Zimbabwe Open University

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence that interventions for depression and other common mental disorders (CMD) can be integrated sustainably into primary health care in Africa. We aimed to pilot a low-cost multi-component 'Friendship Bench Intervention' for CMD, locally adapted from problem-solving therapy and delivered by trained and supervised female lay workers to learn if was feasible and possibly effective as well as how best to implement it on a larger scale. METHOD: We trained lay workers for 8 days in screening and monitoring CMD and in delivering the intervention. Ten lay workers screened consecutive adult attenders who either were referred or self-referred to the Friendship Bench between July and December 2007. Those scoring above the validated cut-point of the Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ) for CMD were potentially eligible. Exclusions were suicide risk or very severe depression. All others were offered 6 sessions of problem-solving therapy (PST) enhanced with a component of activity scheduling. Weekly nurse-led group supervision and monthly supervision from a mental health specialist were provided. Data on SSQ scores at 6 weeks after entering the study were collected by an independent research nurse. Lay workers completed a brief evaluation on their experiences of delivering the intervention. RESULTS: Of 395 potentially eligible, 33 (8%) were excluded due to high risk. Of the 362 left, 2% (7) declined and 10% (35) were lost to follow-up leaving an 88% response rate (n = 320). Over half (n = 166, 52%) had presented with an HIV-related problem. Mean SSQ score fell from 11.3 (sd 1.4) before treatment to 6.5 (sd 2.4) after 3-6 sessions. The drop in SSQ scores was proportional to the number of sessions attended. Nine of the ten lay workers rated themselves as very able to deliver the PST intervention. CONCLUSION: We have found preliminary evidence of a clinically meaningful improvement in CMD associated with locally adapted problem-solving therapy delivered by lay health workers through routine primary health care in an African setting. There is a need to test the effectiveness of this task-shifting mental health intervention in an appropriately powered randomised controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN25476759.

The objective of the current study was to compare tick loads, growth and carcass characteristics of dipped and non-dipped Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture. One hundred 7-month-old castrated weaners were kept at the University of Fort Hare Farm for 12 months. There were 30 weaners each of Angus and Bonsmara, and 40 weaners of the Nguni breed. Half the Bonsmara, Angus and 14 Nguni weaners were dipped every fortnight. The rest were not dipped. Monthly weights and tick counts under the tail, on scrotum, belly, sternum and ears of the steers were recorded. The dipped Nguni steers had lowest (P < 0.05) tick counts, and the non-dipped Angus steers had the highest (P < 0.05) tick counts. There were more ticks (P < 0.05) during the warm wet season than during the cool dry season. Ears had the highest (P < 0.05) tick infestation. Average daily gain (ADG) was similar (P > 0.05) among the three breeds. The non-dipped Bonsmara steers had the heaviest (P < 0.05) carcasses (142 ± 5.4) while the non-dipped Nguni steers had the lightest (P < 0.05) carcasses (111 ± 4.5 kg). The non-dipped Bonsmara had the highest (P < 0.05) eye muscle area (3996 ± 120.8 mm2) while the non-dipped Angus had the smallest (P < 0.05) eye muscle area (3291 ± 210.6 mm2). The non-dipped Bonsmara also had the highest (P < 0.05) dressing percentage (53.8 ± 1.01) while the non-dipped Nguni had the lowest (P < 0.05) dressing percentage (50.3 ± 0.84). The current study has shown that while the non-dipped steers had higher (P < 0.05) tick loads than the dipped steers, their growth and carcass characteristics were similar (P > 0.05). The study has also shown that, despite being a small-framed breed, the Nguni steers had similar (P > 0.05) ADG to the large-framed Bonsmara and Angus steers. Therefore, the Nguni cattle have the potential to produce organic beef. However, a reasonable assessment of organic beef production potential of the Nguni requires an evaluation of its meat quality traits under natural pasture.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing globally, with the greatest increase in Africa and Asia. In Zimbabwe a threefold increase was shown in the 1990s. Health-related behaviour is important in maintaining health and is determined by individual beliefs about health and illness but has seen little study. The purpose of the study was to explore beliefs about health and illness that might affect self-care practice and health care seeking behaviour in persons diagnosed with DM, living in Zimbabwe. METHODS: Exploratory study. Consecutive sample from a diabetes clinic at a central hospital. Semi-structured interviews were held with 21 persons aged 19-65 years. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Health was described as freedom from disease and well-being, and individual factors such as compliance with advice received and drugs were considered important to promote health. A mixture of causes of DM, predominantly individual factors such as heredity, overweight and wrong diet in combination with supernatural factors such as fate, punishment from God and witchcraft were mentioned. Most respondents did not recognize the symptoms of DM when falling ill but related the problems to other diseases, e.g. HIV, malaria etc. Limited knowledge about DM and the body was indicated. Poor economy was mentioned as harmful to health and a consequence of DM because the need to buy expensive drugs, food and attend check-ups. Self-care was used to a limited extent but if used, a combination of individual measures, household remedies or herbs and religious acts such as prayers and holy water were frequently used, and in some cases health care professionals were consulted. CONCLUSIONS: Limited knowledge about DM, based on beliefs about health and illness including biomedical and traditional explanations related to the influence of supernatural forces, e.g. fate, God etc., were found, which affected patients' self-care and care-seeking behaviour. Strained economy was stated to be a factor of the utmost importance affecting the management of DM and thus health. To develop cost-effective and optimal diabetes care in a country with limited resources, not only educational efforts based on individual beliefs are needed but also considering systemic and structural conditions in order to promote health and to prevent costly consequences of DM.

