Reading the Kenyan Swahili prose works:: A terra incognita in Swahili literature.

Kenyan Swahili creative writing has been in the shadow of Tanzanian creative works for a long time. Infact some critics even end up claiming that one cannot really talk of Kenyan Swahili prose creative writing. This is notwithstanding a number of commendable works some of which belong to the very first generation of Swahili literature

A philosophical labyrinth: tracing two critical motifs in Kezilahabi´s prose works

This study aims at studying one of the most important contemporary Kiswahili writers: Euphrase Kezilahabi. In a way this paper can be seen as a continuation of my earlier articles on the same writer. It is definitely different from the other ones though a certain thread links them: the interest in Kezilahabi`s philosophy. In this paper my interest is with two main motifs namely contemptus mundi and carpe diem. Contemptus mundi is a Latin expression for contemptible world, world as a bad place and one that is perceived contemptuously. I intend to explore the said motifs in Kezilahabi\''s prose works: Rosa Mistika, Kichwamaji, Gamba la Nyoka, Dunia Uwanja wa Fujo, Nagana and Mzingile. The latter two works are slightly short, lacking the novel length of the other four works. I do not, however, want to entangle myself in the polemics of genre as to what a novel or novella is. I will, however, regard the two as novellas at least by the virtue of their length

Biofortification of maize flour with grain amaranth for improved nutrition

Food insecurity and malnutrition remain two major problems in Kenya that cause undernutrition (protein-energy malnutrition) and nutrient deficiencies. In a bid to combat the problem, the government has targeted increased production of the micronutrient (minerals, vitamins) fortified maize flour. This is mostly based on chemical fortificants, which is a short-term measure that targets reducing the level of malnutrition while creating better livelihoods. However, there is need to think about long- term and sustainable strategies. Among the causes that have led to food and nutrition insecurity in the country is the over reliance on maize as the staple food. Other staples in Kenya are sorghum, rice and millet. This study aimed at providing a better and more sustainable approach by fortifying maize based diets with grain amaranth. Maize was procured from National Cereals and Produce Board and processed to refined flour, while amaranth grain that had been toasted at 100ºC for 5 minutes and milled into flour was obtained from Annicos Limited Company, Nairobi. Complementary formulations were then prepared by blending the flours. The refined maize flour was mixed with varying ratios of 0, 20, 30 and 40% of the grain amaranth flour. The proximate composition, mineral content and microbiological analysis of the raw materials and the blends were determined using recognized standard methods, while protein digestibility was determined after enzyme digestion. Nutritional composition of grain amaranth flour differed significantly (p≤0.05) as compared to refined maize flour; amaranth flour was found to be superior in proteins (15.82%), lipids (7.61%), ash (2.54%) and fibre (4.39%), as compared to proteins (6.29%), lipids (1.92%), ash (0.55%) and fibre (0.76%) in refined maize flour. Adding grain amaranth flour to refined maize flour at the different ratios increased the nutrient density significantly (p≤0.05), particularly protein, iron, calcium and zinc. However, it decreased the digestibility of protein significantly (p≤0.05). The results indicate that although adding 40% grain amaranth gave the best results, the most acceptable blend was the 20% grain amaranth addition. They also indicate that “food to food” fortification can be an approach that can be adapted towards meeting the nutrition requirements of the society.Keywords: Nutrition security, biofortification, amaranth flour, maize flour, optimal blen

Complementary feeding practices and nutritional status of children 6 to 24 months: A cross-sectional descriptive study

Background: Complementary feeding refers to a process of introducing the infant to additional sources of nutrition other than the breast milk, usually at the age of six months. Infant and Young Child Feeding guidelines provided by United Nations Children’s Fund/ World Health Organization require that children are exclusively breastfed from birth to six months of age when addition foods is introduced to meet the increasing nutritional requirements of the growing child. Proper initiation of the complementary feeding is critical as any deviation may lead to inadequate energy and nutrient intake, leading to sub-optimal growth and development. Objective: The study aimed to assess complementary feeding practices in relation to nutritional status of children aged 6 to 24 months at the Well baby Clinic at Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi County. and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 300 children aged 6 to 24 months was conducted at the Well Baby Clinic at Mbagathi Hospital. Anthropometric measurements were taken using standard procedures and interviewer administered questionnaire was administered to mothers to gather data on complementary feeding practices of study children. Anthropometric data was analyzed using WHO anthro2005 software and descriptive statistics analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results were presented in tables. Results: Majority (81.7%) of children were first initiated complementary feeding at the recommended age of six months with a mean age of 5.71(±1.033). Almost a quarter (24.3%) of the children were given ≤ 3 meals per day with a mean of 4.35 (±1.210) meals per day. 15.3% of the children were wasted (W/H z-score <-2SD), 22% underweight (W/A z-score <-2SD) and 14.3% stunted (H/A z-score <-2SD. Most complementary foods were Carbohydrates (starchy) based from locally available cereals with limited combination from other food classifications. Conclusion and recommendation: Despite the impressive rates of compliance with the recommended age of introduction of complementary feeding, malnutrition was high among the children attending the Well Baby clinic at Mbagathi District Hospital. There is need for health care providers to proactively address gaps in complementary feeding practices especially on food diversity, food composition and frequency of meals. Key words: Complementary feeding practices, malnutrition, food quality, complementary food diversity

