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Factors affecting establishment of household enterprises in Uganda
No full textxi, 66 p. ;The study investigated the factors affecting the establishment of household enterprises in Uganda. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the effect of Socio-demographic and Socio-economic characteristics on establishment of household enterprises in Uganda. The study used data from the Uganda National Household Survey 2019/2020. The study estimated the logit model that was identified as the most appropriate model. The key findings from the study were establishment of household enterprises in Uganda was positively and significantly influenced by Rural/Urban location of household head, Access to informal financial services, and household income while on the other hand, household enterprise establishment was negatively and significantly influenced by Post secondary education, Senior Citizen Grant (SCG) and Age of household head. The policy recommendations from the study were that government should integrate conditional elements into the Senior Citizen Grant, that can harness the positive behavioural incentives as identified by Blattman et al. (2014) of requiring recipients to participate in business training or use the funds for specific entrepreneurial activities. This approach will aim at encouraging beneficiaries to reduce their reliance on the grants, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth among senior citizens. Secondly increase funding of informal financial institutions like Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCA’s), Accumulative Savings and Credit Associations (ASCA’s), Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA’s) that would provide financial resources to aspiring entrepreneurs at household level
The effects of wetland use/cover changes on soil organic carbon in masese wetland, Jinja city
No full textxii, 91 p. : col.Human activities, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas, are increasingly placing significant pressure on wetland ecosystems, compromising their ecological integrity and their role as carbon sinks. This study focused on the Masese wetland in Jinja City, Uganda, to evaluate land use/cover changes and soil organic carbon (SOC) across different wetland sections. The key objectives were to: (1) analyze spatial and temporal changes in wetland use/cover between 2014 and 2023; (2) examine the primary drivers of wetland use/cover changes; and (3) assess Soil Organic Carbon under various wetland use/cover types in Masese. The researcher adopted a mixed research design; cross cross-sectional research design; the quantitative and qualitative approach of data collection. The researcher used Landsat 8 (2014) and Sentinel-2A (2017, 2020, and 2023) satellite imagery for spatial-temporal analysis through the Google Earth Engine platform, collected social and economic data on wetland use/cover drivers from 276 households across five wards, administered questionnaires and conducted interviews with local stakeholders, analyzed soil samples from 15 sites using Walkley and Black’s rapid titration method and processed satellite imagery using maximum likelihood supervised classification, discriminant analysis, and change detection in ArcGIS 10.8.2. The researcher found a 3% reduction in permanent wetland areas between 2014 and 2023, driven by industrial development, economic growth, inadequate policy enforcement, and significant differences in soil properties like pH, phosphorus content, and sand/clay composition. The ANOVA results showed that there were no big differences (p > 0.05) in the SOC between the different types of wetland use. Therefore the study concludes that industrial and weak government policy and regulations have led to substantial wetland degradation in Masese wetland. However, the current land use practices have not yet caused significant depletion of SOC. The study recommends prioritization of vertical development instead of horizontal expansion practices to avoid encroaching on fragile ecosystems, particularly wetlands and strong policy enforcements related to land use planning and wetland protection, accompanied by community engagement to promote sustainable practices. Further research should examine the long-term impacts of land use changes on SOC and ecosystems, ensuring urban development considers ecological factors to preserve the wetland's role as a carbon sink
Ethnobotanical survey and phytochemical analysis of medicinal plants used in the management of diabetes and hypertension diseases in Mpigi district, Uganda
No full textxvi, 155 p. ;Diabetes and hypertension have emerged as significant global health challenges due to their increasing prevalence within populations and status as major contributors to mortality worldwide, with projections indicating a further rise in deaths, particularly in less developed regions. Various allopathic medicines have been produced but with low curative efficiency and side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants have emerged as a significant alternative for treating various human conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. Despite their importance, and high usage globally, majority of them have not been studied and documented. This study was conducted to assess the use of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes and hypertension in Mpigi district, Uganda. Individual interviews with traditional herbalists were carried out in a semi-structured format followed by field visits for taxonomic classification of the plants mentioned in the local language. Furthermore, three highly used plants were selected for phytochemical analysis qualitatively, quantitatively, and using the GCMS method. These plants were also analysed for their safety profile using rats as model species. Fifty-four (54) herbalists were interviewed, and 64% of them had an experience of more than 6 years in treating diabetes and hypertension. Herbalists reported the utilization of one hundred and twenty (120) plant species for the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. In the phytochemical analysis, the results revealed the presence of a majority of