Advocacy for the Development and Survival of Library and Library Services: A Roadmap for Zimbabwe.

This paper deals with the advocacy for the library and library services. The objective is to raise public awareness by appealing to the various sectors of the community so that this cause can gain support socially, politically, economically and technologically. It has been discovered that for the library and library services to achieve stated goals and objectives given the dynamic environment in which these offer their products and services as open systems, there is the major issue of limited scarce resources which need prioritisation at both grassroots and national level. In order for the advocacy to succeed, it is highlighted that marketing strategies in the form of models and tools in their various forms need to be communicated through media. Key words: Advocacy, development, survival, library services, roadmap

The Role of Public Libraries in Promoting Literacy in Zimbabwe

In this paper we argue that literacy is critical for socio-economic development. A literate nation makes positive contributions to the general development of a country. Zimbabwe now has the highest literacy rate in Africa at 92% having surpassed Tunisia which is at 87%. In this paper we seek to establish the strategies that public libraries have employed to promote and sustain high literacy rates in the country. We investigate the innovative strategies like story telling sessions and explain how they have helped Zimbabwe achieve Africa’s highest literacy level despite the socio-economic challenges. We also probe the public library services that are available for children, youth and adults and how they contribute towards higher literacy rates. We explore the challenges that public libraries face in Zimbabwe. We seek to establish the strategies in place to promote literacy in an information technology driven society. We end the discussion by making recommendations on how public libraries can contribute toward sustainable higher literacy rates. Keywords: literacy; illiteracy; development; public libraries; education; information technology; cultur

Challenges in Preserving Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Learning From Past Experiences

In this paper we focus on the challenges in preserving indigenous knowledge systems. We explore the challenges of managing indigenous knowledge in the context of intellectual property rights and bio-piracy threats. We analyse how indigenous knowledge affects the lives of local people, investigate the extent to which indigenous knowledge was under threat and evaluate strategies that are in place to protect indigenous knowledge. Primarily, we discuss the role of laws in the general protection of science and knowledge, and specific details such as biodiversity, with emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and indigenous medicinal knowledge and their systems. Western sciences, knowledge and legislative laws play a pivotal role in protecting and preserving intellectual property, trade secrets, copy rights, and the general enforcement of ethical practices. The same laws, such as intellectual property rights, copyright, trade secrets and other pieces of legislation should particularly be essential in protecting indigenous knowledge and their systems in the African countries. We examine these laws to determine their effectiveness, strengths, weaknesses, and the challenges they place on the practical protection and preservation of IKS. Key words: Challenges, law, indigenous knowledge systems, science, biodiversity, preservin

Theory and practice in the water sector reforms in Zimbabwe: A comparative study of Harare and Masvingo local authorities.

This study is an analysis of the implementation of the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) public policies relating to potable water supply in Zimbabwe using Harare and Masvingo local authorities as case studies. The study hypothesizes that the adoption of the IWRM policy framework in Zimbabwe was not followed by comparable implementation of the framework. The study sought to investigate the extent to which policy and institutional frameworks helped in implementing the IWRM paradigm in Harare and Masvingo, and then draw comparative lessons from the experiences of the two cases. Research methods involved both a theoretical review and an empirical study based on case studies, making use of comparative, qualitative, historical and exploratory approaches. The study established that while the framework for a perfect water management system exists in Zimbabwe, the situation on the ground does not reflect this. The reform process has not progressed as expected owing to a combination of factors ranging from conflicting policies and weak institutional linkages, to insufficient funding. The study recommends an integrated systems approach to the management of potable water supply, involvement of stakeholders in decision-making, enforcement of water laws, venturing into entrepreneurial activities and interval reviews and check-ups. It suggests that potable water supply infrastructure be improved using the business community and other stakeholders who should be mobilised with attractive incentives. Key words: potable water, IWRM, policies, implementation, Harare, Masving

Evaluation of the acceptability of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in a semi-rural, Eastern Cape population

Expected release date-April 201

The effectiveness of donor-funded nutritional community gardens in the city of Masvingo

This study to establish the effectiveness donor-funded nutritional community gardens in the city of Masvingo in light of the fact that most of them have stopped working. The objectives of the study were to identify the reasons for establishing nutritional gardens in the city of Masvingo; to establish the causes of abandonment of the nutritional gardens by the beneficiaries; and to establish how the dilapidated gardens can be improved. The study focused on 7 of the 10 wards in the city of Masvingo. Of the 210 members only 70 (10 from each of the 7 gardens) were sampled for the study. The data collection instruments used in this research were structured questionnaires. Overall respondents felt that nutrition gardens were not economically viable as they failed to meet their basic needs like payment of school fees for their children, paying for accommodation rent, and so on. Donor-funded nutritional community gardens in the city of Masvingo were found not to be as effective as anticipated when they were introduced. The study recommends that there should be engines to pump water because the boreholes are too heavy; a programme should be in place to train garden beneficiaries in basic productive skills including those for marketing; agricultural extension workers should avail themselves to supervise the operation of community gardens to boost the confidence and productivity of the gardeners; awareness campaigns should be rolled out which sensitise the gardeners about the nutritional value of certain varieties of vegetables; water canals should be constructed for easy watering; and the gardeners should device means to assign night watchers to prevent thievery. Key words: nutritional gardens, donor-funded, community, Masvingo, malnutrition, Action Faim

