Humanities and social Sciences

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Alienation and the individuation experience: a study of select characters from the novels of Achebe, Oyono and Thiong'o
(2012-03-05) Mumba, Norah Mbalose
This study explores psychological, social and physical reaction by Africans to the colonial experience through literary characters created by three of Africa's leading writers. These are Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart), Ferdinand Oyono (Houseboy and The Old Man and the Medal) and Ngugi wa Thiong'o (The River Between). It considers how characters like Okonkwo, Toundi, Meka, Muthoni and others individually suffered alterations to the normal equilibrium of their individual lives upon being faced with the new circumstances prescribed upon them by colonisation. They all needed to develop some sort of coping mechanism in attempting to come to terms with their altered environment and challenged identity. The central thrust of the study is the concept of individuation as developed by Carl Gustav Jung in his Analytical Psychology. The process of individuation is a quest towards achieving psychic wholeness through psychological development. It entails emotional growth, discovery of meaning in life and occasionally enlightenment or victory over inner obstacles. The individuated person is one who has undergone a process of recovering the meaning of his life, after having lost it. The loss of meaning in life is occasioned by a feeling of alienation such as that brought on by colonisation upon the native populations. Such loss is usually accompanied by loss of one's religious belief. Colonialism introduced Christianity and forced a re-orientation of subjugated peoples from their original religious systems to embracing the white man's religion. This abrupt and forced departure from their own belief systems was not without cost. Not only were there major ramifications in psychological terms but also the colonisers set out to use the new religion as a tool for disempowering the natives. The result was a mixture of psychological as well as physical violence inflicted by the whites upon the subjugated black people. Analytical Psychology is employed to try to understand the workings of the human mind from the perspective of the Victim' as well as to find the source in the human psyche of such orchestrated victimisation of one set of people by another. Jungian psychology attempts to identify the workings of the human psyche that may predispose one set of people to behave in a particular manner, to share particular mind DNA, and how an individual may inherit from the collective such a DNA pattern.
Some artistic aspects of Kutanguta : a study of some literacy stylistic features in Lozi oral narrative performances
(2012-03-05) Mwiya, Munalula Elias
In Western literary stylistic study today emphasis seems to centre around individual works as opposed to the genres to which these works belong. The reason for this trend, I believe, is that Western literary genres have been amply explored theoretically, and elements that constitute their artistic aspects have been largely identified and established. The African oral narrative, however, has not been accorded the same treatment. While it has been recognised as a genre through its most distinguishable feature, which is that it is an orally transmitted prose, much theoretical work has yet to be done to establish its specific artistic features. Virtually nothing has been done, along these lines, on Lozi oral narratives. The current study addresses itself to this problem. The Lozi infinitive kutanguta which may be translated as "to narrate" refers both to the process of recounting the series of events which make up a particular narrative (Titangu, plural-matangu) and to the act of story-telling itself. Since any given litangu is likely to be fairly well-known by the local audience, its performance does not focus so much upon the narrator's ability to recall these events as his ability to utilize, the artistic repertoire of narrating. So implicit in the word kutanguta ("to narrate") is an evaluation of a given performer's narrative technique, tha't is, how well he or she employs the stylistic devices (iv) associated with narrative performances. It is these that I have tried to identify and explore in this study. I have also attempted to determine what constitutes their successful or unsuccessful use in kutanguta. The text is divided into four chapters. The first chapter constitutes the introduction to the study and presents, among other things, a definition of the Lozi oral narrative system, and a fairly detailed discussion of the theoretical assumptions underlying the study, and how these relate to the practical analysis of the narratives. In the second chapter, I have listed and discussed some stylistic features I have found to be significant in the corpus. These formal features have been explored to determine, in the light of contextual evidence, what function they serve in oral narrative transmission. In the third chapter, I have compared narrative versions of the same story in order to determine which performer made the more effective use of the artistic techniques at his or her disposal. Certain "literary" concepts have been discussed and incorporated within a framework for judging the narratives according to their selection and application of literary devices. The last chapter of the thesis sums up the methods and the results they have yielded, and makes suggestions about areas in which futher work could be undertaken to extend and deepen our understanding the artistry of kutanguta.
