Reciprocal giving is a deeply rooted tradition in East African cultures. Reciprocity between Keny... more Reciprocal giving is a deeply rooted tradition in East African cultures. Reciprocity between Kenyans and foreign students is built into the learning process but continues, voluntarily, after the students leave our program. In this paper/presentation, I explore African and American concepts of equitable and acceptable reciprocity and how these are played out in the academic and post program contexts. Focusing on two coastal communities and Kibera (slum of ‘Constant Gardener’ fame) I show projects that have been initiated and carried out by SIT students and explain how this trend began. Informal, individual or family to family reciprocity has also taken root among our students though this form is seldom noted
In recent years, many governments have introduced the concept of Universal Design (UD) in their t... more In recent years, many governments have introduced the concept of Universal Design (UD) in their transportation planning systems. At the global level, the application of Universal Design application in countries such as USA, China, Norway, Ireland and Japan continue to grow. However, in Africa, accessibility to the built environment and public transport systems is still a major challenge including Kenya. While steps have been undertaken through legislative initiatives calling for implementation of accessible transit systems, finding solutions and standards that can be adapted for local use is still a work in progress and thus a priority area for research. In Nairobi City, for example, efforts at improving accessibility are visible but they seem more of afterthoughts rather than beforehand and purposeful. This paper explores challenges and practical strategies that can be adopted to bring Universal Design into the mainstream of urban planning and implementation into the public transpo...
Regional Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 2017
Rationale of Study – Nicknames are a cultural experience. In some contexts, they are perceived as... more Rationale of Study – Nicknames are a cultural experience. In some contexts, they are perceived as 'little' names that are different from 'official' names. Therefore, a nickname is a part of personal identity. Nicknames are often discreet and sometimes opaque. This article explains the meaning of a nickname in the African context and specifically discusses Acholi nicknames (mwoch) as an indigenous way of generating, sharing and preserving knowledge. Methodology – Data for this paper was obtained through interviews. The author interviewed purposively selected respondents from Mucwini in Kitgum and other parts of Acholi sub-region in northern Uganda. It is the nicknames that were the subject of these interviews that are presented, analysed and discussed in this article. The author also tapped into his childhood experience and knowledge of Acholi culture. Findings – Overall Acholi nicknames communicate indigenous knowledge but they must be unlocked, deconstructed and exp...
Ericulture (Eri silkworm farming) is an agro-based traditional activity that has played an import... more Ericulture (Eri silkworm farming) is an agro-based traditional activity that has played an important role in generating income and employment for people living in rural areas in some parts of the world. It is ideal for rural areas as it requires low capital, is labor intensive thus creates jobs and it is commercially attractive. This type of sericulture, has shown significant promise, after moriculture, which has been the leading source of world silk. In Kenya, several types of silk exist, although only Bombyx mori (B. mori) has been commercialized. Ericulture has recently aroused interest among some Kenyan silkworm farmers and is gradually gaining popularity due to its ease of rearing when compared to B. mori silkworm. This paper therefore focuses on the state of Ericulture by looking into the regions practicing this form of sericulture and the rearing practices in Kenya. This aims boosting Kenyan sericulture industry and creating awareness of Ericulture as a supplement of moricult...
research clearance making it possible for me to collect data. I want to thank the Ministry of Hea... more research clearance making it possible for me to collect data. I want to thank the Ministry of Health and Kenya NGOs AIDS Consortium who were my principal sources of the posters used in this work. I want to thank Path Finders for inviting me to a workshop that enabled me to participate while observing on the development of AIDS-posters. I also want to thank the University of Nairobi, my home institution. The University library is where I found information on design education, practice and intellectual discourse. At the end of the long list of people I wish to thank are two special people. There
As a common expression, the Luo word jaber seems to be ordinary or even casual, yet it is a capsu... more As a common expression, the Luo word jaber seems to be ordinary or even casual, yet it is a capsule of profound ideas within the context of Luo aesthetics. Jaber literally means “a person of beauty”: it is often used to describe females who have exceptional physical qualities that make them outstandingly attractive and deeply pleasurable to look at. The article advances the view that the term jaber offers us a key to understanding the aesthetics of the Luo of Kenya and of Western Nilotic-speakers in general. The author drew from personal experience, informal interviews, unpublished songs and existing literature as a basis for description and analysis of jaber . The picture that emerged suggested that visual beauty is only one layer of the meaning of jaber . Exploration of other layers and meanings in a broad context revealed that the expression points to aesthetic ideals, and can therefore be regarded as artistic. Dholuo speakers use the term to express appreciation of what they see...
Purpose This paper aims to determine the best conventional degumming technique for use by rural f... more Purpose This paper aims to determine the best conventional degumming technique for use by rural farmers practicing Eri silk fiber production in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach Three conventional silk degumming methods (water, soap and alkali) were analyzed under the factors, namely, time, pressure and degumming media, following the multilevel factorial design of experiments. The effect of variables on degumming weight loss was determined. The effects of the conventional degumming methods that produced complete sericin removal on chemical structure, surface morphology, thermal properties, crystallinity and fiber strength on Eri silk fibers produced in Kenya were then determined. The optimal degumming condition was then evaluated. Findings Soap and water degumming led to incomplete sericin removal. Alkali degumming media had the most effect, especially when pressure cooked at 103 kPa. Increasing time during alkali degumming beyond 30 min did not to have any major difference on degu...
