Family planning dialogue: Identifying the key determinants of young women’s use and selection of contraception in Namibia

No Abstrac

Conflicts of living in two worlds as portrayed by Obi in No longer at ease and Farai in Chairman of fools

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English StudiesThis thesis investigated the inner- and interpersonal conflicts caused by living in two different geographical worlds, as well as two different metaphysical worlds as manifested mainly by Obi in No longer at ease but also in Farai in Chairman of fools. The purpose of the study was to explore how African authors depict characters that are affected by these aforementioned conflicting worlds. In addition, the study aimed to examine the way in which two different African authors from two different countries, namely Chinua Achebe from Nigeria and Shimmer Chinodya from Zimbabwe, addressed a similar theme through literature. The two protagonists that were analysed namely, Obi and Farai experienced inner- and interpersonal conflicts when they returned to their native societies (countries respectively) after spending relatively long periods of time abroad. The study applied the hybridity theory and the theory of transnationalism. The purposive sampling method was used to select the two novels, based on similar themes, the inner and interpersonal conflicts experienced by the protagonists. Here, the researcher employed the qualitative content analysis method in order to explore the purpose of this study. The study revealed that the conflicts experienced by the two protagonists happen for different reasons. For Obi conflict mainly occurs because he choose to ignore traditional practices and to behave like a Nigerian during the four years he has been abroad; while Farai finds himself unable to adjust to the progressive transformations that have occurred in his society during his absence. The study further revealed that Obi’s various conflicts also stemmed from societal marital issues based on prejudices that prohibited him to marry the woman he loved. Farai’s conflicts are also religious-based, specifically the Pentecostal church that has been introduced and adopted by his family while he was away. The study further revealed that Obi and Farai’s conflicts were numerous and varied. The commonality regarding the protagonists’ conflict however stemmed from them being affected in many ways by these varied conflicts, leading them to experiencing psychological trauma. The study concluded that both characters did not adequately prepare themselves for any change they encounter based on their exposure to a different culture versus their native society when they returned from overseas. This, therefore, led to them experiencing many inner- and interpersonal conflicts

Language and mobility : a study of migrants’ linguistic repertoires and discourses in Windhoek, Namibia

Abstract: This study investigates the multilingual profiles of recently arrived migrants to Windhoek, Namibia, and to the author’s knowledge, the study is one of very few to reflect on the relation between language and migration in Namibia from a sociolinguistic perspective. The research questions relate first to the vitality of multilingualism in an African urban space in that it surveys more than 400 respondents regarding their linguistic repertoires and language biographies. The respondents selected for this part of the study were either of foreign African origin or from rural and relatively isolated regions within Namibia, who had been in Windhoek for less than two years. The vitality of languages in a multilingual city such as Windhoek is of interest as the local language policy prioritises English, raising questions on the value of the linguistic repertoires of those with home languages other than English (LotEs) in such an urban context. Particularly, in the second part, the study enquires how migrants’ linguistic repertoires facilitate or inhibit their social and economic integration. Here, the study relies on 25 recorded interviews with selected respondents for more detailed information that develops insight into how migration trajectories contribute to shaping linguistic proficiencies, and also how knowledge of various indigenous or other language(s) shape the migrants’ life chances by providing them with access to different ways of earning a livelihood. This part of the study takes a qualitative approach. Methodologically, information on the linguistic repertoires of newly arrived migrants was collected per survey among relatively vulnerable migrants who were making a living in informal settings such as in trading, security work or in construction. Second, from the group surveyed, 25 were selected for interviews in which more detailed data and a contribution of more depth could be gained. Survey data was used to give an overview of language vitality through the repertoires and biographies that respondents described. A thematic analysis of the interviews shows which kind of topics migrants introduced in connection with language, their mobility and their abilities to survive in Windhoek. In addition, the interview data is critically analysed, particularly relying on postcolonial theory. iv | P a g e The study reveals that Windhoek can indeed by characterised as a multilingual city in which indigenous Namibian languages are vibrantly used, and even foreign migrants still use their mother tongues in private as well as public domains. However, to secure economic opportunities, most agreed that knowledge of English is vital. Also, the study finds that different language repertoires are vital in different suburbs and areas of employment. For instance, Oshiwambo is mostly helpful for those operating in Katutura. For the vendors operating in Khomasdal, knowledge of Afrikaans is helpful, and in town suburbs English is the most facilitating language. Except for knowledge of Oshiwambo for those trading in Katutura, according to the migrants, the Namibian indigenous languages do not carry any benefit in settling and securing jobs in Windhoek. Foreign language speakers depend solely on English for settling and securing employment as they do not know Afrikaans or Oshiwambo and knowledge of their vernacular languages is hardly relevant in the employment sector of Windhoek. The mobility of the migrants who know their first language (L1) only is limited to Katutura. They work and are accommodated there. The migrants who know English well, especially the Zimbabwean migrants, move around the entire city of Windhoek to sell their products. Only the migrants (both Namibian and foreigners) who know English and/or Afrikaans find formal employment, while those whose linguistic resources are limited in the economically dominant languages are street vendors who do not even attempt to seek further employment. The study finds that postcolonial perspectives persist that afford little value to African cultural capital. Not only do the former and current powerholders perpetuate ideologies of European languages’ superiority; even the indigenous language speakers themselves, in given circumstances, internalise the perception that their first languages are of lesser value. In spite of such tenacious views of the lesser value of certain languages, the vibrancy in use and maintenance of local languages is remarkable. The study concludes that if English remains to be officially promoted, at the cost of Namibian indigenous languages in public spaces such as education and formal workplaces, as well as at the cost of recognising the value of other African languages that migrants from neighbouring countries nurture, there could be detrimental effects. Indigenous language speakers may, as parents, choose to raise v | P a g e their children in English only, to improve their life chances and upward mobility in Windhoek. Also, L1 speakers of indigenous languages may currently and continuously, on the basis of their linguistic repertoires, be denied access to educational and employment opportunities to which they should have a natural right. Therefore, this study delivers a strong message to language policy designers and those implementing a restrictive language policy in a linguistically diverse community. The community is multilingual – this should be seen as a valuable resource, and should not be used as a discriminatory measure.D.Phil. (Linguistics