The grammar of compound nouns in Chitonga
(2012-03-06) Musale, maureen Mweene Chiyonga
This study investigated the assumption that compound noun words embed a grammar of a language with special reference to Tonga. The descriptive study was carried out to examine whether the assumption which is thought to be universal is applicable to Tonga, a Bantu language (M64) mainly spoken in the southern part of Zambia. The research applied purposive sampling and snowball sampling to identify and also collect data from fifteen informants. These composed two custodians of the language and thirteen teachers of the language in secondary schools in Southern Province. Radio programs, church and reading materials in Tonga also contributed to the data collected. The collected data was then subjected to phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantics theories for analysis. Syntactic analysis was carried out based on Transformational Generative Grammar. In addition, Government Binding theories were used to analyse grammatical structures and functions of words in a compound noun. The observations done through morphophonological, syntactical and semantics analysis proved that compound noun words do embed a grammar of a language. The analysis was achieved through the four linguistic levels of, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. The proposition that compound nouns embed the grammar of a language was therefore proved true not only to Tonga as has been proved in other languages.
Images of women in Ticklish sensation, Tongue of the dumb and Cowerie of hope with the perspective of sex role sterotypes
(2012-03-06) Muyendekwa, Limbali
This research describes or analyses the images of women in male literary works of Ticklish Sensation, Tongue of the Dumb and Cowrie of Hope with the perspective of sex role stereotypes. This is researched from a feminist and psychoanalytic perspective. Other secondary materials have been used to authenticate this research other than primary books in question. The first section looks at literature review concerning other researchers in different fields but concerning gender issues while this research looked at gender issues concerning images of women in Ticklish Sensation, Tongue of the Dumb and Cowrie of Hope. The issue is finding the source of sex role stereotypes in male written works and this is attributed to the fact that God made man first subjecting a woman to a subordinate position; a position that relegates her due to socially constructed traits that are distinct from those of man. From written literature or history of literature and place in history when the text was produced, the level of social awareness of both society in which he writes, is what influences the written literature or literature affecting society and propagating norms, values and attitudes of the society hence mostly African authors write under the influence of patriarchal societies which inculcate sex role stereotypes. This research has used literature review by different researchers dealing with gender issues in society; however, this research's main concern was researching portrayal of women in male literary works. The next section views the theories of feminist and psychoanalytic theory and how they have affected the male literary works to challenge the authority of men as women have been muted and it is doubtless by virtue of this mutism that men have been able to speak and write as they do, they will enter history subdued and alienated. It is history that, logically speaking, women's speech should disrupt, and literature is seen as a process of psychological exploration aimed at uncovering repressed sentiments and verbalizing what had been unacceptable and repudiated biasness is seen in male authors and is expressed in language though some authors have worked to uplift the image of women like Sinyangwe who is a contemporary writer unlike Gideon Phiri and Dominic Mulaisho. This is seen in the preceding chapters looking at themes, sex role/gender roles, sex rule stereotypes, fragmentation/description of body parts of characters, development of characters where sex role stereotypes play a role in influencing male writers who write without knowing that, they are unfairly treating female characters in their literary works due to the patriarchal system male writers under discussion come from. The outcome is seen in male characters who take the roles that highlight strengths or the potential they stand for, while women are in periphery as appendages or subordinates to men due to sex role stereotypes which are attributed to patriarchal dominance. All these are analysed with their implications for language planning and recommendations which is the focus of the last section while the research focused on the images of women in the three male literary works. The research investigated whether the text gave same opportunities to both female and male characters and also analyses if the male and female characters spoke with the same voice or not. The research also assessed the language used in the text to determine if this language was biased towards one sex or other.