the analysed phytochemicals, encompassing alkaloids, steroids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, coumarins, and terpenoids. The FSM extract exhibited high levels of total phenols (217±25.05mg/g) and total tannins (179.75±3.44mg/g). The CRM extract contained substantial amounts of total flavonoids (28.75±0.98mg/g), total saponins (225.07±4.11mg/g), and total alkaloids (116.15±3.73mg/g). Additionally, FSM extract contained 14 detected compounds, while both CRM and MPM extracts contained 30 compounds each. Several of the identified compounds exhibit pharmacological activities that are pertinent to the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The LD50 value, surpassing 5000mg/kg in toxicity assessment, confirms the safety of these plants within the context of traditional use. However, the administration of the three extracts significantly altered certain haematological (White Blood Cells) and biochemical parameters (liver enzymes), indicating potential toxicity. Traditional healing knowledge remains crucial for addressing human ailments, and the study underscores the significance of the identified plants in managing diabetes and hypertension, albeit with a need for cautious use to prevent adverse health effects. The three analysed plants possess compounds with antidiabetic and antihypertensive abilities signalling the potential for drug development
Bachwezi Bashomi in western Uganda: origins, beliefs and practices
No full textxiii, 89 p. : col.The study explored the origins, beliefs and practices of the Bachwezi Bashomi religious movement in Western Uganda. It also examined the theological contributions of Bachwezi Bashomi in the study of religions in Africa. The phenomenon of Bachwezi Bashomi has since the introduction of foreign religions in Africa presented a theological challenge as the study of African traditional religions came into perspective. This theological challenge is exhibited in the double lives of Bachwezi Bashomi practitioners - they fully embrace and practice Christianity while having very strong belief in their ancestral spirits of the Bachwezi (mystical people who are believed to have lived in the interlacustrine region, and eventually morphed into ancestral spirits) as angels or messengers sent by the supreme God. In this sense, Bachwezi Bashomi are truly Christian and truly African traditionalists. Its adjectival name as Bachwezi Bashomi (literally means Bachwezi who are Christians, who read or enlightened) is a theological problem. Does Bachwezi Bashomi represent theological transactions between African ancestral religious ideas with the foreign religions, especially missionary Christianity, which was associated with the art of literacy? To understand this problem, the study examined their origins, beliefs and practices by targeting both practitioners. This study was based on the following objectives: To explain the meaning of Bachwezi Bashomi; To trace the origins of Bachwezi Bashomi; To explain the beliefs and practices of Bachwezi Bashomi; To examine the theological contributions of Bachwezi Bashomi. The study is qualitative in outlook employing descriptive and analytical approaches. The methods used for data collection are semi structured interviews and observation photography and document analysis. The study established the following key findings: The name as Bachwezi Bashomi denotes the idea of an African religious system which has been Christianized; Bachwezi Bashomi is a blend of African traditional spirituality with other foreign religious ideas especially Christianity; The African spiritual realities like ancestors are central and given prominence as angels or messengers of God; Bachwezi Bashomi stands for the ongoing quest for Africans to express their spirituality and culture in the face of the changing world, by blending modernity with their cultures. Through the encounter with the participants, the researcher recommends that: Bachwezi Bashomi deserve respect, mutual understanding for harmonious co-existence; other religions like Christianity should recognize Bachwezi Bashomi in its right without bias or prejudice; The Bachwezi Bashomi continued growth needs more scholarly work for it holds the Africanism that we cannot deny
Assistive technologies for inclusion of deaf and hard-of hearing (DHH) students and academic staff: a call to action for library and information science professionals in Uganda
No full textAssistive technology (AT) is “any product whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence and thereby promote their well-being. For people with disabilities, AT has the potential to improve functioning, reduce activity limitations, promote social inclusion, and increase participation in education. University libraries are mandated to provide assistive technologies, adequate space, resources, and services suitable to support and meet teaching, learning, and research needs for all users, including persons with disabilities. However, it was hitherto unknown how university libraries in Uganda facilitate accessibility to library facilities services to meet the unique needs of deaf or hard-of-hearing students and academic staff. The current paper aimed to generate rich insights into the digital inclusion needs of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) students and academic staff, and to explore how university libraries in Ugandan higher education institutions facilitate the accessibility, adoption, and application of assistive technologies for teaching, learning, and research. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study utilized two semi-structured questionnaires and two interview guides to gather data from DHH students, academic staff, and librarians at four public universities in Uganda. The recruitment of DHH participants was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Ethical clearance was granted by the Aids Support Organisation (TASO) Research Ethics Committee on July 27, 2023 (Ethics reference number: TASO-2023-237). Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS ver. 21), while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis, with selected verbatim quotations used to corroborate the quantitative findings.