Effect of paternal education about complementary feeding of infants in Kisumu county, Kenya

Improved health of infants is dependent on the supportive role of the fathers. There is limited research done in Kenya on father involvement and how it affects feeding practices of the infant. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact on complementary feeding practice of nutrition education targeted to the father. A randomized control trial was conducted with 290 father-mother pairs recruited into the study. The mothers, who were six months pregnant and receiving antenatal services at Kisumu County Hospital, provided the contact point for recruitment of the fathers who were engaged in this study. The consenting mothers provided information of the ‘expectant father’ who were later contacted and invited to go to the hospital together with the mother. Consent was obtained from the study participants in a written form. Randomization was done to the father-mother pairs and eventually, each group had 145 pairs. The pairs in the intervention group were educated on complementary feeding while the other pairs in the control group did not get any intervention. Post-natal, feeding on solids and semi-solids of the infants were assessed at six months and at nine months of age. Qualitative assessment through focus group discussions were done to obtain information on fathers’ support towards complementary feeding. Overall analysis was done on 278 pairs with 12 lost to follow up. Introduction to solids and semi-solids had been done by a majority (96.7%) by six months of the infant’s age in both groups. Solid and semi-solid foods were introduced significantly earlier in the control group and compared to the intervention group (chi-square test; p<0.01). Minimum acceptable diet was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (chi-square test; p<0.01). In conclusion, giving fathers information on complementary feeding influences their support towards infant feeding, resulting in positive outcomes in complementary feeding practices.Key words: Father, Involvement, Infant, Complementary feeding, Nutrition Education, Kisumu, Keny

What`s in a name: towards literary onomastics in Kiswahili literature

A mention of name in literature is almost always likely to recall the question Juliet posed to Romeo about his family name Montague in William Shakespeare´s Romeo and Juliet. In reading creative works we tend to identify characters basically by the names given to them. It is on this basic premise that some character analysis methods tend to define characters by taking recourse to their names and sometimes identifying them in metaphorical terms or as speaking names. Names play a very central and important role in any reading exercise and so would certainly the names given to characters be of importance to us. These are linguistic or semiotic signs that play a very crucial role in the overall linguistic structure of a literary text or its signification. Decoding of the names therefore becomes an important critical engagement in as far as it helps the reader in his deciphering of the text in which the names are. Characters´ names, as this article will show, can be used artistically to achieve a number of goals like encoding a central trait in a particular character´s signification, embracing crucial thematic motifs, ideological toning as well as even showing the particular writer´s point of view. Some of these qualities are easily lost in translation

Improving the nutritional status of malnourished children using soybean products in Rwanda

The prevalence of malnutrition is high in Rwanda especially in Ruhango District of Southern Province (23.5% in 2009). The contribution of soybean (Glycine max L), which is an important source of high quality and inexpensive protein and oil, to improvement of nutritional status of  malnourished children is unclear. Although a lot of research has been done on the production of soybean in Rwanda, research on soybean in the diet to improve the nutritional status of malnourished children has not been done. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of soybean flour and soybean milk on the nutritional status of malnourished children under the age of five. The objective was to determine the weight gain due to each treatment in comparison with the control group. This study was conducted in Ruhango District of Southern Province Rwanda. A survey was conducted where households growing and utilizing soybean were identified and  anthropometric measurements were taken on 294 children to select malnourished children. Thirty malnourished children participate in the intervention which lasted three months. One cup (250ml) of soybean milk was supplemented to ten children per day. An equal number was  supplemented with 25g of soybean flour in soup (250ml). The caregivers of the ten children in the control group received nutrition education together with the two treatment groups. Anthropometric measurements were taken every month and entered in WHO ANTHRO software. Data was analyzed by regression models using GenStat 14th edition and the magnitude of weight gain due to each of the treatments was predicted at 5% level of  significance. A linear mixed model was used to estimate and compareweight gain among children fed on soybean milk and soybean flour supplement in comparison with the control group. Soybean products were found to affect weight gain of children (P = 0.04). The mean weight gain was 0.9 (±0.5) kg within three months of intervention. The difference in weight gain between the two treatment groups was not significant. To improve the nutritional status of malnourished children under five years further intervention is needed in terms of education and training on soybean based diet formulation.Key words: soybean products, under five, Rwand