Participation by beneficiaries in Care Prospect Projects in Zambia : the role of participatory communication
(2012-04-05) Jere, Raphael E
For a development project to be successful and sustainable, it is essential that the beneficiaries participate in its planning, design, implementation and evaluation. For the beneficiaries to be empowered to participate, they need information which must be effectively conveyed to them. The report suggests that this could be achieved through the use of participatory development communication to share and spread information and knowledge among the stakeholders. To begin with, the author found that PROSPECT (to which the author was attached) maintains collaborative and consultative arrangements between itself and the beneficiaries of its projects through a variety of ways. Firstly, PROSPECT communicates with the beneficiaries and channels development interventions through area-based organisations. These are democratically elected, representative and non-political resident committees especially set up to expedite participation of local residents in any development programme in each of the informal settlements of the urban areas in Zambia. Secondly, PROSPECT uses participatory research to get baseline information for project planning, design and evaluation. However, there are some hints that communication, particularly, between the residents and the area-based organisations needs to be improved. To achieve some improvements in this area, the author suggests a number of things. Firstly, PROSPECT should change and re-orient the emphasis in the training of the leaders in the area-based organisations in the art of communicating with the residents to mobilise them for participation. Secondly, PROSPECT should encourage ABO leaders to keep written records and to communicate with the residents through some suggested appropriate channels of communication. Finally, PROSPECT should support development activities, like refuse collection and sanitation, community policing etc., that originate at zone level to help shift the focus from the RDC (as the case is now) to the zones and residents. This will give the leaders in the area-based organisations opportunities to intact and communicate with their people more often. It will also broaden the scope for ordinary residents to participate and gain genuine control over the development process in their compounds.
Communication strategies used by National Aids Council (NAC) to combat HIV/AIDS
(2012-04-05) Hamwaka, Atanasius
This report is a result of the attachment and study of the HIV/AIDS communication strategies used by National AIDS Council (NAC) to fight HIV/AIDS in Zambia. NAC was established by an act of Parliament in 2002, to coordinate a multisectoral response to HIV and AIDS in the country. Its main role is to coordinate and support the development of the multi sectoral national response for the prevention and combating of the spread of HIV, STI and TB in order to reduce the personal, social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, STI and TB. A primary impediment in the fight against AIDS is lack of information and communication about the disease. Information and communication hold vast potential to hinder the spread of the disease, as key element of all aspects of HIV/AIDS strategies, including prevention, treatment, care and support. They offer potential solutions to misinformation and myths, silence and denial, and stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. The study intended to appraise the activities and communication strategies used by NAC to disseminate HIV/AIDS information. The report presents what was found out in terms of the activities and strategies that were used to reach Zambians. It serves as resource showing a number of different communications models and applications in the field. It highlights NAC's emerging convergence in approaches and increasing efforts to build bridges between different types of HIV/AIDS activities, including communication for social and advocacy. HIV/AIDS is a matter of global concern. The report reveals that effective HIV/AIDS programmes should place emphasis on communication strategies to give future directions for more effective AIDS control programmes. Finally, the report presents recommendations for the future basing on the analysis of the evidence of the research.
Radio Broadcast Communication by the Ministry of Education for Basic School Teacher`s Professional development: A case Study of Lusaka District
(2012-04-11) Kangulu, Oliver
This case study examines how the Ministry of Education employs communication strategies using radio broadcasts to support professional development for teachers. The study sought to establish whether radio broadcast outreach programme is effectively being used to spread information and new innovations in the teaching profession. A sample size of 100 teachers teaching at 10 selected schools participated in the study. A probability random sampling technique was used and 10 Basic schools were randomly selected. Besides, the researcher conducted in depth interviews to Ministry of Education officials at the District resource centre, Education Broadcasting Services and EDC/QUEST project. The quantitative data was put into constituent parts to answer the research question using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The general indication in the study was that most respondents do not listen to the Education radio broadcasts. Additionally, the broadcast time slots of the broadcasts were not convenient to the intended target. The study revealed that most respondents spent more time listening to the radio at night between 20:00 hours and 22:00 hours. The night time was most preferred because most people were free and were out of the work places. The findings further established that the programme design and communication strategy are satisfactory but concluded that there was need for regular evaluation of the programme and that most teachers were not in favour of the name of the radio programme.
