Working with indigenous knowledge

The aim of the book is to assist both local and international scholars in articulating the scholarly discourse on indigenous health attitudes, practices, and experiences. The indigenous lens that was used to generate and disseminate indigenous knowledge in this book will strengthen indigenous scholarship, thus making it accessible to a wider audience. In addition, the information shared in this book will add value for scholars and assist them with the indigenous knowledge needed to address sustainable development goals. This book is timeous and topical as the discourse on the decolonisation of the curriculum is widely debated in the higher education space. The discourse on the scholarship of indigenous knowledge, as the tacit local knowledge that stems from cultural practices within communities, has not been well articulated in the current health science education milieu. Indigenous knowledge has remained overlooked and undermined for a very long time and the information remains untapped in local communities. The scholars who conducted the research on which this book is based unearthed a wealth of knowledge which was tacit in nature and translated it into implicit knowledge that can be documented and shared with other scholars globally. This knowledge will assist health care scholars in benefiting from knowledge, practices and cultural beliefs that will assist them in health care planning, teaching, evidence-based practice and further research

ISIBINDI, creating circles of care for orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa: post-programme outcomes

This paper presents the evaluation of post-programme outcomes of the ISIBINDI model, a community-based intervention to promote physical and psychosocial well-being of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in South Africa. A mixed methods quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the differences between former ISIBINDI participants (18 years and older) and a control group of similar background. ISIBINDI ex-participants at 12 sites (n = 427) and a control group of non-participants (n = 177) completed a questionnaire which explored level of education and employment, psychosocial well-being and HIV risk behaviour. Focus group discussions were conducted with various stakeholders. Ex-participants reported higher self-esteem and problem-solving abilities, family support and lower HIV risk behaviour than the control group. High levels of unemployment especially in rural areas resulted in unemployment of out-of-school OVC which creates new forms of vulnerability. The benefits of the programme may be compromised by the lack of community resources. An effective exit strategy is needed to contribute to financial independence of OVC after exiting the programme.