Peace and violence in contemporary Africa: A possibility of intercultural dialogue?*.

No Abstact

Leibniz and Ralph Cudworth on freedom, necessity and fatalism

No Abstract

Risk factors for unwanted / unplanned teenage pregnancy in Zomba District, Malawi

ABSTRACT Teenage pregnancy is a health and social problem in Malawi as a result of physical, psychological and socio-economic consequences on the teenage mother, family and the society as a whole. Although studies have been conducted on the prevalence and risk factors that cause teenage pregnancy in Malawi before, detailed reports are scanty, especially for Zomba district. In spite of studies and interventions that have been and are being implemented, the prevalence of unplanned teenage pregnancy in Malawi is still high, suggesting that more efforts are required to achieve effective preventive measures. The aim of this study was to explore risk factors such as cultural issues, non-use of contraceptives, lack of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health, circumstances of first sex, gender power dynamics, sexual and physical violence, age difference between teenage girls and their partners and socio-economic status for unplanned teenage pregnancy in Zomba district of Malawi. A cross-sectional analytic design was used. Five antenatal clinics were selected using a stratified and simple random sampling technique. Data were obtained from 505 participants under the age of 20 years using a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data and comparisons between planned and unplanned teenage pregnancy were conducted using the Chi-squared (P ≤ 0.05) and logistic regression model to predict factors for unplanned pregnancy. Findings reveal that unplanned pregnancy accounted for 76.4% of teenagers attributable to early sex and marriage, low contraceptive use, educational levels and socio-economic status, lack of knowledge of reproductive and sexual health, physical and sexual violence and substance abuse, transactional sex due to poverty, early school dropout, misleading counselling causing a lack of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and gender inequalities. Recommendations made are aimed at eliminating myths and misconceptions surrounding the use of contraceptives and condoms, empowering teenagers economically and in decision making, promoting career guidance, awareness on human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights and implications of early marriage and training of traditional counsellors. A multisectoral approach, including government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and communities, is required to implement these recommendations

Clinical Supervision and Support: Exploring Pre-registration Nursing Students’ Clinical Practice in Malawi

Background: Supervised clinical practice plays a significant role in the nursing profession, as it has an influence on the students’ clinical learning. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore how the pre-registration nursing students find their experience on clinical supervision in the clinical placements. Methods: The study used both quantitative and qualitative approach to collect data through focus groups (n = 144) and self-administered questionnaires (n = 590) from nursing students of various programmes in selected colleges in Malawi. Results: About 75% (n = 443) of the participants indicated that they received supervision from both clinical staff and Nurse Educator. However, qualitative results indicated that students received inadequate clinical supervision. Themes that emerged from the discussion included lack of human resources, learning support, availability of instructors yet not supporting learning, job insecurity and lack of remuneration as reasons for lack of supervision, role models and student guidance despite pressure and self-directed. Conclusion: There is a need for clear policies regarding clinical supervision as well as a structured and well monitored process.<p

Life (and limb) in the fast-lane:Disposable people as infrastructure in Kampala’s boda boda industry

Motorcycle taxis, dubbed boda bodas, constitute a vital aspect of Kampala’s transportation infrastructure, yet the industry is perpetually precarious, threatened with wholesale eviction. Moreover, drivers’ lives and bodies are continually put at risk by the city’s traffic. Through a relational approach to ontology, this article asks how the boda boda industry comes into being and endures, what forms of vulnerability it entails, and what experiences, relations, and forms of urban life it produces. It argues that three forms disposability structure and arise from the industry – structural unemployment, embodied vulnerability, and infrastructural displacement. Infrastructural violence, it is argued, must be considered when describing and theorizing people as infrastructure. The article examines how boda boda drivers’ shared condition of insecurity and disposability generates intense forms of sociality, solidarity, mutual obligation, recognition, and urban vitality

Nursing students clinical learning experiences in selected Colleges in Malawi : a model to facilitate clinical learning

PhD (Nursing Education), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2015This study examined nursing students‟ clinical learning experiences in selected nursing colleges in Malawi. The importance of clinical practice cannot be overemphasized in nursing education, as nursing is a practice based profession. The quality of nurse education largely depends on clinical experience that nursing students receive in their operating clinical environment which can have a profound impact on their learning either positively or negatively. The objectives were to investigate i) the effectiveness of clinical learning across different levels, within and between training institutions. ii) the challenges experienced by nursing students in clinical practice. Concurrent triangulation design was used to explore nursing students‟ clinical experiences from eight (8) selected nursing education institutions from first, second and third year students pursing Bachelor‟s degree, Diploma and Nurse Midwife Technicians (NMT) nursing education programmes selected purposively. Quantitative data was collected using self-administered questionnaires from 590 participants recruited through simple random sampling. Through purposive sampling, 144 students were involved in sixteen focus groups of nine participants in each group. Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software (version 22.0). Data were analysed at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. Univariate analysis was used to measure socio-demographic characteristics of participants and independent variables. Bivariate analysis (One-way ANOVA) was performed to examine the association between independent and dependent variables. Binary logistic regression was used to develop logistic model showing the odds of independent variables having the probability effect on the dependent variables. Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS; Atlas ti (version 7) was used to analyse data collected from focus groups discussions. Results showed that about 73% of the students in this study indicated that there was no integration of theory and practice. The odds of Integrating theory and practice was less likely in almost all variables, including programme p < 0.010, institution p < 0.001 and level of study p < 0.001, hospital and duration of study p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively and number of times students met with the NE p < 0.001. RN diploma ( ̅x) -0.1810, p < 0.03 was less likely to integrate theory and practice compared to those in the BSc programme. Students in third year ( ̅x) 0.1518, p < 0.005 were less likely to integrate theory and practice compared to those in their first year. About 75% of students were not given feedback on their performance in the clinical setting. These variables contributed significantly; institution of study p < 0.005, level of study p < 0.001, duration of placement p < 0.009 and number of times students met the NE p < 0.016. The results from the qualitative data showed that students were not adequately supervised as they learned on their own. The study also found from the discussions that there were poor student-staff relationships. In conclusion, in spite of the importance of clinical practice in preparing the nursing students for the work they do as practicing nurses after graduation, this study has shown that clinical practice had inadequately prepared students for the nursing profession in selected institutions in Malawi. These findings may have implications on the policies and practice of nursing education in Malawi. Further research would be recommended to analyze the curricula in relation to the quality of clinical learning.Doctora

Sociocultural factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Zomba district, Malawi

This study explores sociocultural and other risk factors associated with unplanned teenage pregnancy in Zomba district of Malawi. Data were obtained from 505 participants under the age of 20 years using a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews held at five antenatal clinics. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency tables and chi-square analysis which allowed comparative understanding of the sociocultural risk factors for planned and unplanned teenage pregnancy in Zomba district. The findings revealed that teenage pregnancy is a major health and social problem. Over 76% of the teenage respondents in the study had experienced unplanned pregnancy. Among the prominent factors that stood out in the analysis for this high rate of teenage pregnancy were early sex and marriage, low contraceptive use, low educational levels, low socio-economic status, lack of knowledge of reproductive and sexual health, gender inequity, and physical/sexual violence. The consequences on teenage mothers of unplanned pregnancy have been tragic and have compromised their physical, psychological and socioeconomic wellbeing, not just on them but also their families and society at large. The findings point to the need for a multi-sectoral approach to tackle the problem on teenage pregnancy in this district, and likely throughout Malawi