This study describes how a culturally responsive school leader promoted equity in a racially and linguistically diverse school. The authors shadowed Faith, an assistant principal, and did follow-up interviews with her after each day of shadowing. They observed teachers in their classrooms, conducted multiple interviews with teachers and parents, and gathered artifacts from administrative offices, classrooms, and common areas. The authors found that Faith practiced culturally responsive leadership on three levels: personal, environmental, and curricular. Faith’s culturally responsive leadership included six themes: caring, building relationships, being persistent and persuasive, being present and communicating, modeling cultural responsiveness, and fostering cultural responsiveness among others.

The main focus of the research was to analyse the role of cooperatives in sustaining the livelihoods of local rural communities in Shurugwi District in Zimbabwe. Descriptive survey design was used in this mixed method approach to the study. A questionnaire, interviews and observation methods were employed as the main research instruments. Purposive sampling technique was adopted and data were collected from government officials and from members of the six cooperatives in Shurugwi District. A total of 50 research participants were involved in the study. It was found that cooperatives were established as a strategy to sustain livelihoods of rural communities. With the adoption of cooperatives, people in the rural communities managed to generate employment, boost food production, empower the marginalised, especially women, and promote social cohesion and integration, thereby improving their livelihoods and reducing poverty. Most cooperatives face a number of challenges that include lack of financial support, poor management and lack of management skills, and lack of competitive markets to sell their produce. The study recommends that the government and the banking sector render financial support to cooperatives in rural communities to allow them to expand and diversify their business operations; constant training on leadership and management skills is provided to cooperatives' members. There is also a need for cooperatives, especially those in the agricultural sector, to form some producer associations so as to easily market their produce. Lastly, the study recommends that future research should focus on investigating issues that hinder the growth of the cooperative movement in rural communities of Zimbabwe. It is hoped that policy-makers, the academia and communities would benefit from the study.

Ubuntu as an African ethic has been embraced in Africa as one that defines an individual�s African-ness. Its influence has gone beyond the African borders with other continents pondering how it can be embraced in their contexts. Scholars from Africa and beyond have eulogised the indispensability of ubuntu. However, it is a fact that most academic writings on the concept by various scholars have neglected to look at ubuntu and how it intersects with gender � especially with a particular focus on its ambivalence in the lives of women in Africa. This article, therefore, seeks to make a critical reflection on the ambivalence of the concept focussing mainly on the cultural traditions of the Shona of Zimbabwe from the perspective of a womanist.