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of the Wild Rice (Oryza longistaminata) Populations in Tanzania Using Microsatellite Markers

The genetic diversity of 132 samples of the perennial wild rice (Oryza longistaminata) populations from selected districts (Bagamoyo, Kibaha, Kilombero and Mbarali) in Tanzania was evaluated using twenty eight microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was extracted using standard protocols. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was carried out in a total reaction volume of 10 μL, using Touchdown protocol. It was found that all 28 microsatellite markers generated polymorphic patterns, with average Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value of 0.631. Moreover, a total of 243 alleles were detected by the 28 markers, with average of 8.68 alleles per marker. The percentages of genetic variations among and within populations were 10% and 90%, respectively, implying that there was more gene flow among populations than within populations. Furthermore, the O. longistaminata population from Kilombero had highest genetic diversity followed by population from Mbarali, while the lowest genetic diversity was recorded in the population from Kibaha. Generally the populations from Kilombero, Mbarali and Bagamoyo were found to have relatively high genetic diversity, hence have potential to be used in rice breeding. In situ conservation of this species is recommended, and it can be achieved by conserving all areas which harbour populations with high levels of genetic diversity. Keywords: Genetic diversity; Microsatellites; SSR Markers; Oryza longistaminata; Wild rice

Risky sexual behaviours among HIV Sero-discordant individuals Attending defence forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

Backgound: HIV/AIDS pandemic is a great public health concern hence the need to identify interventions to prevent new infections among risk groups.Objective: To determine risky sexual behaviours among HIV sero-discordant individuals attending Defence Forces Memorial Hospital (DFMH).Design: A descriptive cross-sectional studySetting: Defence Forces Memorial Hospital (DFMH) Nairobi.Results: Eighty eight point six per cent (88.6%) study participants used condoms regularly during sexual intercourse with their partners, with a large number (95.7%) of those who did not use condoms citing less pleasure or discomfort during sex as their main reason. Most of those with multiple sexual partners (76.1%) had used a condom 12 months prior to the interview while 23.9% had had sex without condom use. Fifty eight (17.8%) participants engaged in sexual intercourse with other partners whiledeployed away from their families while most of them (82.2%) did not.Conclusion: There is need to enhance HIV interventions and preventive strategies among special risk groups in the society

The effects of household food practices and diseases prevalence on nutritional status of under-five children in Ruhango District, Rwanda

Malnutrition in the Southern province of Rwanda is a significant public health concern. According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) 2010, chronic malnutrition in children under 5 years was widespread 44% children having stunting (insufficient height for age), 11 % underweight (weight for age) and 3% wasting (weight for height). Ruhango district (Southern Rwanda) had the highest malnutrition prevalence (23.5%) in 2009. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of malnutrition among Ruhango children in 2012 and to identify relationship between comorbidities occurrence, food intake and their nutrition status. A multistage sampling was done across four hierarchical levels: district, sector, cell and village, where households (N=294) with children under five years were purposively selected to form the sampling units in which the survey was conducted. The study showed that Ruhango has improved in prevention of malnutrition as compared to 2010 study. However, stunting was still a problem with those aged between 24 and 35 months being most affected. Wasting did not affect large population of the target group. Better educated household members had less malnourished kids (3%) than those who did not attend school (12%). Co-morbidities occurrence was significantly higher in malnourished children (P = 0.006). Acute Respiratory Tract Infection had the highest occurrence (52%). The children reported to have been sick had significantly lower weight than those who were normal (P<0.05). Food intake (mean dietary diversity of 25%) was not adequate for most households and only few people took protein of high quality like meat and milk. Household food practices were tested at 95% confidence interval and this affected the nutrition status of children (P = 0.02). In households with mean dietary diversity above four food groups, only 2.17 % of children were underweight as compared to 18.18% those from households with mean dietary diversity below three. Thus, interventions to eliminate malnutrition should focus on household food diversification and disease prevention.Key words: Prevalence, malnutrition, diseases, 24hr recall