Radio Farm Forum in Zambia : a participatory approach in Muswishi-Chibombo district
(2012-04-11) Kalimbwe, George
The practical attachment was held in Muswishi, about 20 km east of Kabwe town. The attachment lasted four months from June to October. Muswishi is a farming area found in Chibombo district of Central Zambia. The area has a population of 5,000 inhabitants with the Lenjes being the indigenous people. Other tribes such as the Tongas, Bembas, Swakas are also found in the area. Agriculture forms the livelihood of the people of Muswishi. The area lies in a high potential agricultural area, though little production takes place. Some of the reasons advanced by the people of the area, are poor agricultural policies by government that hinder agricultural development. Some of these poor policies include, inadequate credit for farm inputs and crop marketing facilities. In view of the above, Farm-level Apphed Research Methods for East and Southern Africa (FARMESA), a SIDA funded programme started a project using participatory approaches in a bid to improve the living standards of the people of Muswishi. Among these projects was the Communication Support for Technology Development and Transfer in Muswishi and Lusitu (Lusitu is in Siavonga district in Southern Province). In Muswishi, the project started by establishing a Communication Committee comprising stakeholders in the area, that was responsible for dissemination of developmental information. The committee used a newsletter and participatory radio as its information dissemination media. Of interest to this student was the participatory radio as a means of bringing about development in Muswishi. This student worked with the communication committee in establishing two radio listening groups which were Muswishi Central and Chipaba. Each of these groups consisted of 20 members that listened to audio recorded programmes. The recordings were done by the members of the communication committee where three quarters were local farmers. Normally, the committee did the recordings from among the farmers themselves. Therefore, this medium provided the people of Muswishi an opportunity to talk to themselves on matters that affect them. Project evaluation was not done due to time constraints, however, this student was convinced that participatory communication was key in rural development. Rural people know their problems better, therefore, they are the ones that can find possible solutions to them.
An evaluation of the Communication Strategies of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS and Poverty in Zambia
(2012-04-11) Kalyondo, Stanislaus
This study is based on the attachment of the researcher with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Zambia in Kasama and Lusaka. CRS is an international, humanitarian and development based organization, indirectly implementing through its partners, who include the Catholic Church, faith-based and community-based organizations. CRS operates in this way in order to empower local communities to take ownership of their programmes, thereby being more fully involved in influencing their future. The aim of this study is to establish the extent to which CRS' communication strategies are influencing people's attitudes, beliefs and behaviour towards the HIV and AIDS pandemic as well as the ravaging poverty. It is for this reason that the researcher tried to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication strategies in use by CRS in mitigating the impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic and poverty in Zambia. In order to achieve the above main objective of the study, the researcher employed both the qualitative and the quantitative research methods. The use of multiple methodologies to acquire data ensured triangulation and validation of the findings. The data gathering methods employed included audience surveys, four FGDs, four in-depth interviews, and participatory methods such as transect walks, community mapping and timelines. These methods revealed that CRS has tended mostly to use meetings, workshops, seminars, print materials, drama and printed T-shirts and citenge materials as approaches in communicating its messages. According to the available data from the study sites, these methods have been able to change people's beliefs, attitudes and behaviour especially with regard to HIV and AIDS. However, the study also established that although CRS had made such tremendous contributions towards the fight against HIV and AIDS and poverty, it had failed to explore other effective communication tools such as radio which are widely used and favored by most people in the study sites. Moreover, it was also observed that CRS had not done much in translating print materials, such as posters, brochures and pamphlets, and printed messages on T-shirts and citenge and the instructions on medicines into local languages. This study recommends among other things that materials be designed specifically for the target audience within their particular culture. Much of information passing in rural areas of Zambia is still based on oral tradition, so the use of non-print materials is likely to be more effective. Consistent, unambiguous messages are the cornerstone of effective communication. The study further recommends that CRS should also explore other communication tools apart from the ones currently in use in order to be more effective in disseminating its messages.