The Contribution of Conservation Farming towards Sustainable Rural Development and Household Food Security: The Case of Bikita District in Zimbabwe

This paper focuses on conservation farming (CF) with a view to recommending a paradigm shift in Zimbabwe’s peasant farming sector. The study comes against the background of declining agricultural productivity on account of a range of factors. Traditional peasant farming typically involves frequent and intensive turning of the soil thus depriving the soil of cover. In addition, it stresses mono-cropping, suggesting that it is unsustainable. In contrast to this, conservation farming entails minimum or nil soil disturbance, soil cover maintenance, and crop rotation, implying that it is sustainable. The research was largely premised on qualitative methodology. Unstructured interviews, focus group discussions, on-site observation and transect walks were employed as techniques for data gathering. Using these methodological techniques, it was revealed that conservation farming was smoothly appreciated by beneficiaries although some laggards took time to appreciate its value towards sustainable and rural development and food security. Adoption in Bikita was tremendous and this has improved household food security. The paper recommends conservation farming adoption countrywide in the communal areas. Keywords: conservation farming, conventional farming, food security, sustainable development, agricultur

Educating and training in an Ideological vacuum: A critical explanation of the dilemma of education in Zimbabwe

This paper is a philosophical study on ideology and its indispensable relationship to education policy making and implementation and its didactical dimension with a special reference to Zimbabwe. The paper points out that successive colonial governments and religious organisations of that era established and worked, planned and implemented their policies within the bounds of liberal-cum-capitalist ideological framework. Hence all their education and training institutions were built and meant to fulfill that cause. Post-independent Africa inherited that framework and found herself giving her citizens education that created useless school leavers. This paper will advance an argument that educating and training in an ideological vacuum stifles critical and creative thinking which is the sources and foundation of potential invention and innovation. It therefore calls for Africa to come up with an ideological framework that defines their contextual social, political, and economic condition(s) resulting in crafting policies that are relevant to their needs than repeating tired ideologies. Key words: Ideology, education, training, vacuum, Zimbabwe, society

Preparing Students for the World of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D): The Role of the Internet in the Teaching and Learning Process

A variety of technologies are currently being used to deliver education on the Internet. These technologies include the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) for online lecture notes, newsgroups for collaborative discussions and class announcements, e-mail correspondence between students and instructors, interactive video over the Internet for remote participation in classes and discussions, and virtual reality for exploring three dimensional scenes. Multimedia is increasingly being used in online education to enhance the learning process. A critical question that needs to be asked is ``how effective are Internet-based learning methods?''. This paper sought to review existing Internet-based technologies and implementations for education with special focus on encouraging developing countries to adopt and use ICTs in their education systems. The paper uses current examples of Internet-based learning and analyses the benefits and limitations to the student and the institution.The paper established that the main advantages of ICTs and e-learning to the student are the flexibility to pursue education at personally convenient times and to progress in the course material at the student's own pace. However,the paper also noted that the feeling of isolation, lack of motivation, or lack of support and feedback can lead students to drop out. The main advantages of Internet-based education for the institution providing courses is the ability to re-use lecture materials, provide links to externally stored resources materials on the Internet, and a potential source of new revenues. A review of technologies and student learning styles showed that no one technology is suited for all students and all courses. The paperargues that technologies should be chosen to support the types of students expected and their learning styles. Individual learning styles are described with examples of appropriate Internet technologies to support each style of learning. A summary of evaluations of these technologies is then given. Keywords: Internet, teaching, learning, World Wide Web, technology, email.

University Students’ Perceptions on Effectiveness of Female Lecturers in Zimbabwe

In this study we address pertinent cultural issues in the academia: the influence of upbringing and cultural contextual factors on perception and attitude to human relationships and capabilities. In the study we examine the perception of both male and female university students on the competence of their female lecturers. We randomly sampled two universities in Zimbabwe for this study: one state university and one private university. Although the study was guided by the mixed research design, the dominant approach to data collection and analysis was the qualitative design. In fact, the qualitative design was the most appropriate approach in dealing with perceptions, emotions and feelings. The study establishes that, on average, university (male and female) students rate their female lecturers lowly when compared to their rating of male lecturers. We thus conclude that students look down upon female lecturers and view them as ineffective. This perception has been found to be a result of culture and socialisation. There is therefore need to de-socialise and re-socialise children and youth so that they grow up with positive attitudes towards women and their capabilities in their communities. Key words: perceptions, effectiveness, gender, gender-bias, sex, culture, academia, lecturer, stereotyping