Reciprocal giving is a deeply rooted tradition in East African cultures. Reciprocity between Keny... more Reciprocal giving is a deeply rooted tradition in East African cultures. Reciprocity between Kenyans and foreign students is built into the learning process but continues, voluntarily, after the students leave our program. In this paper/presentation, I explore African and American concepts of equitable and acceptable reciprocity and how these are played out in the academic and post program contexts. Focusing on two coastal communities and Kibera (slum of ‘Constant Gardener’ fame) I show projects that have been initiated and carried out by SIT students and explain how this trend began. Informal, individual or family to family reciprocity has also taken root among our students though this form is seldom noted
In recent years, many governments have introduced the concept of Universal Design (UD) in their t... more In recent years, many governments have introduced the concept of Universal Design (UD) in their transportation planning systems. At the global level, the application of Universal Design application in countries such as USA, China, Norway, Ireland and Japan continue to grow. However, in Africa, accessibility to the built environment and public transport systems is still a major challenge including Kenya. While steps have been undertaken through legislative initiatives calling for implementation of accessible transit systems, finding solutions and standards that can be adapted for local use is still a work in progress and thus a priority area for research. In Nairobi City, for example, efforts at improving accessibility are visible but they seem more of afterthoughts rather than beforehand and purposeful. This paper explores challenges and practical strategies that can be adopted to bring Universal Design into the mainstream of urban planning and implementation into the public transpo...
Regional Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 2017
Rationale of Study – Nicknames are a cultural experience. In some contexts, they are perceived as... more Rationale of Study – Nicknames are a cultural experience. In some contexts, they are perceived as 'little' names that are different from 'official' names. Therefore, a nickname is a part of personal identity. Nicknames are often discreet and sometimes opaque. This article explains the meaning of a nickname in the African context and specifically discusses Acholi nicknames (mwoch) as an indigenous way of generating, sharing and preserving knowledge. Methodology – Data for this paper was obtained through interviews. The author interviewed purposively selected respondents from Mucwini in Kitgum and other parts of Acholi sub-region in northern Uganda. It is the nicknames that were the subject of these interviews that are presented, analysed and discussed in this article. The author also tapped into his childhood experience and knowledge of Acholi culture. Findings – Overall Acholi nicknames communicate indigenous knowledge but they must be unlocked, deconstructed and exp...
Ericulture (Eri silkworm farming) is an agro-based traditional activity that has played an import... more Ericulture (Eri silkworm farming) is an agro-based traditional activity that has played an important role in generating income and employment for people living in rural areas in some parts of the world. It is ideal for rural areas as it requires low capital, is labor intensive thus creates jobs and it is commercially attractive. This type of sericulture, has shown significant promise, after moriculture, which has been the leading source of world silk. In Kenya, several types of silk exist, although only Bombyx mori (B. mori) has been commercialized. Ericulture has recently aroused interest among some Kenyan silkworm farmers and is gradually gaining popularity due to its ease of rearing when compared to B. mori silkworm. This paper therefore focuses on the state of Ericulture by looking into the regions practicing this form of sericulture and the rearing practices in Kenya. This aims boosting Kenyan sericulture industry and creating awareness of Ericulture as a supplement of moricult...
research clearance making it possible for me to collect data. I want to thank the Ministry of Hea... more research clearance making it possible for me to collect data. I want to thank the Ministry of Health and Kenya NGOs AIDS Consortium who were my principal sources of the posters used in this work. I want to thank Path Finders for inviting me to a workshop that enabled me to participate while observing on the development of AIDS-posters. I also want to thank the University of Nairobi, my home institution. The University library is where I found information on design education, practice and intellectual discourse. At the end of the long list of people I wish to thank are two special people. There
As a common expression, the Luo word jaber seems to be ordinary or even casual, yet it is a capsu... more As a common expression, the Luo word jaber seems to be ordinary or even casual, yet it is a capsule of profound ideas within the context of Luo aesthetics. Jaber literally means “a person of beauty”: it is often used to describe females who have exceptional physical qualities that make them outstandingly attractive and deeply pleasurable to look at. The article advances the view that the term jaber offers us a key to understanding the aesthetics of the Luo of Kenya and of Western Nilotic-speakers in general. The author drew from personal experience, informal interviews, unpublished songs and existing literature as a basis for description and analysis of jaber . The picture that emerged suggested that visual beauty is only one layer of the meaning of jaber . Exploration of other layers and meanings in a broad context revealed that the expression points to aesthetic ideals, and can therefore be regarded as artistic. Dholuo speakers use the term to express appreciation of what they see...
Purpose This paper aims to determine the best conventional degumming technique for use by rural f... more Purpose This paper aims to determine the best conventional degumming technique for use by rural farmers practicing Eri silk fiber production in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach Three conventional silk degumming methods (water, soap and alkali) were analyzed under the factors, namely, time, pressure and degumming media, following the multilevel factorial design of experiments. The effect of variables on degumming weight loss was determined. The effects of the conventional degumming methods that produced complete sericin removal on chemical structure, surface morphology, thermal properties, crystallinity and fiber strength on Eri silk fibers produced in Kenya were then determined. The optimal degumming condition was then evaluated. Findings Soap and water degumming led to incomplete sericin removal. Alkali degumming media had the most effect, especially when pressure cooked at 103 kPa. Increasing time during alkali degumming beyond 30 min did not to have any major difference on degu...
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