This paper has unearthed digital inclusion needs of DHH Students and Academic Staff, including access to high-speed internet, sufficient bandwidth, university websites with captions, software that translates a signer’s words into text, captioning software, video editing software, multimedia mobile phone applications, LCD Projectors, personal computers, mobile phones, assistive technology technical support, digital and assistive technology training, and sign language interpretation which must be met for them to taking advantage of library resources as services that are available to all other users. In addition, the paper has revealed that Libraries are inaccessible because DHH Students and Academic Staff cannot afford the hardware, software, and peripheral equipment and data required to access technology-supported resources, systems, content, and services; the majority of Libraries did not conduct staff capacity building on basic knowledge of assistive technologies, digital and assistive technology training. Furthermore, the libraries did not train DHH students and academic staff in accessing databases, using Google Suite, and Mendeley, Endnote, and Zotero to manage citations and references. Libraries also did not identify and evaluate the Digital literacy training needs and lacked a clear strategy for meeting the digital literacy needs of DHH academic staff and students. Together these hindered the DHH Students and Academic Staff from effectively adopting and applying these technologies for teaching, learning, and research. Overall, the finding revealed a great mismatch between the existing library-related assistive technology services and resources and the digital inclusion needs of students and staff with hearing impairments. Given the important role of academic libraries in promoting digital inclusion, especially for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) academic staff and students, the paper recommends that University Libraries prioritize the development of a digital inclusion policy to guide the design and implementation of initiatives that improve access to library resources and services for DHH individuals
Assessment of arc stability characteristics in gas metal arc welding and related weld quality
No full textxv, 99 p. ; ill. (some col.) ;Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) is a widely employed welding process, and the stability of the welding arc serves as a crucial indicator influencing the overall efficiency of the welding procedure. Arc stability is intricately linked to various quality metrics such as spattering, weld formation, and penetration. While numerous studies have explored arc stability, few have delved into its direct correlation with weld quality. This research addressed this gap by examining how welding parameters, particularly protective gas combinations specifically carbon dioxide and argon affect arc stability. The study involved measuring arc voltage, arc length, and determining arc behaviour under different protective gas combinations. The obtained values were meticulously compared using plotted graphs, offering insights into the behaviour of arc stability in Gas Metal Arc Welding of mild steel. To substantiate the findings, samples generated from experiments utilizing distinct protective gas combinations were subjected to visual inspection, mechanical property testing, and metallographic examination. This comprehensive analysis aimed at elucidating the effects of varied gas combinations on weld quality. The visual, mechanical, and metallographic results were correlated to draw meaningful conclusions regarding arc stability. The 100% argon shielding gas yielded the most stable welding process at a speed of 40 mm/minute, amperage of 150A and voltage of 25v. These parameters hold great significance for future applications in welding machine design and manufacturing. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by bridging the gap between arc stability and weld quality, offering practical insights that can inform welding practices and equipment design. The methodologies employed and conclusions drawn from this study serve as a foundation for future advancements in the optimization of weld quality through a comprehensive understanding of arc stability in GMAW processes
Balancing work, training apprentices and learning at workplaces: experiences of TVET graduates of motor vehicle mechanics
No full textThis study investigated the activities that graduates of motor vehicle mechanics engaged in while working in garages and how these activities are balanced. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with twelve graduates to collect qualitative data. Data was thematically analyzed and framed within the Communities of Practice theoretical framework.