Investigations into experiences of mothers who delivered and are caring for preterm babies in nothern Namibian state hospitals

A discharge Health Educational - Support Programme in fulfillment of the requirements of Doctor of Nursing.Prematurity has become a major global cause of death in neonates. The number of preterm babies has increased significantly in the past ten to fifteen years, creating a public health crisis in the financial and social fraternities. While prematurity has become a public health crisis, delivering and caring for a preterm baby also affects the emotional and social well-being of the mothers who delivered preterm babies. Most preterm infants are born ill, or have difficulties in adapting to extra-uterine life because of immature body systems and organs. As a result, preterm birth and caring for a preterm baby becomes a stressful and worrisome situation for parents. However, some preterm babies do survive, and they can quite soon be discharged home with their mothers. But, although mothers may experience excitement and happiness at discharge, many are anxious and insecure about how to take care of their tiny babies at home. This creates another burden for the mothers, because they will be carrying on with the baby care at home without assistance. Therefore, nurses should be prepared to assist the mothers in this transitional period, by providing instructions and interventions that will give the mothers the necessary knowledge and skills to confidently and effectively care for their babies at home. This research was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICUs) of the Pediatric and Maternity Wards of Intermediate Hospital Oshakati. The study was undertaken as a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual study, aimed at understanding lived experiences of mothers regarding giving birth to a preterm baby and caring for him or her. In-depth interviews were conducted on eight mothers, who had been caring for their preterm babies for at least two weeks in the mentioned units. The researcher observed ethical implication pertaining to research conducting. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the concerned institutions. Ethical principles of informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality were adhered to. The study revealed that mothers who delivered preterm babies experienced emotional challenges, manifested in shock, fear, despair and sadness. It also showed that the mothers relied mainly on their religion in an attempt to cope with preterm birth. In addition, mothers experienced difficulties in bonding with their babies as well as apprehension in the care of their babies because they had inadequate information about preterm birth and preterm baby care. This caused them to have no foundations to build the discharge care planning at home after discharge from the hospital. Hence, a discharge health educational-support programme was developed, to address their emotional challenges in the care of their preterm babies as well as to address their educational needs. The programme aimed to empower the mothers with knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively and confidently continue caring for their babies at home, as well as to address the emotional challenges brought about by prematurity. The programme was implemented in seven sessions using demonstrations and group discussions as teaching strategies. For programme evaluation, three unstructured interviews were conducted with mothers caring for preterm babies on the discharge day of each preterm baby. Mothers said that they had found the programme useful to them, had gained knowledge and skills, were more confident in their abilities to continue with baby care at home, and they obtained emotional relief upon using the programme

Age and sex-specific risk factors for non-communicable diseases among adults in Namibia: A case study of diabetes and hypertension

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries. In Namibia, NCD attributable deaths are increasing; estimated at about 43% of all the deaths. Mapping context-specific risk factors of NCDs is critical for public health interventions. This study aimed to determine the age and sex-specific prevalence and associated factors of NCDs, particularly diabetes and high blood pressure among the adult population in Namibia. Using the 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data, we generate agerelated charts for both women and men, and fitted separate multiple logistic regression models for men and women, controlling for age. Our findings show that, for both women and men, the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure increased by age. However, older men were more likely to have high blood pressure than women. Equally, for both women and men, the risk of diabetes and hypertension disease increase with body mass index and wealth index. Evidently, implementation of gender and age-specific interventions may accelerate reduction of disparities in non-communicable diseases burden. These may include interventions that encourage change of lifestyle like engaging in physical activities, eating healthy and regular check-ups

Gender equity and impedes of career progression in the nursing profession in Khomas region of Namibia