The study sought to investigate the nature and operations of street food vendors including socio-economic features influencing street food vending spatial distribution and its impact on the local environment and urban life within the context of sustainable development. Data were collected through field notes, in-depth personal interviews, direct observations and documentary reviews so as to triangulate the evidence. Sixty semi-structured questionnaires were administered to collect socio-economic and technical data pertaining to street food vending. The study showed that street food vending, far from being a hindrance to progress and sustainable development, is in fact the basis of an alternative street economy which is people friendly and with the necessary institutional and infrastructural support could be both environmental-sensitive and energy conscious. Although street food vending is illegal, it significantly helped to reduce unemployment, increased incomes of vendors and provided urban dwellers with inexpensive and varied indigenous meals. The government should recognise street food industry through legislation and introduction of a code of practice for street food vendors. This would require city council to construct decent shelters and provide essential public utilities such as potable water, electricity and public toilets. What is needed to advance the position of street food vendors is to strengthen their capacities and skills through training, credit, information and infrastructure so as to enhance their competitiveness and productivity. There is need for further research to describe the nature of street vending and quantify the consumption of street foods in Zimbabwe and their economic benefits as well as ways to improve the standards of street food.

In this paper, a detailed review of microcontroller unit (MCU)-based wireless sensor node platforms from recently published research articles is presented. Despite numerous research efforts in the fast-growing field of wireless sensor devices, energy consumption remains a challenge that limits the lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology utilizes WSNs for providing an efficient sensing and communication infrastructure. Thus, a comparison of the existing wireless sensor nodes is crucial. Of particular interest are the advances in the recent MCU-based wireless sensor node platforms, which have become diverse and fairly advanced in relation to the currently available commercial WSN platforms. The recent wireless sensor nodes are compared with commercially available motes. The commercially available motes are selected based on a number of criteria including popularity, published results, interesting characteristics and features. Of particular interest is to understand the trajectory of development of these devices and the technologies so as to inform the research and application directions. The comparison is mainly based on processing and memory specifications, communication capabilities, power supply and consumption, sensor support, potential applications, node programming and hardware security. This paper attempts to provide a clear picture of the progress being made towards the design of autonomous wireless sensor nodes to avoid redundancy in research by industry and academia. This paper is expected to assist developers of wireless sensor nodes to produce improved designs that outperform the existing motes. Besides, this paper will guide researchers and potential users to easily make the best choice of a mote that best suits their specific application scenarios. A discussion on the wireless sensor node platforms is provided, and challenges and future research directions are also outlined.

Zimbabwe adopted the WHO recommendations to fight childhood vaccine preventable diseases in 1980. However coverage of immunization has not been in line with the global target. This study thus utilized the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) data to analyze the variables of immunization status of children aged 12-23 months in Zimbabwe. A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis of the data was performed. The data consisted of 978 children aged 12-23 months from the selected households. Results showed that children of mothers with secondary education and above were more likely to be vaccinated than children of uneducated mothers. Children of the 1st birth order were more likely to be vaccinated than children of birth order 6+. The same positive associations were also observed with Delivery in a health facility, antenatal care visits, frequency of watching television, and wealth status. Regional variations in immunization were also established, at significant level p&gt;0.01. These results depict the importance of socio demographic factors in full immunization and call for increased awareness programs in order to promote completion of immunization schedule.

This study sought to pilot a range of long-term adaptation measures in the agriculture sector because of climate change shocks. Past droughts in Zimbabwe have had devastating environmental and socio-economic impacts in rural areas where livelihoods mainly depend on agriculture. Over the past few years, many parts of Zimbabwe have been experiencing extreme events. The study sought to address the following objectives to describe smallholder farmers' knowledge of climate change variability and change in Chilonga Ward and to explore the potential of cassava production as a climate change adaptation strategy in Chiredzi. An assessment of the impact of cassava production on rural livelihoods as a climate change adaptation strategy was also done. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, desk research and observation were the tools used to collect data. The results show that cassava has an extensive root system that can penetrate poor soils which may not support crops like maize. Zimbabwe has to increase cassava production as its tubers can be value added to produce a range of products that include livestock feed and porridge.

