In this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script...Show moreIn this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script to portray the findings. An ethnographic research gap on the topic focuses on the qualitative study of well-being through psychological, socio-economic, and political lenses. The research is grounded in theory from Giddens (1984), Sen (1993), and De Bruijn and Both (2018), and navigates the agency-structure debate along with the model of duress to reflect on and understand the nurses’ position in a constraining environment. The research focused on two level 5 facilities, which are county referral hospitals, in two different counties of Kenya. The following research methods are conducted: a survey on socio-economic well-being with 65 respondents; interviews focusing on factors affecting nurses' well-being conducted through 4 focus group discussions with 39 nurses of different seniority levels and facilities, and informal interviews with approximately 25 nurses; and lastly, participant observation focusing on nurses agency and structures in places of gathering. Altogether, the results conclude that the healthcare structures pertain as constraints on the nurses’ agency and well-being despite the local efforts against this that may seem to have a positive impact. This is not to say that such local efforts should not continue, but rather to add a widespread focus on changing the outdated health structures that are limiting the majority of Kenya’s health workforce.Show less
Somalis have been living in Kenya since the colonial era. They were brought to Nairobi by British administrators in the 1800s to be a part of the labour force. Under colonial rule, Somalis were...Show moreSomalis have been living in Kenya since the colonial era. They were brought to Nairobi by British administrators in the 1800s to be a part of the labour force. Under colonial rule, Somalis were considered to be perceived as racially ambiguous, and this perception remained after the departure of the British from Kenya. The Kenyan state has historically treated the ethnic Somali group in Kenya as “other” by having Kenyan-Somalis continuously prove their citizenship in the form of mass detainments, or through screening processes. This can have an effect on how Kenyan-Somalis feel in Kenya. This leads to the research question: “What are the feelings of citizenship and belonging in Kenyan-Somali women in Nairobi and how are they expressed?” The researcher recruited three experts in this field and Kenyan-Somali women who reside in Nairobi. Participants were gathered through snowball sampling. Moreover, the date was collected in the form of semi-structured interviews which would then be analysed thematically in order to see what their feelings of citizenship and belonging are. The feelings were assessed through three sub-questions. The results indicate that the participants do claim a sense of belonging in Nairobi. This could be associated due to the change in the constitution of 2010 in Kenya. This research also utilised the Allen et al (2021) sense of belonging model, and demonstrated that a sense of belonging has almost been completely achieved. Despite this, perceptions of belonging have not been fully completed. Policies should assess which areas make Kenyan-Somalis feel like they do not belong in Kenya, due to the fact that migration is a recurring theme in society.Show less
During the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of...Show moreDuring the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of research on this matter. Yet, compared to volunteers and volunteer tourism organizations (VTOs), host communities receive the least attention in studies on voluntourism. This research has been devoted to bring forward the local, Ghanaian perspective on Western volunteers in community development projects. Results from semi-structured interviews with community members of Tinkong, Ghana, indicate that support from outside, including from Western volunteers, is considered necessary for Ghanaian communities to further develop. At the same time, true contact between volunteers and hosts mostly lacks, which forms a profound barrier to the establishment of cross-cultural interaction. Besides, the way participants speak of Western engagements reveals that their judgement is not just based on the kind of work that Western NGOs or private organizations do, but that it also strongly relates to factors that go beyond the impact of volunteers themselves, such as Ghana’s political situation. More longitudinal research on voluntourism helps in working towards the holistic, multi-disciplinary understanding of the topic that is needed.Show less
Nigerian dairy imports lead to an annual cash outflow of 1.3 billion USD. To mitigate this harmful effect, the Nigerian government urges dairy corporations to source milk locally. FrieslandCampina...Show moreNigerian dairy imports lead to an annual cash outflow of 1.3 billion USD. To mitigate this harmful effect, the Nigerian government urges dairy corporations to source milk locally. FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC (FCW), a subsidiary of the Dutch multinational Royal Friesland Campina N.V. (FC), is the market leader in Nigeria and launched the mDairy pilot with the goal of enhancing the local sourcing of milk. The two primary functions of mDairy are milk tracing and e-extension on innovative dairy practices. To investigate whether m-Agri services can bring significant contributions to the Nigerian dairy sector, I employed a case study on mDairy where I compared it with m-Agri services that Dutch dairy farmers successfully use. I conducted nineteen interviews on eleven different stakeholders and conclude that there are two obstacles that need to be overcome before mDairy can be used on a nation-wide scale. Firstly, Nigerian farmers need to undergo an ideological and behavioural change as they need to be more aware of and better understand innovative dairy practices. One-on-one contact, potentially with Dutch farmers, can foster this. Secondly, I argue from world-systems theory (WST) that a fundamental change is required as Nigerian farmers compete with their fresh whole milk against the imported fat-filled milk powder (FFMP). These are two different products and the latter is less nutritious. Importing FFMP is cheaper than sourcing milk locally because FFMP is primarily made from a by-products which can be sold at a very low price. I find that sourcing whole milk locally may be cheaper than importing whole milk or whole milk powder. Nigeria finds itself in a difficult position since it does not have the machinery to produce FFMP itself and it has limited power to make demands on dairy corporations since it is dependent on these corporations for the country’s dairy supply.Show less
Africa’s urban population is expanding, and the mobility of many city dwellers across the continent is in jeopardy. In recent years, growing social, economic and environmental pressures in African...Show moreAfrica’s urban population is expanding, and the mobility of many city dwellers across the continent is in jeopardy. In recent years, growing social, economic and environmental pressures in African cities have precipitated investment in transport infrastructure and new forms of public transportation deemed more “sustainable”. This trend is particularly felt in the city of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), where this new approach to transport planning is currently redefining the mobility of the local population, the “Abidjanais”. This thesis sets out to understand whether transport planning in Abidjan is supporting, or would support in the near future, sustainable forms of mobility for local city dwellers. Through a qualitative and quantitative assessment of various transport policies and projects, it is argued that inadequate transport planning in Abidjan is exacerbating unequal access to public transport and socio-economic opportunities, and is failing to meet the context-specific needs of local city-dwellers.Show less