Findings suggest that although TVET institutions do not prepare their learners to balance work, learning, and training, graduates can perform these tasks using the knowledge acquired from their workplaces. Graduates who have a considerable level of formal education can devise strategies for balancing different responsibilities than those with low levels of formal education. However, challenges such as injuries, unprofessional conduct of garage managers, illiteracy, language barriers, and indiscipline amongst trainees constrain the balancing of these tasks. We recommend that TVET institutions train their learners to be multitasking to enhance their capacity to perform multiple tasks at workplaces. Additionally, employers need to avail time and other resources to enable graduates to learn new skills at the workplace so that they can handle multiple tasks such as repairing vehicles, training, and learning
From methodological authoritarianism to epistemic realism : multidisciplinary research paradigms and the post-modern turn
No full textP. (1-12) ;The 20th century was characterized by a radical paradigm shift from modernism to postmodernism. Postmodernism rejected the stances of objectivism, universalism and the construction of meta-narratives that were evident in the modern epoch. Postmodernism re-affirms subjectivism, perspectivism and particularism in knowledge attribution, acquisition and justification. Postmodernism therefore
dethrones positivism, radical empiricism and all their objectivistic scientific edifices. Post-modernism has its roots in post-colonialism, de-colonialism and the agitations for racial and gender justice. This academic masterpiece used critical historical analysis, critical hermeneutics, decolonial and postcolonial criticism to situate postmodernism as an emancipatory philosophy of method that safeguards
marginalized modes of knowledge in the South from the epistemicide of Western Positivism. The paper analytically illuminated that postmodern epistemological ethos leads to the emergence of post-positivism in the natural sciences and interpretivism in the humanities and social sciences by propagating deconstructionist and emancipatory multi-disciplinary methodologies such as
critical discourse analysis, phenomenological interpretation, critical race theory and critical gender theory. This paper further argued that multi-disciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are inevitable constellations of the eminent emergency of the postmodern epoch. The paper adds to knowledge by painstakingly contending that postmodernism entrenches situated knowledge and multidisciplinary methodologies that are equally valid, reliable, cogent and credible
Implementation of inclusive education for pupils with intellectual disabilities in inclusive primary schools in Shinyanga municipality, Tanzania
No full textxiii, 93 p. ;The study explored implementing inclusive education for pupils with intellectual disabilities in inclusive primary schools in Shinyanga Municipality, Tanzania. The objectives of this study were to examine inclusive education practices of teachers in selected inclusive primary schools in Shinyanga Municipality, Tanzania; second, to examine strategies for the implementation of inclusive education for PwIDs in inclusive primary schools in Shinyanga Municipality; and third, to explore teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of inclusive education for PwIDs in inclusive primary schools. It adopted a qualitative approach and a case study design to obtain the relevant data. The target population for this study was two hundred and two (202); the study employed a sample of 21 participants who were purposefully selected. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and observation. Data for the study was analyzed thematically, as described by Cresswell (2014). The findings were presented under themes and subthemes constructed in the course of data analysis, which revealed that: (i) most teachers were knowledgeable about inclusive education practices such as creating inclusive culture, teamwork, providing reasonable accommodation, and individualized instruction to pupils with intellectual disabilities, (ii) the selected inclusive primary schools doing their best with the meagre resources at their disposal to implement the inclusive education for pupils with intellectual disabilities by following government guidelines, directives, policies; and Acts; and (iii) the implementation of inclusive education for pupils with intellectual disabilities was characterized by numerous challenges such as lack of in-service training for teachers in inclusive primary schools, poor teaching environments, and inadequate materials to teach pupils with intellectual disabilities. The study concluded that though most teachers were knowledgeable about inclusive education, the learning environment in the selected inclusive primary schools was not friendly for teaching pupils with intellectual disabilities; inclusive education success relies on collaboration, team spirit, and policies that support inclusion; and inclusive primary schools were facing various challenges in implementing inclusive education for pupils with intellectual disabilities which poses a threat to the realization of the dream of leaving no one behind and maximizing inclusion of persons with disabilities as stated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal four. The study recommends that the Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, should improve the learning environment in inclusive schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities by providing adequate teaching materials and training the in-service teachers on inclusive teaching strategies; secondly, the government should provide sufficient resources to ensure thorough supervision of schools as stipulated in the National Strategies for Inclusive Education 2022-2026, National Education Policy 2014, National Disability Act 2010 and National Disability Policy 2004 to improve teamwork and collaboration among education stakeholders
Experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches; correlated exploration on usage in selected secondary schools in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda
No full textThis study intended to investigate the effectiveness of experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches in secondary schools around Bugiri District in Eastern Uganda with a focus on whether inquiry-based teaching techniques were being used to support student learning based on evidenced experiential education as well as challenges encountered when utilizing these methods. This narrative cross-sectional survey study employed a qualitative approach using interview responses attained from key informants. Findings indicate that through an inquiry-based approach, students are urged to study the subject, ask questions, and exchange ideas rather than have the teacher dictate what they should know. In inquiry-based learning, small-group discussions, guided learning, projects, and hands-on investigation take precedence over lessons. In addition, teachers are typically better at spotting errors in students’ work than they are in their own. It is crucial to ensure students’ learning by giving them high-quality information. Some children learn best by looking at visuals, others by listening and some by reading and writing. Teachers should promote “learning by doing” and also take the lead and create a forum where students can express their opinions and experiences