scholarly journals Health Informatics Education and Capacity Building in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 158-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Betts ◽  
G. Wright ◽  
N. V. Tshayingca-Mashiya ◽  
P. J. Murray
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
Educational Staff ◽  
The University

Summary Objectives To describe the experience of, and lessons learned from, a collaborative project developing and delivering an MSc in Health Informatics in South Africa. Methods The description and discussion is based on the experiences of the staff delivering the course, and formal and informal evaluations, the former conducted as part of the University of Winchester’s quality assurance processes. Results Some of the lessons learned from adapting the course to meet local needs are described and discussed. Conclusions Simply attempting to transpose a successful course from one country and culture to another is not a guarantee of success. Educational staff delivering such courses need to take account of local context and culture, be flexible and prepared to adapt to students’ needs and circumstances, which may be beyond anyone’s control. However, by meeting real identified needs, success can contribute to sustaining capacity building and the development of the local health informatics workforce.

Perceptions of Traditional Male Circumcision among University Male Students at a South African University

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anathi Nomanzana Ntozini ◽  
Ali Arazeem Abdullahi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Male Circumcision ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Mixed Feelings ◽  
University Of Fort Hare ◽  
Opposing Camp ◽  
The University

In the past decade, traditional male circumcision, known as ulwaluko among the Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape Province, has become a burning issue in South Africa. The discourse has led to the emergence of two opposing camps: the supporters of ulwaluko who rely on “traditional ideology” to justify the cultural relevance of the practice, and the opposing camp who believe that ulwaluko is no longer in tandem with the reality of the twenty-first century. Amid the ongoing debate, this study investigated the perceptions of ulwaluko among South African university students at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Open-ended individual interviews were conducted among nine male students at the university. The study relied on “hegemonic masculinity” as the theoretical framework. The study revealed mixed feelings about the ulwaluko ritual among the students interviewed. In spite of the exposure to modernization and Western education, the students interviewed were still emotionally and culturally attached to ulwaluko, especially as a rite of passage. While some doubted the ability of the ritual to change “bad boys” into “good boys,” virtually all the participants believed that morbidity and mortality recorded during and after ulwaluko were not sufficient grounds to abolish it. This finding suggests ulwaluko may have, over the years, consciously or unconsciously, constructed an idealized masculine identity that is morally upright, faced with challenges to the ritual and burdened by a prescriptive set of masculine role expectations.

A case study of transformation in four African universities.

2021 ◽  
pp. 240-250
Author(s):  
David Kraybill ◽  
Moses Osiru
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Agricultural Education ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Institutional Transformation ◽  
The University

Abstract This chapter presents selected analytical narratives of successful institutional transformation of tertiary agricultural education (TAE) from four African universities. The four universities analysed are Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya (JKUAT); Gulu University, Uganda (GU); University of Abomey Calavi, Benin (UAC); and the University of Venda, South Africa (UNIVEN). The study examines what each of the universities changed, and how they went about effecting and supporting those changes. The discussion focuses on both 'soft changes' in organizational culture and strategies, and 'hard changes' in enrolments, staffing, programmes, departments, faculties/colleges and campuses. Outcomes of the transformation process are described, along with lessons learned.

scholarly journals ‘I’m doing it for myself’: Using a smartphone-based exercise service during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Demitri Constantinou ◽  
Georgia Torres ◽  
Natalia Neophytou ◽  
Peter Fourie ◽  
Xenia Buntting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The University

Background: Sufficient physical activity (PA) lowers poor health outcomes, with data showing these protective effects in populations under varying levels of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The advent of online PA programmes has created novel opportunities to offset the deleterious effects of inactivity. However, data are limited and the readiness and acceptance of such technology is unknown. These authors nevertheless noted an opportunity to investigate this approach based on promising emerging data at the time of the hard lockdown in South Africa. Objective: This exploratory study investigated the engagement and perceptions of a smartphone application to promote health and fitness in a sample of employees at a South African university. Methods: Employed members of staff (n=15) of the University of the Witwatersrand were recruited through email invitation during the hard Level 5 COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Individualised home-based PA programmes were prescribed through a mobile application for a period of eight weeks. Researchers qualified in Biokinetics provided online supervision of the exercise sessions during the intervention. Participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire about their use of the application. Thematic analysis was used to understand these responses. Results: Lack of motivation was perceived to have a negative effect on participation in the online PA programme. Only one participant reported using the mobile application consistently during the study period, while half of the participants reported having trouble with the usage of the application. The participants frequently mentioned the need for technical support and further engagement from the clinicians supervising the PA programme to ensure use and progression. Staff identified issues with connectivity and already having too many phone applications (apps) amongst the reasons for the technical difficulties. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the challenges and potential for the uptake of online PA interventions during COVID-19 and, despite its small sample size, the data provide important lessons learned that will be used as information in further investigations.

scholarly journals Leadership through theological education: Two case studies in South African history

2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 642-657
Author(s):  
G. A. Duncan ◽  
J. W. Hofmeyr
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
South African ◽  
Theological Education ◽  
Visionary Leadership ◽  
African History ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The University

The quality of visionary leadership requires serious attention in current South Africa, both because of its importance but also sometimes because of the lack of leadership in church and theological contexts. In the first section of this article, focus is placed on leadership in the Faculty of Theology (NG Kerk) at the University of Pretoria, and in the second section, on the leadership at the Lovedale Missionary Institution in the Eastern Cape. Finally, some comparisons and conditions are drawn.

scholarly journals Rural Farmers’ Perceptions of the Adoption of Internet-Enabled Computer in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Erevbenagie Usadolo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Rural Farmers

ABSTRACT Unstructured interviews were used to examine the perceptions of farmers about internet-enabled computers using the five main attributes of innovation as an analytic lens. Findings show that internet-enabled computers have relative advantages over other means of obtaining information but rural farmers experience challenges with accessibility. The farmers’ sources of agricultural information are incompatible with their needs, suggesting the need for internet-enabled computers. However, the inability to use internet-enabled computers by the participants was cited as a disadvantage. The findings about trialability show that most of the agricultural information obtained through internet-enabled computers did not work when applied to the local context. Positive perceptions by rural farmers about the observability of the effects of the internet-enabled computers for agricultural information were apparent. The findings reflect opportunities and challenges about adoption of internet-enabled computers by poor rural farmers. Based on the analysed data further studies are suggested.

