Representation and the Portrayal of Elders’ Characters in Ethiopian Children’s Books: Policy Implication

The objective of this study was to investigate the Representation and the Portrayal of Elders’ Characters in Ethiopian Children’s Books. To achieve this intention, three different publishers were purposively taken, Mega Enterprise, Aster Nega, and Royal, for the books do have large sellers for children’s present day in Ethiopia. Therefore, 38 different books were gathered from selected independent bookstores and taken from wholesalers along availability sampling technique. A coding sheet was utilized to assist in recording data. The information used to establish this recording aid was adapted from Robinson and Anderson’s (2006) content analyses on older characters. The gathered data under the help of three oriented experts were coded and statistically analyzed (using frequency and percentage). Thus, the study found that the elders’ character mostly appeared in children’s picture books. Further, the most of the elders’ characteristics were found to be positive in nature in the sample picture books. In addition to this, both physical and social basis characteristics of elders were found to be represented and portrayed in Ethiopian children’s picture books. Based on these results, it has been concluded that Ethiopian children’s picture books represented and portrayed elders’ characteristics prevalently and positively which in turn indicates the good and acceptable place that elders do have in Ethiopian children’s picture books. However, this study found that the characteristics of the books that represented and portrayed undermined the additional characteristic of elders with special needs. Further, the characters that presented and portrayed in those picture books may not yet included in to academic textbooks of students. Therefore, it has been recommended that the publishers, the educational experts, and the readers as well as the researchers should enforce the concerned bodies to include the elderly characteristics of individuals with special needs (particularly of those with disabilities) in to the readable picture books and should evaluate the contents of academic textbooks

Owner reported diseases of working equids in central Ethiopia

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Working horses, donkeys and mules suffer from numerous diseases and clinical problems. However, there is little information on what owners perceive as important health concerns in their working animals. OBJECTIVES: To identify and prioritise with owners the diseases and other health concerns in working equids in central Ethiopia using participatory methodologies. STUDY DESIGN: Participatory situation analysis (PSA). METHODS: The study was conducted with carthorse- and donkey-owners in 16 sites in central Ethiopia. Multiple participatory methodologies were utilised, including ranking, matrices and focus group discussions. Owners' perceptions on frequency, importance, morbidity and mortality of volunteered diseases and the clinical signs that owners attributed to each disease were obtained; information regarding the impact of these diseases and health concerns was also sought. RESULTS: A total of 40 separate disease and health problems were volunteered by carthorse- and donkey-owners. Horse-owners volunteered a musculoskeletal syndrome (with the local name 'bird', clinical signs suggest possible disease pathologies including equine exertional rhabdomyolysis), colic and epizootic lymphangitis most frequently, whereas donkey-owners volunteered sarcoids, nasal discharge and wounds to occur most frequently. One problem (coughing) was volunteered frequently by both horse- and donkey-owners. Owners demonstrated knowledge of differing manifestations and severity of these problems, which resulted in differing impacts on the working ability of the animal. CONCLUSIONS: Although many of the diseases and clinical signs had been previously reported, this study also identified some previously unreported priorities such as rabies in donkeys, an unidentified musculoskeletal syndrome in horses and respiratory signs in both horses and donkeys. The information gathered during this participatory study with owners may be used to inform future veterinary and educational programme interventions, as well as identify future research priorities

The intensification of thermal extremes in west Africa

International audienceThis study aims in filling the gap in understanding the relationship between trend and extreme in diurnal and nocturnal temperatures (Tx and Tn) over the Gulf of Guinea area and the Sahel. Time-evolution and trend of Tx and Tn anomalies, extreme temperatures and heat waves are examined using regional and station-based indices over the 1900–2012 and 1950–2012 periods respectively. In investigating extreme temperature anomalies and heat waves, a percentile method is used. At the regional and local scales, rising trends in Tx and Tn anomalies, which appear more pronounced over the past 60 years, are identified over the two regions. The trends are characterized by an intensification of: i) nocturnal/Tn warming over the second half of the 20th century; and ii) diurnal/Tx warming over the post-1980s. This is the same scheme with extreme warm days and warm nights. Finally annual number of diurnal and nocturnal heat waves has increase over the Gulf of Guinea coastal regions over the second half of the 20th century, and even more substantially over the post-1980s period. Although this trend in extreme warm days and nights is always overestimated in the simulations, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), those models display rising trends whatever the scenario, which are likely to be more and more pronounced over the two regions in the next 50 years

First principle calculation of the structural and electronic properties of cobalt using quantum espresso package

In this thesis, the electronic structural properties of Cobalt (Co) was investigated with the density functional theory by using Quantum Espresso Package. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) was used to compute the exchange correlation energy. The total energy of Cobalt is performed as a function of cutoff energy and Monk Horst- pack grid size. The results show that the total energy per cell is monotonically decreasing with increasing cutoff energy and converged 50Ry plane wave cutoff energy and the ground state energy had its minimum at -596.86253968 Ry. The total energy of Co per cell has converged at 8×8×8 k-point grids with a ground state energy of -593.47698056 Ry. Besides, the optimized lattice constants of bulk Co have been determined to be a = 4.7 Bohr , c = 7.59168, and c/a = 1.615251 with respect to our computational calculation. The experimental values of bulk HCP cobalt is (a = 4.743212 Bohr, c = 7.691185 Bohr, and c/a = 1.622). The lattice constant determined using DFT calculation is compatible with an experimental result by an error of 1.29%. Moreover, different smearing calculations were made and it was observed that both mv and mp are much less dependent upon degauss and allow for faster convergence than simple Gaussian broadening. Finally, the band structure and density of state of HCP cobalt was computed. The band structure calculation shows that there is overlap between the conduction band and the valance band. This clearly shows that Co is purely metallic and zero band gap material. The density of state also shows that there is no discontinuity before and after the Fermi Level. The density of state is continuous and there is no an insulating regim