Improving communication channels in out grower schemes: A challenge for small holder farmers growing tobacco in Chipata, Zambia
(2012-04-11) Kunda, Martin; Musonda
This is a report of the study that was done in Chipata District in Zambia to determine why the majority of small holder tobacco farmers do not benefit from out grower schemes. The research and writing of the report was the final phase of the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Communication for Development degree of the University of Zambia. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. In the former a Questiormaire and Famers Matrix were used. In the later Focus Group Discussions, in- depth interviews, personal interviews, and participant observation were used. Data analysis was multifaceted. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). A total of 194 people participated in the study of which 124 were males and 70 were females. This study established that while tobacco production has the potential to improve rural livelihoods, resources for communication activities continue to be difficult to mobilize, and development organizations find it difficult to put people at the centre of the communication process which has made if difficult for the majority of small holder farmers to benefit from out grower schemes. The study revealed that tobacco farmers and their families had continued to work for low prices every season, when tobacco companies and tobacco manufacturers continue to record huge profits. The study concludes that tobacco out grower schemes do not benefit the majority of small holder farmers. The study observed that tobacco out grower schemes have many stakeholders and each of them has a role to play to make sure small holder farmers benefit from the out grower schemes. The study recommends that the government puts in place the communication infrastructure necessary to benefit rural farmers. This includes increasing the fiber optic cables in the country. The government must also create a conducive business environment to allow entrepreneurs to engage in communication related businesses in rural areas. This is in addition to coming up with a well defined policy on contract farming which currentiy is not there. The government must also commission comprehensive studies to investigate the role of communication in out grower schemes and the contributions of out grower schemes to poverty reduction among rural households. The study recommends that tobacco companies must support learning and environmental management initiatives in the communities and work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives at the local level. The rural farmers, the study recommends, must come up with the village learning Groups and Community Agriculture Worker concepts to facilitate information flow to improve tobacco production and marketing. Lastly, the study recommends that media must put people at the centre of communication process by providing them with information relevant to effectively participate in the economy thereby improving their livelihoods.
An assessment of Communication Strategies for Poverty reduction in community driven development: the case of Programme Urban Self Help (PUSH)
(2012-04-11) Kalwani, Rose Mwandu
This study is a detailed account of the observations and findings of the student on communication strategies of poverty reduction in Community Driven Development. In order to carry out the study, the student was attached to Programme Urban Self Help -PUSH national office in Lusaka. To comprehensively assess the communication strategies and channels, the student had to study the poverty reduction livelihood activities in the PUSH communities of the Northern Region, which included Lunga, Mutenda, Mbonge and Soloboni. Soloboni community is in the Southern Region but under the poverty reduction strategy. The findings indicate that PUSH has a viable participatory social development programme which has made an impact among the low income communities. It is evident the organization needs adequate funding to achieve its focus of delivering sustainable social development. Participatory bottom-up approaches to communication require a high investment. Nevertheless, the PUSH communication policy requires modification of the guiding norms and principles. The organization ought to enhance its interaction with the community; and provide opportunities for staff transformation, dialogue and consensus.
The role of efficient organizational communication in enhancing cohesion and service delivery: the case of the Small Enterprise Development
(2012-04-11) Kasongo, Allan
This report is the result of the student's attachment to the Small Enterprise Development Board (SEDB) Head Office in Lusaka for four months from July 1, to October 31, 1999. The main purpose of the attachment was to enable the student participate in the activities of the organisation in order to enable him to observe and assess the role of efficient organisational communication in enhancing the organisation's cohesion to facilitate service delivery to its clients. Information for the report was gathered mainly through participant observation, in-depth interviews and personal experiences as the student interacted with members of staff and some of SEDB's clients. The findings, observations and personal experiences revealed that SEDB was experiencing critical financial constraints as a result of its huge debt and loss of credibility. This has affected its performance as the organisation has been unable not only to pay employee salaries on time but also failed to deliver services to its clients. The financial and administrative constraints of SEDB have led to demotivation and fi-ustration of staff members. These problems could be attributed to lack of effective communication links within SEDB. The fact that even at the moment there are no formal management, departmental or management-union meetings, and that regional offices no longer submit reports to head office, is indicative of a breakdown in the communication network at SEDB. Lack of formal interaction between top management and employees has promoted suspicion, mistrust and reliance on rumours for information. Since managers work with and through their subordinates, warm relations at interpersonal and group levels are critical to the promotion of cohesion and co-operation in the organisation. Good relations can also promote employee support for their managers and the organisation. Because SEDB is experiencing financial constraints and there are no services to clients, constant management-employee interactions are the key to the maintenance of employees' morale. In summary, the principal recommendations are that the government should provide adequate financial and technical support to SEDB in order for it to regain its credibility and that SEDB management should make deliberate efforts to improve its internal network so that it can play a significant role in improving living standards of the poor in Zambia through small businesses.