The Siyakhula Living Lab

2010 ◽  
pp. 42-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Pade Khane ◽  
Ingrid Siebörger ◽  
Hannah Thinyane ◽  
Lorenzo Dalvit
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Institutional Economic ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
University Of Fort Hare

Rural development and poverty alleviation are a priority for development in South Africa. Information and knowledge are key strategic resources for social and economic development, as they empower rural communities with the ability to expand their choices through knowing what works best in their communities. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) act as tools which enable existing rural development activities. The Siyakhula living lab (SLL) aims to develop and field-test a distributed, multifunctional community communication platform, using localization through innovation, to deploy in marginalized communities in South Africa. The project exists as research collaboration between the Telkom Centres of Excellence at the University of Fort Hare and Rhodes University. Its current pilot operates in the Mbashe municipal area, which is a deep rural area located along the wild coast of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Dwesa-Cweba Nature Reserve acts as a chief asset in the community, which contributes to tourism development. However, the community is currently not actively involved in tourism development; but potential exists in local arts, crafts, and authentic heritage tourism. Therefore, the SLL aspires to empower the community with appropriate communication technology skills to actively support tourism development and other complementary development activities, such as, education. The lessons learned and applied in the project’s current pilot stage identify techniques and approaches that aim to promote the effectiveness and sustainability of the ICT project in a rural context. These approaches and techniques are viewed and described from social-cultural, institutional, economic, and technological perspectives.

The Siyakhula Living Lab

2012 ◽  
pp. 596-630
Author(s):  
Caroline Pade Khane ◽  
Ingrid Siebörger ◽  
Hannah Thinyane ◽  
Lorenzo Dalvit
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Institutional Economic ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
University Of Fort Hare

Rural development and poverty alleviation are a priority for development in South Africa. Information and knowledge are key strategic resources for social and economic development, as they empower rural communities with the ability to expand their choices through knowing what works best in their communities. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) act as tools which enable existing rural development activities. The Siyakhula living lab (SLL) aims to develop and field-test a distributed, multifunctional community communication platform, using localization through innovation, to deploy in marginalized communities in South Africa. The project exists as research collaboration between the Telkom Centres of Excellence at the University of Fort Hare and Rhodes University. Its current pilot operates in the Mbashe municipal area, which is a deep rural area located along the wild coast of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Dwesa-Cweba Nature Reserve acts as a chief asset in the community, which contributes to tourism development. However, the community is currently not actively involved in tourism development; but potential exists in local arts, crafts, and authentic heritage tourism. Therefore, the SLL aspires to empower the community with appropriate communication technology skills to actively support tourism development and other complementary development activities, such as, education. The lessons learned and applied in the project’s current pilot stage identify techniques and approaches that aim to promote the effectiveness and sustainability of the ICT project in a rural context. These approaches and techniques are viewed and described from social-cultural, institutional, economic, and technological perspectives.

Capacity building in ecological informatics: Lessons from the DST/CSIR learnership programme in South Africa

First Monday ◽  
2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudzani Albert Makhado ◽  
Martie J Van Deventer ◽  
Laurie Barwell ◽  
Althea M.L. Adey ◽  
Richard Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
South African ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Industrial Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The South ◽  
National Information

This paper provides the lessons learned from an attempt by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop a National Information Society Learnership in Ecological Informatics (NISL: EI). Ten unemployed graduates were selected in 2004 to be part of two years NISL: EI learnership programme. The results show that the programme had succeeded in making candidates employable, with 90 percent of the learners working in different science and technology sectors, and two Honours degrees having been awarded. Challenges for higher level learnership development and implementation are identified and possible solutions are discussed.

scholarly journals The Politics and Governance of Basic Education

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
School Level ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Individual Agency ◽  
Public Bureaucracy

This book brings together scholars from multiple disciplines to explore how political and institutional context influences the governance of basic education in South Africa at national, provincial, and school levels. A specific goal is to contribute to the crucial, ongoing challenge of improving educational outcomes in South Africa. A broader goal is to illustrate the value of an approach to the analysis of public bureaucracies, and of participatory approaches to service provision which puts politics and institutions at centre stage. Stark differences between the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces offer something of a natural experiment for exploring the influence of context. The Eastern Cape’s socio-economic, political, and institutional legacy resulted in a low-level equilibrium trap in which incentives transmitted from the political to the bureaucratic levels reinforced factionalized loyalty within multiple patronage networks, and which is difficult to escape. The Western Cape, by contrast, enjoyed a more supportive environment for the operation of public bureaucracy. However, bureaucracy need not be destiny. The research also shows that strong hierarchy can result in ‘isomorphic mimicry’—a combination of formal compliance and a low-level equilibrium of mediocrity. Participatory school-level governance potentially can improve outcomes—as a complement to strong bureaucracies, or as a partial institutional substitute where bureaucracies are weak. Whether this potential is realized depends on the relative strength of developmentally oriented and predatory actors, with the outcomes not fore-ordained by local context, but contingent and cumulative—with individual agency by stakeholders playing a significant role.

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