In livestock production, feed resources are very crucial, particularly in Africa where food security and sustainable development are major considerations. The incorporation of locally available novel feed resource alternatives can promote circular economy concepts, increase food security, and improve sustainable livestock production. This review attempts to compile the most recent information on the use of locally available novel feed sources found in Africa while assessing their potential benefits for circular economy principles and sustainable livestock production. We conducted a thorough literature search to find appropriate publications that were published between 2010 and 2022. The search was done using keywords relating to local novel feed resources, sustainable development, circular economy, livestock feed, and food security across a number of research databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. After the search and screening, relevant publications were chosen for inclusion based on their applicability to this review design, topicality (Africa), and regional focus. This review discovered a wide range of locally available novel feed resources, such as native plants, agricultural byproducts, food processing byproducts, and weeds, all of which have the potential to serve as alternative supplements or substitute feed sources for livestock. These resources frequently have a good nutritional composition and advantageous phytochemicals and can be obtained locally, decreasing reliance on foreign feed components. By exploiting locally accessible resources, the inclusion of these materials in livestock feed has significant potential to enhance livestock performance, lower production costs, and promote circular economy concepts in Africa. African countries' sustainable food security and circular economies stand to gain significantly from the use of locally available novel feed resources in livestock feed. However, further investigation is required to determine their nutritional worth, safety, and the best inclusion rates in livestock rations. For their implementation to be effective, it will also be essential to comprehend the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental elements impacting their adoption. This review offers a thorough synthesis of the body of research, emphasizing the value of locally available novel feed sources in improving the production of livestock and advancing Africa's sustainable development targets.

Although the information can be used in other circumstances, the intention of this manuscript is to assist students and other people who are beginning to get involved in qualitative research on how to take notes. It clearly shows that note taking in not composition writing or a word to word transcription of what is said by someone as may be common with students in many lectures. It shows that note taking is the strategic selection of information that can be used to remember the scenario existing at the time in question. Information was collected through document analysis of well known authors on research such as Denzin and Lincoln; Best and Kahn; Gall, Borg, and Gall and others, as well as from observation and experience of the authors. The paper discusses taking down written notes, tape recording and videotaping as forms of note taking. The advantages and constraints posed by each form and against the other are highlighted. The conclusion made is that resources and expertise permitting, videotaping becomes the best mode of note taking.

To understand the abundance, distribution, and population trends of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the Gonarezhou National Park (GNP), Zimbabwe, we (i) carried out an aerial survey along sections of major perennial rivers, namely Runde, Save and Mwenezi and other inland water pans, and (ii) analysed the long-term aerial survey data (1965–2008). For the aerial survey, a Piper PA-18 Super Cub aircraft was flown once along each of the three major rivers and associated pans in November 2008. We recorded a total of 187 hippos and 19 groups in the GNP. All sightings were in Runde River, Tambohata Pan and Massasanya Dam (density = 2.4 hippos/km). We found three trends in hippo populations in the GNP for the period 1965–2008. First, the period 1965–1982 was characterized by a significant increase in the hippo population (simple linear regression: loge[hippo population estimate] = 0.05[year] - 89.01; F1,13 = 56.26, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.81; average annual exponential rate of increase [r] = 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] for r = 0.03–0.06); second, the period 1983–1997 was characterized by a significant hippo population decline (simple linear regression: loge[hippo population estimate] = 355.87–0.18[year]; F1,10 = 10.44, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.51; r = -0.18, 95% CI for r = -0.30 to -0.05) and thirdly, r between two survey counts in 1997 and 2008 was 0.06. We attributed the overall decline in hippo abundance, the disappearance of the hippos in the Mwenezi River, and their huge decline in the Save River in the GNP primarily to past droughts, siltation and persecution in adjacent communal areas. We recommend collaborative efforts by the relevant authorities to ensure a continuous flow of water in the Mwenezi River. This will allow for the maintenance of hippo habitats downstream of the Manyuchi Dam, thus creating conducive environment for the re-establishment of the hippos in the Mwenezi River section in GNP. We also recommend that GNP's management should continue to monitor the hippo population and distribution in the park's major rivers and natural pans.