Communication tools used and their perceived effectiveness in disseminating HIV/AIDS messages for the workforce in ZAMTEL
(2012-05-07) Nyundu, William
The report is as a result of the study on HIV/AIDS communication tools used by Zambia telecommunication company (Zamtel). Zamtel as a communication company aims at providing cost effective, comprehensive and high quality telecommunication facilities and services to its customers. The impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has not spared Zamtel. HIV/AIDS infectious related diseases have adversely increased costs such as cost of health care, funeral costs, cost of training and recruiting workers to replace the ill and dying, medical retirement and insurance costs among others. The hindrance to the fight against HIV/AIDS is lack of effective communication tools about the disease. However, Zamtel, is responding to the HIV/AIDS challenges in different ways. Some of the approaches include work place policies and programmes, undertaking extensive prevention and education efforts within their own operations and using effective communication channels as proactive measures designed to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS and its effects among the employees. The study intended to establish the communication tools used and their perceived effectiveness in disseminating HIV/AIDS messages for the workforce in Zamtel. For that reason, the report presents communication tools used such as workshops, seminars, magazines distribution, health talks, interpersonal communication and electronic media to disseminate HIV/AIDS information to employees. The findings showed that the majority of the respondents, 69.1 percent, revealed that the HIV/AIDS communication dissemination methods used by Zamtel were effective but the degree of effectiveness varied. Ultimately, the report presents recommendations for the future basing on the analysis of the findings of the study. Among the recommendations are that, Zamtel to seriously train peer educators among employees who will confidently and effectively disseminate HIV/AIDS information, Zamtel to use employees who have opened up living with HIV/AIDS to give testimony to help in behavioural change and also Zamtel to incorporate HIV/AIDS information during departmental meetings with staff.
Lusaka Urban Health project : A case study of Neighbourhood Health Committees
(2012-05-07) Mwanza, Patrick David
The Lusaka Urban Health Project (LUHP) is a five-year project funded by the Department For International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom. It is a component of the Zambia Health and Population Sector Aid Programme. The programme began operating in 1994 and it will go on up to 1999. The overall aim of the LUHP is to improve the urban poor's access to quality health services. This is to be done by improving services offered at the Health Centres (HCs) so that most minor health ailments could be dealt with at the HC level. One of the specific objectives of the project is to enhance active community involvement through Neighbourhood Health Committees (NHCs). The LUHP evolves in the context of the on-going health sector reform v/hich emphasizes on: decentralized management, autonomous functioning of hospitals, introduction of cost sharing and increased community involvement in health care management (LUHP Baseline Study, 1995). The NHCs became operational in 1995. Three years down the road, reports of apathy towards the NHC were of great concern to health authorities. This student's attachment at the District Health Management Team (DHMT) was to identify the main cause(s) of the said apathy and provide recommendations to the higher authorities on the same.
Televangelism in Zambia : an application of the uses and gratifications theory
(2012-05-07) Mweene, Elizabeth Makusa
This thesis investigated the uses and gratifications that people get from watching religious programmes on the national television, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). It investigated the preferences of the audience regarding religious programmes and also the social, economic, religious, and demographic characteristics of the audience. The study focussed on the programmes aired on ZNBC since the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation in 1993 up to the year 2000. The data for this study was collected in three cities and towns; Lusaka, Mazabuka, and Ndola, using a four - paged questionnaire. Findings of this study suggest that the Zambian televangelism audience uses religious programmes both for religious and non - religious reasons. This shows that the audience makes choices for the satisfaction they want to derive from the religious programmes, depending on their needs. The audience therefore plays an active role in determining how they will be influenced by media content. Among the important characteristics of the profile of the Zambian audience are age, sex, marital status, economic and educational level and denomination. These features sometimes affect the frequency, format of programmes watched and the uses and gratifications sought from the religious programmes by individuals. This study was in many respects a confirmation of the findings of other researchers in the Uses and Gratifications (U and G) theoretical tradition.