The way we tell stories matters, and it matters even more if the stories are about refugees. Narratives have transformative potential because the way we talk about displaced communities influences...Show moreThe way we tell stories matters, and it matters even more if the stories are about refugees. Narratives have transformative potential because the way we talk about displaced communities influences how we think and treat them. My research journey in Cairo is about Stories of Strength. Cairo is dust, organized chaos, and constant noise, but I enjoyed walking on Cairo’s gritty streets with my friend Didi who told me her story. Life in exile is not easy, especially if you are a young African refugee female dreaming about going to university and becoming a businesswoman. Life in exile is not easy, but none talks about it, and none cares, or at least, this is how my friends felt. This thesis intends to denounce the exhausting social context that young African refugee females experience when accessing education in Egypt, while at the same time, demonstrating that those girls are warriors. Ethnography became the central research method used to test the hypothesis, while the outcome resulted in non-fictional life stories of young African refugee female students, including their flight to Egypt and their struggle to survive, gender, and racial discrimination, and obtain an education. Two life experiences have been included in the Annexes of this study, while an analysis of them has been conducted in the main body. The results showed that African refugee females effectively navigate alternatives in a challenging educational context that limits them from achieving their academic and professional dreams. On this basis, it was confirmed that the stories of young African refugee girls are Stories of Strength while reminding the reader that narratives have transformative potential and that the way we tell stories matters.Show less
Karel Schoeman (26 October 1939 – 1 May 2017) was one of South Africa’s most prolific writers. His idiosyncratic style contributed to a unique form of authorship. Schoeman’s novels were awarded...Show moreKarel Schoeman (26 October 1939 – 1 May 2017) was one of South Africa’s most prolific writers. His idiosyncratic style contributed to a unique form of authorship. Schoeman’s novels were awarded with many prizes and the output of his historical work is unsurpassed. His status however remains relatively unknown in the world outside South Africa. This can be attributed mainly to the fact that most of his work is written in Afrikaans. Schoeman was raised in three languages. His first language was Dutch, which was spoken at home with his mother. Afrikaans was his second and English his third language. His first unpublished novels were in Dutch and English. From his early twenties on he wrote predominantly in Afrikaans. A decade later he distanced himself from the Afrikaner part of the community. This raises the social-linguistic problem of how it is possible for an author to deeply engage in a language and at the same time not be part of its social group. This matter will be discussed in paragraph two where the course of Schoeman’s life and his attraction and aversion concerning the Afrikaners can be followed and in paragraph four which deals with Schoeman’s creative writing. Schoeman’s work has been the subject of several articles, reviews and theses; many of them are of South African origin. A thesis that investigates the problem posed above has not been written yet.Show less
Casa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic...Show moreCasa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic Slave Trade had taken their forefathers away from. Although it was a National Monument and should have been protected under Nigerian heritage law, it was illegally demolished on 11 September 2016. How could this prime example of Brazilian-style architecture have been destroyed in broad daylight? This thesis uses Casa do Fernandez as a case study to explore the challenges of preserving built heritage in Nigeria. In the process, it tries to figure out why there is so little knowledge about the history of a building declared a National Monument over sixty years ago. The story of the monument turns out to be different than always assumed. After researching the building’s history, the focus is turned to heritage: the way the present interacts with the past. Could the way Casa do Fernandez has been defined as heritage have something to do with its sad end? The thesis argues that the rigid definition of Casa do Fernandez as strictly Afro-Brazilian heritage detached the site of its cultural meaning to other groups in society and sowed the seeds of the eventual demise of the National Monument. It is a plea for a wider and more inclusive interpretation of this heritage-site in particular and of heritage in general.Show less
Since the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological...Show moreSince the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological solutions are believed to enhance access to healthcare. Not only are institutions from Africa implementing these services for African societies, but also institutions from the Global North. Research has found that the consideration of local contexts and collaboration are crucial steps in the creation of mHealth solutions, which raises questions about the motivations and ways of working of European institutions. This thesis aims to answer why mHealth is perceived as a relevant solution for Africa and what factors are influential in mHealth and to shed light on the humane aspects around mHealth.Show less
Although international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few...Show moreAlthough international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few years. This instability has been exacerbated by increases in criminality, terrorism, desertification, and drought that has changed land-use patterns. I argue that the rapid increase in access to Information and Communication Technologies, and especially social media, has created violent conditions by enabling discursive warfare in online spaces, where incendiary rhetoric circulates and is consumed faster than older media forms like newspapers or radio. Using the concept of cultural violence (Galtung 1990) as an umbrella term, this thesis will discuss how the presence of prominent societal norms and ideas legitimize violent discourses and dangerous speech online, which are continuously reinforced and reproduced. In Nigeria, online discourses reveal how dominant beliefs and ethnic labels have become so embedded within the culture that they function as absolute and remain uncontested. As these ideologies spread exponentially on social media, alongside other fake news or misinformation from local news organisations, this has the potential to normalise direct violence. My thesis will focus on this discursive warfare online, and will not attempt to explain how or whether it translates to direct violence because the ramifications of cultural violence are often not immediately visible, but persist and prevail more insidiously, over a longer period of time.Show less