Most spiders are generalist predators and important biological control agents of various insect pests of agricultural crops. A study was conducted to determine the impact of cultural practices on the abundnace and diversity of soil surface-dwelling spiders (Araneae). Two experiments were conducted at the Chinhoyi University of Technology experimental farm, Zimbabwe, over the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 cropping seasons. The two experiments were conducted using a split-split-plot design arranged in randomized complete blocks using tillage, mulching, fertilizer and weeding management as factors, with spider diversity being a response variable. Tillage and mulching had strong effects on spider composition. In the first experiment that involved tillage system as the main plot factor, conventional tillage had a negative effect on ground dwelling taxa as evidenced by high negative taxon weights of Lycosidae, Gnaphosidae and Salticidae. In the second experiment, mulching had strong positive effects on ground dwelling spiders with the strongest being Lycosidae followed Gnaphosidae and Thomisidae. The no-tillage option increased richness by 14.5% compared to conventional tillage. The effective number of species was higher in the no-tillage option (exp^Hʹ = 2.2) than in conventional tillage (exp^Hʹ = 1.8). Our results suggest that no-tillage and retention of plant residue on the soil surface facilitate the abundance of ground and plant wandering spiders. More research is required to assess the specific benefits associated with this increased abundance, such as biological pest control.

This paper assessed the opportunities and challenges faced by women involved in informal cross-border trade (ICBT) in Mutare during a prolonged economic crisis in Zimbabwe. Sixteen women informal cross-border traders were interviewed in depth while two cross-border bus drivers and two customs officials provided key information, which was categorized and discussed along emerging themes. The women were mainly middle-aged single parents who engaged in ICBT for survival. On average, they were educated but forced into ICBT by economic hardships and lack of jobs associated with the closure of industries that started in the late 1990s. Deindustrialization, however, created opportunity for the women to obtain Zimbabwean passports and import clothes, blankets, electrical gadgets and vehicle spare parts from South Africa (SA). Hence, a delay in obtaining the passport which costs US$51 and issued within six months was the women’s first challenge. Desperate to save meager incomes as most Zimbabweans resorted to ICBT, most of them slept in the open while in SA. Local authorities harassed them searching and confiscating undeclared goods. The women’s children suffered as they missed their mothers’ attention, control and love. Instead of helping the women’s businesses flourish, government proposed banning imports to revive Zimbabwe’s industrial sector.

Indigenous African education grew out of the immediate environment, real or imaginary, where people had knowledge of the environment. Indigenous education inculcated a religious attitude that imbued courtesy, generosity, and honesty. At colonization, Africans were thought of as primitive although they had their own systems, contents, and methods of education. Colonialism signified the decline in the importance of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). By shifting focus in the core curriculum from teaching/learning based on Western science to teaching/learning through IKS as a foundation for all education, it is anticipated that all forms of knowledge, ways of knowing, and world views be acknowledged as equally valid, adaptable, and complementary to one another in equally valuable ways. The uniqueness of indigenous people and their knowledge is inextricably connected to their lands, which are situated primarily at the social-ecological margins of human habitation such as tropical forests and desert margins. It is at these margins that the consequences of climate change manifest themselves in the following sectors: agriculture, pastoralism, fishing, hunting and gathering, and other subsistence activities, including access to water. Government policies in Zimbabwe often limit options and thus undermine indigenous peoples’ efforts to adapt. IKS is very important for community-based adaptation and mitigation actions in the agricultural sector for maintenance of resilience of social-ecological systems at a local level. This article, through interviews, document analysis, and personal observations, proposes that it is best for Zimbabwe to develop her own climate change curricula and modes of delivery that incorporates IKS.