Communication links utilised by women in their Agroforestry activities : a case Chama, Chipata and Katete District Women's Development Associations
(2012-05-07) Mwela, Lukonde Millica
This practical attachment report is based on the student's findings and experiences in Chama Chipata and Katete. The student was given an opportunity to have an insight into KEPA Zambia and ICRAFs involvement with the DWDAs in the Eastern Province. KEPA and ICRAF render financial and technical assistance to the women by equipping them with information on the adoption of agroforestry techniques for the replenishment of soil fertility. Women who are responsible for most of the country's agricultural produce are faced with a lot of problems regarding soil fertility and are unable to obtain adequate fertiliser to ensure the desired performance of their crops. For that reason the planting of trees has been proposed as an alternative to the mostly unavailable and expensive inorganic fertilisers to the rural communities. The student's task was to evaluate communication links utilised by the women's groups themselves as well as KEPA and ICRAF and efforts by the two organisations to assist the women in their struggle for development. The report highlights some of the important aspects in group communication considering that in the DWDAs the most important are the women's groups. Also discussed is the importance of member participation in decision-making.
Women's Capacity building in Chadiza district: The case of Kazimule and Chagunda women's development associations
(2012-05-07) Mwale, Beenwell
This report is based on an attachment to women's development associations in Chadiza in January-February 1998 which was a component of the six months practical programme for the Masters degree in Communication for Development offered by the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Zambia. Sponsored by Kepa-Zambia, the attachment was based in Kazimule and Chagunda where over 200 women have formed development associations which are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The work the women are doing and the training they are undergoing are meant to empower them in decision making and fighting against gender disparities in the country. After the training, the women are expected to identify problems and their solutions on their own, and be masters of their own destinies. This report, therefore, evaluates the effectiveness of the capacity building of the two areas which has been going on. The report examines the training programmes, the ability of the women to identify problems and their solutions and their leadership abilities to run these NGO. Suggestions and recommendations where pitfalls were identified during the attachment constitute the last chapter of this report. This student hopes the report will generate debate on issues of empowering rural women where traditional customs are deep rooted.
Applying participatory approaches to Community Water Management : a case study of George compound complex in Lusaka
(2012-05-07) Ngoma, Jumbe
The main theme of this report is participatory approaches to water management in George Compound Complex. The impressive infrastructure supporting the water management activities in George Compound Complex has made admirable efforts not only to institutionalise, but also to implement the concept of community participation. This study was prompted by the fact that some residents have opted to continue using shallow wells, which have been declared dangerous for several reasons, instead of safe water provided by the project. It was therefore necessary to look at the level of participation by the residents in the management of the project water. Overall results indicate that the community is being supported and empowered to genuinely participate in water management. The management infrastructure for community development includes local water committees. The employment policy of the project deliberately favours the engagement of George Compound Complex residents only, in order to empower the local community. The water management teams are self-elected and add value to the community's participation efforts. As a result, residents are better committed to this project than they had been to the previous one, as shown by established and functional water committees, reduction in vandalism, efforts at cost recovery and more importantly, the successful reduction in cases of cholera and diarrhoeal diseases. However, the fact that some residents have opted to use water from shallow wells instead of safe water provided by the project poses a threat to the well being of the whole community. In general the study found that community participation in the management of George Compound Complex in the water supply system, has improved in the welfare of the community. This whole achievement can be destroyed by the threat from the continued use of shallow wells. The fight against shallow wells needs to be intensified through participatory approaches.
