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Community health volunteers and contraceptive use among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya a threewave analysis
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Employees’ experiences and perceptions of e-learning for training and development in a South African Bank
No full textA research report submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Commerce, in the Faculty of Commerce Law and Management,School of Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025Technological advancements have transformed corporate learning, with e-learning playing a key role in training and development, especially in the banking sector. While existing research highlights general benefits such as accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, there remains limited understanding of employees’ lived experiences with e-learning especially in the South African banking context. There remains a significant gap in understanding how employees' experiences and perceive e-learning used for training and development, especially within the context of a South African bank. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore employees’ experience and perception of e-learning used for training and development in a South African bank. By focusing on employees' lived experiences and perceptions, this research seeks to provide understanding on how e-learning impacts employees knowledge, career growth and skills gap. The research uses Activity Theory (AT) as a conceptual framework, examining tools, rules, community, division of labour, object, and outcomes in the e-learning environment. A qualitative approach was applied, using semi-structured interviews with ten employees across junior, mid-level, and senior roles. Thematic analysis (TA) was used to interpret the data. Findings show that employees value both mandatory and voluntary e-learning. Interestingly, the employee level has an influence on the perceptions of mandatory training, with junior employees appreciating skills learnt, mid-level employees who find these sessions necessary but mundane, and senior employees who feel mandatory training lacks leadership content. Subsequently, higher level employees value voluntary training more due to the leadership e-learnings available despite challenges in time management, and junior employees gain confidence and become more self-reliant in their daily duties, from skills learnt from voluntary training, however there are challenges with management support and training prioritization. Key challenges of e- learning include time management, workload, and lack of prioritisation of learning. The study recommends policy adjustments to allocate dedicated training time and increase management involvement. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on e- learning in financial institutions and illustrates how AT can be applied to evaluate training in sector-specific contexts.MM202
Catalogue of immature hominin fossils from the University of the Witwatersrand South Africa
No full textRole of edible insects in food security and livelihoods in Mumbwa District, Central Province, Zambia
No full textA research thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, to the Faculty of Science, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025The need to find sustainable sources of food and livelihoods is one of the agendas of many societies. This is in response to an increase in global population and increasing number of hungry people globally. The threat of increasing food insecurity, especially in poor communities of sub-Saharan Africa, entails the need to find sustainable alternative sources of nutrition alongside conventional agriculture and food systems. The use of edible insects is seen as having potential to help bridge nutritional and food insecurity gaps as they are a good source of protein and could be part of resilient and sustainable food systems. Edible insects have also been part of cultural dietary practices in Africa for thousands of years. However, despite these advantages, the use of edible insects as food has declined in recent decades in many African communities that were previously known to have high consumption. This study examined the degree of acceptability of edible insects and their contribution to household food security and livelihoods in rural communities in Mumbwa district of Central Province, Zambia. A mixed method research strategy was used across four administrative zones of the study area to collect data through questionnaires, observation and focus group discussions with adult participants (18 years and above). Ethnographic observations were also made on how rural residents engage and utilize edible insects as a resource, including how they find, harvest and prepare insects from natural settings. Results show that the majority (68%) of surveyed households consumed edible insects. This is attributed to the fact that entomophagy forms part of the food culture of the dominant local Kaonde ethnic group. Edible insects were also used as a means to promote social cohesion and cultural values. Edible insects were also a source of livelihood for 26% of respondents, with income from the sale of edible insects being similar to the total income generated from agricultural activities for the majority of households in the community. It was reported that the income generated from the sale of insects, especially caterpillars, was much higher than maize, as a 5-litre bucket of caterpillars sells for around K300 (about US19) in the off season. In some cases, the income was higher depending on the type and quantity of the caterpillar species being sold while the same quantity of maize grain sold for K20 (2) off season (October until the next harvest season). This means that trade in edible insects could help mitigate poverty among rural households. Impediments to the utilization of edible insects as a source of livelihood include the reduction in insect population and availability, lack of infrastructure to promote trade, and lack of environmental stewardship to enhance ecosystems protection. Reduced availability of insects in this community was attributed to climate change, habitat destruction and lack of effective management. To ensure sustainable livelihoods and food security in rural communities, there is need to maintain ecosystems in good condition as well as recognizing edible insects as finite valuable resources that should be managed. This requires adequate infrastructure and public policy cutting across socioeconomic, health, education and trade/business systems. Better governance and coordination across different actors involving edible insects as a form of natural capital can help achieve various Sustainable Development Goals of relevance to rural African communities.MMM202
Investigation of mechanical properties and the effect of volume fraction of polycrylamide hydrogel with molecular dynamics simulation
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