The study sought to investigate curriculum issues, teaching and learning for sustainable development in secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Education for sustainable development (ESD) aims at changing the approach to education by integrating principles, values, practices and needs in all forms of learning. Literature has documented the importance of problem solving, ecologically relevant education, project based and interactive education as the basis for sustainable development. Emphasis has also been placed upon the pedagogical and curriculum issues in support of sustainable teaching and learning in developing countries. The methodology employed included literature search, documentary analysis, questionnaires, interviews and observation. The study was based on two urban and two rural secondary schools. The results revealed that some schools followed a seriously integrated curriculum where academic work was integrated with industry based education or learning, while others followed a purely academic curriculum. Results showed that pursuing an academic curriculum led to relevant careers though unemployment was high due to the lack of skills. The high rate of employment of those pursuing integrated curriculum appeared to be a motivator. The study concluded that an integrated curriculum and education was more beneficial for sustainable development and entrepreneurship. Further research is required on the curriculum and strategies for education/industry integration for sustainable development and challenges schools face in trying to implement ESD.

Summary Four wild fruits, Diospyros mespiliformis , Flacourtia indica , Uapaca kirkiana and Ziziphus mauritiana , were extracted with methanol and analysed for radical‐scavenging effect of 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, reducing power and anion radical effect on superoxide anion using colorimetric method. There was an increase in the radical‐scavenging effect, reducing power and superoxide anion radical‐scavenging effect as the concentration of sample increased. Diospyros mespiliformis had high DPPH radical‐scavenging capacity. The peels of F. indica and U. kirkiana had higher DPPH radical‐scavenging effects, reducing power and superoxide‐scavenging effects compared with the pulp while the pulp of Z. mauritiana had high DPPH radical‐scavenging effects, reducing power and superoxide‐scavenging effects compared with the peel.

Studies were made of the efficacy of using smoke and housing to protect cattle from tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae) in Zimbabwe. The efficacy of smoke was assessed by its effect on catches in Epsilon traps baited with a blend of acetone, 1-octen-3-ol, 4-methylphenol and 3-n-propylphenol. The efficacies of different types of kraal (enclosure) were gauged according to the catches of electrocuting targets (E-targets), baited with natural ox odour, placed within various designs of kraal. Smoke from burning wood (Colophospermum mopane) or dried cow dung reduced the catch of traps by approximately 50-90%. Kraals with a continuous wooden or netting wall, 1.5 m high, reduced catches of E-targets by approximately 75%. Arrangements of electric nets were used to assess the numbers of tsetse attacking live cattle within kraals and/or near sources of smoke. The results confirmed findings with traps and E-targets: kraals reduced the numbers of tsetse that fed by approximately 80% and smoke reduced the numbers attracted by approximately 70%; the use of both reduced overall attack rates by approximately 90%. The inclusion of 4-methylguaiacol, a known repellent for tsetse and a natural component of wood smoke, halved the catches of traps and E-targets and the numbers of tsetse attacking cattle. The practical benefits and difficulties of using repellents and/or housing to manage trypanosomiases are discussed.

Smallholder farmers across Zimbabwe have been facing a problem of food insecurity because of climate-induced droughts and lack of effective use of irrigation schemes. Rainfall patterns in the country have become more unpredictable and inconsistent with the traditional farming seasons. Faced with such challenges, many smallholder farmers in Shurugwi district in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe adopted small-scale irrigation schemes to improve food security. The principal objectives of this study were to examine the status of the irrigation schemes in the district; analyse the need to rehabilitate small-scale irrigation schemes; assess the initiatives towards the revival of irrigation schemes; establish the benefits that can accrue to smallholder farmers from small-scale irrigation schemes and discuss challenges faced by smallholder farmers in the running of small-scale irrigation schemes in rural areas. This qualitative study employed literature and interviews to obtain data from 40 purposively selected participants. The direct observation method was used to compliment the interviews. The findings of the study were that small-scale rural irrigation schemes have the capacity to significantly transform the lives of rural farmers through earning increased reliable income from farming if institutional and capacity issues of the farmers are addressed. Furthermore, the study found that small-scale irrigation schemes can also be a panacea to food security challenges mainly faced by rural households. As such, the article concluded that irrigation schemes are fortress and antidote to the effects of climate change. The study calls for capacity promotion on technical skills for the farmers, the establishment of many new irrigation schemes and the rehabilitation of the existing small-scale irrigation schemes in the country as well as calling on the farmers to adopt climate-smart irrigation.