Introduction Women had for years endured impediments at the workplace in many aspects such as gender inequity and low pace of career advancement. The status quo is persistent despite the enactment of legal frameworks institutionalized to redress gender disparities in the workforce. Aim This study strives to explore gender equity, assess the magnitude of women in decision-making and to ascertain impediments that humper career progression in nursing. Method This study utilized secondary data collected from a thesis titled ‘Gender equity and career progression in the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Khomas region of Namibia.The main study employed a mixed method approach to collect information through interviews. Tools Two separate semi-structured interview guides that comprised of both set of close-ended and openended questions were employed to gather information from selected respondents and the key informant. Results The conception that women in nursing are less successful in their careers in comparison to their male colleagues is contrary to the study findings as managerial positions at the studied institutions are held by women. Cultural factors are found to hold less significance in impeding career progression at Ministry of Health and Social Services as opposed to organizational hierarchical structure. Conclusion The feminization of the nursing career that led to the predominance of female in profession is still unopposed as the profession is not showing a sign of equilibrium of the two genders

Trend analysis on gender disparities in Namibia's mining sector: Evidence from the Affirmative Action reports of 2011-2015

Gender inequality has become a global concern as it involves the denial of opportunities and equal rights based on ones’ gender. Namibia is no exception to this global phenomenon. The country’s labour force is characterised by inequalities based on gender, despite the various government interventions to address such disparities. Like many governments across the globe, the Namibian government through its Employment Equity Commission enacted the Affirmative Action (employment) Act No. 29 of 1998 to ensure that all Namibians enjoy equal employment opportunities and benefits. This paper examines the trends on Affirmative Action (employment) Act in the mining sector - one of the gendered sectors. It utilises data from Affirmative Action Act annual reports of 2011/2, 2012/3, 2013/4, and 2014/5 provided by the Employment Equity Commission. The paper concluded that the country’s mining sector is still dominated by prejudice, stereotypes, and discriminatory practices based on gender orientation. As a result, the participation of women in this sector is still minimal. The paper makes recommendations on innovative practices adopted by other countries in the retention and attraction of women into the gendered secto

Explaining marital patterns and trends in namibia: a regression analysis of 1992, 2000 and 2006 demographic and survey data.

BACKGROUND: Marriage is a significant event in life-course of individuals, and creates a system that characterizes societal and economic structures. Marital patterns and dynamics over the years have changed a lot, with decreasing proportions of marriage, increased levels of divorce and co-habitation in developing countries. Although, such changes have been reported in African societies including Namibia, they have largely remained unexplained. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: IN THIS PAPER, WE EXAMINED TRENDS AND PATTERNS OF MARITAL STATUS OF WOMEN OF MARRIAGEABLE AGE: 15 to 49 years, in Namibia using the 1992, 2000 and 2006 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. Trends were established for selected demographic variables. Two binary logistic regression models for ever-married versus never married, and cohabitation versus married were fitted to establish factors associated with such nuptial systems. Further a multinomial logistic regression models, adjusted for bio-demographic and socio-economic variables, were fitted separately for each year, to establish determinants of type of union (never married, married and cohabitation). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate a general change away from marriage, with a shift in singulate mean age at marriage. Cohabitation was prevalent among those less than 30 years of age, the odds were higher in urban areas and increased since 1992. Be as it may marriage remained a persistent nuptiality pattern, and common among the less educated and employed, but lower odds in urban areas. Results from multinomial model suggest that marital status was associated with age at marriage, total children born, region, place of residence, education level and religion. We conclude that marital patterns have undergone significant transformation over the past two decades in Namibia, with a coexistence of traditional marriage framework with co-habitation, and sizeable proportion remaining unmarried to the late 30s. A shift in the singulate mean age is becoming distinctive in the Namibian society

Explaining marital patterns and trends in Namibia: A regression analysis of 1992, 2000 and 2006 demographic and survey data

BACKGROUND: Marriage is a significant event in life-course of individuals, and creates a system that characterizes societal and economic structures. Marital patterns and dynamics over the years have changed a lot, with decreasing proportions of marriage, increased levels of divorce and co-habitation in developing countries. Although, such changes have been reported in African societies including Namibia, they have largely remained unexplained. OBJECTIVES and METHODS: In this paper, we examined trends and patterns of marital status of women of marriageable age: 15 to 49 years, in Namibia using the 1992, 2000 and 2006 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. Trends were established for selected demographic variables. Two binary logistic regression models for ever-married versus never married, and cohabitation versus married were fitted to establish factors associated with such nuptial systems. Further a multinomial logistic regression models, adjusted for bio-demographic and socio-economic variables, were fitted separately for each year, to establish determinants of type of union (never married, married and cohabitation). RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate a general change away from marriage, with a shift in singulate mean age at marriage. Cohabitation was prevalent among those less than 30 years of age, the odds were higher in urban areas and increased since 1992. Be as it may marriage remained a persistent nuptiality pattern, and common among the less educated and employed, but lower odds in urban areas. Results from multinomial model suggest that marital status was associated with age at marriage, total children born, region, place of residence, education level and religion. We conclude that marital patterns have undergone significant transformation over the past two decades in Namibia, with a coexistence of traditional marriage framework with co-habitation, and sizeable proportion remaining unmarried to the late 30s. A shift in the singulate mean age is becoming distinctive in the Namibian society