Towards a democratic culture in Zambia : An assessment of inter-party communication during the Mwanawasa regime (2002-2003)
(2012-05-07) Nakazwe, Salome
Zambia is governed by democratic principles, which find expression in rule by the majority. As such, opposition parties are an important element of democracy and a person is free to belong or start a political party according to the system of governance that that person ascribes to. In a democratic society, those in opposition hold the party in power accountable and this ensures the principle of good governance is upheld. This is because when in opposition, a political party monitors the performance of the ruling party and acts to remind the same of the promises it made to the electorate. This means the opposition parties act as a pressure group for the sake of upholding democratic values. Though they are there to provide an orderly system of changing government, they do not exist as an enemy to the government but have a responsibility to keep in step with the operations of the government so that they continue with development projects should their turn to be in office come. Thus, a free flow of communication between the party in power and those in opposition as well as among those in opposition is important to provide continuity of development projects. To ensure smooth flow of information, there is a position of General Secretary to the Party who acts as a link with other parties. He or she is like an ambassador of the party. Through the General Secretary, political parties articulate their agendas to other parties. Therefore, the different parties are able to find a common ground with other parties. Inter-party communication is built up by this office to a point where it is easy to sit on a 'round table' and discuss issues of national importance that promote the interests of the country. However, in Zambia, the situation is not ideal in as far as free flow of communication is concerned. This is evidenced at times when there is a function of national interest such as Independence Day Celebrations, African Freedom Day or some other function of national importance. The opposition normally are not involved. When queried, they claim not having been invited while the ruling party alleges it had sent out invitations to all political parties. This raises the question of whether the political parties are using an effective way to communicate among themselves or not. What channels, if any, are they using and how effective are they? Due to this lack of communication, political parties are suspicious of each other and especially of the ruling party. They accuse the President of using underhand methods in the way he is relating to them. They cite examples of his poaching MPs and party leaders of smaller parties, for example, from Agenda for Zambia and National Christian Coalition. In these cases, what channels were employed to merge these with the ruling party and what alternatives can be provided so that the outcome would not result in anarchy and despondency among political parties? At the same time, among themselves, opposition parties seem to have reached a deadlock on whether to work together or not. They are suspicious of each other and any attempts at forming an alliance falls through. An opposition party that comes out as pro MMD is accused of selling out and is thus viewed with suspicion. This is resulting in some MPs floating from one party to another oblivious to the system of principles the target party stands on. This situation is not winning the faith of the electorate. They now question whether a one party state is not better than a multi-party democratic rule. This is because the democratic kind of governance seems to concentrate on party bickering at the expense of the country's development. One factor that is giving rise to these confusions on the political arena is a lack of communication between and among different political parties. Since President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa came into power, there have been no inter-party meetings per se. No wonder he is not receiving co-operation from the opposition parties. Any attempt by him to extend an olive branch to the opposition leaders is thwarted as it is perceived to be a gimmick by the ruling party to serve its end. It is difficult to have trust unless there is easy communication among the political parties using the right channels. Hence, a research to find out the mechanism in place for communication among the different political parties was done to help to address the hostility existing among them. At the same time more effective means of communication were investigated to ensure that Zambia's young democracy is nurtured.
Progress and problems in implementing the Local Administration Act, 1980 : a case study of Lusaka Urban District Council
(2012-08-01) Okello, Edward
The main purpose of this study is to assess the progress and also to identify problems of implementing the reforms policy objectives under the Local Administration Act (1980).This is being done in order to find out whether or not Decentralization reforms undertaken have been beneficial in view of the opposing schools of thought about its merits and demerits.Lusaka Urban District Council is singled out as a case study for this purpose.The Act is a symbol of major Decentralization reforms in Zambia because it gave more responsibilities and authority to the new District Councils than was the case in the past. The main objective of these reforms is to restructure and rationalise the administrative system with a view to increasing the administrative capacities of the new Councils in order to make then effective and efficient in delivering goods and services to the public. Although, according to available literature, the popular view is that such reforms bring benefits, but this has been disputed by recent studies because of difficulties in implementing public policies in Third World Countries (Zambia, inclusive). The latter contend that administrative reforms, like most public policies, are either not implemented at all or are partially done due to various factors.This study specifically focused on assessing the performance of the new organisation structure of the Council in implementing the reform policy objectives under the Act.In short, besides restructuring the local bureaucracies, the objectives are to improve the staffing position and financial standing of Councils with a view to stimulating social and economic development. The findings of this study have been that Lusaka Urban District Council has had mixed results . That is, it has established on one hand that she has achieved some improvements in financial standing and staffing position but, unfortunately on the other hand, the Council has not yet been able to stimulate any significant social and economic development (provision of basic services). Analytically, this can be explained in the context of inadequacy of the available operating or supporting resources of capital and professional and technical manpower which, if backed by this structural reforms, are key factors in any developmental undertakings. It is evident that although the Government made provisions for this in the Act - and there have been some remarkable improvements in mobilising these operating resources -they were not available in substantial amounts to enable satisfactory provision of basic services to the public. Consequently, the impact of the reform policy is negligible in as far as this ultimate objective has not yet been realised. As such the progress of implementation is below expectation. Above all,this study has identified two basic problems which are mainly responsible for impeding the progress of the implementation of reforms policy objectives. These are Governmental controls and the effects of the national economic problems the country is going through.The negative effects of both of these tend to hamper the

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