78 research outputs found
A critical analysis of child labour and human resource development in Uganda
This study is a critical analysis of child labour and human resource development in Uganda. The study was undertaken because of the growing concern about child-labour practices in African countries, Uganda being an example. The incidence of child labour and the form that it takes are driven by supply-anddemand factors countrywide, but also by the sheer need of children to survive. Child labour is considered to be a fundamental child development problem. Children are involved in a number of child-labour practices such as prostitution in the commercial and tourism sex industry, forced begging on the streets, and forced soldiering. They may be used as camel jockeys, domestic servants, farm labourers/herders, mine labourers, produce porters, roadside sellers/street vendors, sweetshop-industry labourers, cooks and porters for rebels. The persistent exploitation of children involved in hazardous work and conditions has become overwhelming in Uganda. Poverty as one of the major causes for the growing numbers of child labourers in the agricultural sector in Uganda has caused a number of children to engage in child-labour activities to earn extra income for household survival. Many children have opted for partial attendance in school, eventually dropping out. Parents have also frequently influenced children to work on family farms, thus contributing to the children dropping out of school. Child-labour practices have become entrenched in the social and moral fabric of Ugandan society, and for this reason, research endeavours to uncover ways and methods to reverse this situation. The main objectives of this research were to establish the impact of poverty on child labour, to assess the effect of the social and cultural setup on child labour, to find out the impact of child-labour legislation enforcement, to determine the 5 influence of the HIV and AIDS pandemic on child labour, to establish the effect of the educational system and technological advancement on child labour, to establish the level of awareness of human rights in the community, and to establish the impact of human rights activists on the prevention of child labour. The study was undertaken in Masindi District in Budongo Sub County, in three parishes, Nyabyeya, Nyantonzi and Kasongoire. The respondents used for the study included child labourers, their parents, farmers, and community leaders. The method used to get to the sample was purposive sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires for written answers and a tape recorder for oral answers. Both primary and secondary data was collected, verified, edited, checked, coded, analysed, and then exported to Excel and SPSS. Collecting the data was a challenging exercise for the researcher. Experiences were varied, in the hospitality and willingness of respondents to learn more about child issues. Although respondents were willing to participate in the data collection exercise, social and cultural values did not permit all of them to share their views with the researcher. To collect data from respondents, the researcher had to ensure that remuneration was in place at the end of the exercise. The respondents filled out the questionnaires only after learning of the availability of a reward for every questionnaire answered. More setbacks were the need to travel long distances, and enduring the poor infrastructure, poor sanitation, and epidemic outbreaks, some of which diluted the quality of data collected. During group interviews, most parents were not entirely truthful about involving their children in child-labour activities. Although most respondents had an idea of what child labour is, their ignorance levels on the topic prevented them from stopping their children from working. The major findings of the research were that the cultural, social and economic setup of the community in the study area favoured child labour, although the child-labour legislation is against using children as labourers. Various ethnicities 6 in the study area considered a person between the ages of 5 and 12 years to be a child, yet the Constitution of Uganda dictates the age of childhood to be below 18 years. This causes conflict in the definition of who a child is. Although parents were aware of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) regulation penalties for not taking children to school, they still permitted children to engage in child-labour activities, and little has been done by government to curb the culprits. Awareness of the Sub Counties and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) and their implementation has not helped to reduce poverty in the area studied, resulting in an increased school dropout rate among school-going-age children, as well as more child-labour activities. The major conclusion of the study was that little has been done to increase the awareness levels of the teachers, parents and their children about child labour and its legislation, their knowledge of and involvement in micro-finance institutions in the community, and the availability of vocational training institutions. Little has therefore been done to reduce child-labour activities, improve the economic status of the community, and improve their human resource skills. The major recommendations of the research to the study are that culture should not override the Constitution as far as the definition of age limit is concerned. The government should carry out stakeholder analyses, and implement a life-skills and sensitisation programme in order to improve child participation in the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme. Government should ensure that the society is given information about basic accounting, project planning and management skills, in order to be effectively involved in the economic programmes of SACCOs
Cooperate governance and financial performance in War Child Uganda
Background: The corporate governance structure has employed a number of multiple empirical techniques that have influenced many organisations worldwide. War Child in Uganda, an independent international organisation, faced a number of financial data alterations, whose major cause was not following budgets and not adhering to rules and regulations on the use of finances. The failure to disclose information on the proper earnings caused a lot of irregularities in the financial performance of the organisation.
Aim: This study aimed at investigating the effect of cooperate governance on financial performance of War Child in Uganda as guided by the following objectives: (1) to find out if the staff of War Child are aware of the existence of financial systems that lead to financial performance in War Child in Uganda and (2) to find out the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance in War Child in Uganda.
Methods: The study adopted cross-sectional and descriptive research designs where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used.
Results: The findings of the study showed that the employees of War Child Uganda are aware of the existence of financial systems; however, the failure in financial performance is not explained. The findings also showed that there is a positive relationship between corporate governance and financial performance of War Child in Uganda.
Conclusion: Recommendations further state that if War Child in Uganda embraces more accountability, transparency and competence as a way of improving its financial performance, there will be a significant improvement in financial accountability, reporting, budget performance and liquidity
Working Conditions and Employee Motivation in Micro Enterprises in Mukono
Employees in organizations are always contented when they feel their immediate environment is in tandem with their obligations. The rapid growth of the enterprises in Uganda is entirely dependent on the relevant working conditions and motivation of employees. The article aimed to explore the relationship between working conditions and employee motivation of microenterprises in Mukono district in Uganda. The health and safety of employees as a motivator at the work place guided this study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection; the survey, interviews and desk review were used. Findings showed that good work conditions and good employee motivation can increase employee job satisfaction and employee organizational commitment. Workers may be satisfied by their jobs, but they are not motivated to stay doing the same role because they may not have the same benefits as others. Individuals with higher pre-training motivation based on their willingness to attend training have greater learning outcomes as compared to individuals having lower pre-training motivation. For organizations to accomplish their goals, there is need for health and safety awareness for every individual employee at each induction
Civic and political rights of the Batwa ethnic minority in local governance at village level: The case of Kanungu District
Since the 1970s, the Batwa ethnic minority group has been considered as a less superior group of human beings. They were forcefully evicted from the forest around Echuya Forest Reserve in Kisoro and Kabale districts of South-Western Uganda. The Batwa in Uganda are one of the most defenceless (vulnerable), marginalised, voiceless (powerless) and endangered ethnic minority group in the districts they live in. In turn, their civic and political rights (the right to vote and the right to be voted) in local council (LC) elections have been ignored partly because of poor sensitisation to and awareness of the Batwa people by all stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the civic and political rights of the Batwa people in Uganda. The key questions to be addressed include:
1. Is the Batwa ethnic minority group aware of the right to vote in Local Council 1 elections in the communities?
2. Is the Batwa ethnic minority group aware of the right to be voted for in Local Council 1 elections in their communities
EVIDENCE FOR SOLUBLE IMMUNE COMPLEXES IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF THE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS OF QUARTAN MALARIA
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