context. Though focused on Zambia, the study results reflect the situation and experience of universities in other countries with similar characteristics
Investigation of how operational and climatic factor affect PV-grid tied inverter: a case study of Ethiopia and Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Engineering in Electrical Power Engineering.Zambia and Ethiopia are two countries from southern and eastern of Africa due to their geographical location and other factor the environment condition is different. The research aims to Investigation how operational and climatic factor affect PV-grid tied inverter. In Zambia the study focused on the two main solar plants which is under ZESCO national grid at malty facility zone (MFZ), the first one is the 54 megawatts Bangweulu solar power plant, second one is 34MW Ngonye solar photovoltaic (PV) plant. In Ethiopia eight min off-grid site under Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) is included. Beltu, Behima, Mino, Ungoge, Korhele,Tum, Omorate and Kofetu. A survey is conducted how operational and climatic factor affect PV-grid tied inverter (GTI) in the above-mentioned area. Using Microsoft excel the environmental \climate condition, Solar radiation, Air temperature and Rain falls of the two country Zambia and Ethiopia is investigated and analysed for each selected site. A questionnaire and a Simi-structure interview are conducted. The basic inverter challenges are investigated from the collected data and the problem is analyzed based on the specific inverter data sheet. The data sheets of the inverter for each site under this study are attached. Environmental condition affects almost all solar plant sites which are under this study. The temperature of Lusaka is higher than Addis Ababa by 5.63°C and even in the plant under this study; temperature rise is one of the challenges on the inverter performance, sensitive electronic component bent due to excessive temperature. On the other side in Ethiopia Addis Ababa excessive rain affect the inverter. Addis Ababa has about 1.32 times more rainfall than Lusaka, (Addis Ababa’s 79.54mm vs Lusaka’s average of 60.34mm). For that reason, most of the inverter in Ethiopia on the mini off-grid site is affected by heavy rain condition. Finally, the real-time performance of the inverter of the off-grid PV mini-grid system installed in a small remote town in Ethiopia is analyzed using measured meteorological data. From on- grid and off-grid inverter performance challenges, which the researcher collected from different plant the main ones are climate or environmental effect and also over load. Overload is one of the frequent challenges in koftu, behama and amorita this can be due to high population growth and unexpected power demand from the community