Psychosocial Support For Orphans And Vulnerable Children The Case Of Three Center In Woliso, Oromia

Now a day the situation of orphan and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa is terrible as compared to Europe. This situation causes millions of deaths in the region. The challenges in most cases results to poor standard of living of orphans and vulnerable children and ultimately leads of children’s death. The main objective of the study was to assess psychosocial support for orphan and vulnerable children in the three selected orphanage centers in Woliso town. The study adopted cross sectional descriptive survey research design mixed approach the target population 325 from this with the sample size of 176 is analyzed. In selecting participants, a technique of simple random sampling was used. To collect data three designed tools; questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussion were used. In the data collection 176 orphan and vulnerable children and 10 care givers were selected by random sampling procedure from the three orphanages. The data was analyzed by both descriptive (mean, standard deviation, percentage) and one way ANOVA. The major findings of the study related to the psychological and social consequences for orphan and vulnerable children are shortages of materials, crowd-ness, scarcity of material service, medication, basic needs, limited social life, communication and inadequate or absence of psychosocial services which result for the development of psychosocial problems in orphanages. The study also identified that the care givers lack skills on working with orphan and vulnerable children. Further study revealed statistically significant mean difference between the selected sites. However, there was no statistically significant mean difference. Finally, the researcher will give an insight for policy makers, child care program designers and service providers to plan and implement standardized services to improve lives of orphan and vulnerable children

Adolescents Antisocial Behavior and Their Academic Performance: The Case of High Schools in Jimma Town

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between antisocial behavior and academic achievement of high school students in Jimma town. Participants were 524 students 14-19 years old from government and private secondary schools. Cross sectional research designed was employed. Primary and secondary data were sources of this study. Results indicate that academic achievement was negatively associated with antisocial behavior. The result also shows that there is no significant difference between government and private schools in correlation of academic performance and antisocial behavior. The result also showed that there is a significant difference between male and female students’ academic achievement and antisocial behavior engagement, which is strong in male participants than female participants. To conclude the result showed there is a significant negative correlation between academic achievement and antisocial behavior. Therefore, the researchers recommends further studies to be conducted in the area, teachers also have to implement behavioral monitoring and modification strategies in secondary schools to minimize behavioral problem among students. Teachers, parents and other parties work together for better improvement of students’ academic and behavioral improvement

Assessing the implementation of early childhood care and education in Preprimary Schools of Boter Tollay Woreda, Jimma, Ethiopia

The general objective of this study was to assess the implementation of ECCE in preprimary schools of Boter Tollay Woreda by means of the CIPO model. The study employed a concurrent mixed-method research design. Participants of this study were 88 teachers, 12 principals, 12 PTA leaders, 2 supervisors, and 2 experts of Boter Tollay Woreda Education Office. To select the participants, simple random, and purposive techniques were applied. Data collection instruments were questionnaires, interviews, and observation. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically, whereas the quantitative data were analyzed with the statistical method of data analysis using mean, Standard deviation, percentage, and cross-tabulation. The results of the study showed that the implementation of the ECCE program was low or not in line with the standard set by the (MoE), the inadequacy of out and indoor materials, educational facilities were not adequate, and learning and play materials were inadequate. Shortage of budget, lack of monitoring (in terms of supervision and support), lack of parents regular child’s’ progress, lack of participation from parents, communities, and all responsible bodies, poor school environment especially government school, the inadequacy of trained teachers and lack of parental involvement hindered proper implementation of early childhood care and education. The study has also identified challenges like lack of attention towards the implementation of early childhood care and education programs, and poor awareness from the side of the community can be mentioned. Finally, it is recommended that all responsible bodies should properly monitor, and support the implementation of the progra

The Relationship between Technology Usage and Marital Conflicts among Young Married Couples in Jimma Town

This study is conducted with the objective of investigating how technology usage causes marital conflict among married couples in Jimma town. The study employed mixed research design and collected data from 198 married couples that were randomly selected from the population. Data was collected using self-prepared questionnaire, standardized scales questionnaire and interview guide and analyzed using thematic data analysis method for qualitative data and quantitative data analysis method for quantitative once. The study found that technology usage was appropriate in marital relationship but only when the couples used technology in appropriate ways resulted in marital conflict. Among these technologies, Facebook, mobile usage and television watching statistically significant positive relationship with marital conflicts, r=.788, r=.642, and r=.63 respectively. The study also revealed that time spent on those technologies, issues of trust between couples, money and the time when couples have to use these technologies were the common causes of marital conflicts as a result of technology usages. In line with the findings obtained it was recommended that different organization such as welfare offices, NGOs and religious organizations should have to assign trained family and marriage counselors and social workers