Determinants of Sexual Behaviors Among Adolescents Living With HIV And AIDS In Nairobi, Kenya

Jesca Kinoti, Anne Kamau and Parvin Moloo   

This study sought to examine the determinants of sexual behaviours among adolescents living with HIV and AIDS. HIV status disclosure and felt stigma which were the determinants studied that relate to living with HIV and AIDS were found to have a close association with engagement in types of sexual behaviours among adolescents. In conclusions, this study shows that while adolescents aspire to leave relatively normal sexual lives by engaging in various types of sexual behaviours, fear to disclose HIV status to partners influence how they conducted sexual lives. One of the key finding that some adolescents engaged in unprotected sex while their preference of sex partner were those who were HIV negative, they were not willing to disclose their HIV status to them. This risk transmission of HIV to partners, acquiring other sexually transmitted infections by the HIV living adolescents, re-infection with other strains of HIV as well as having unplanned pregnancy. The key recommendation generated from this study is the need to re-examine the existing HIV primary prevention interventions that inform behaviours change communication in HIV programming with a view to addressing sexuality issues of adolescents living with HIV and AIDS.

Stress Among Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Parents Of Typically Developing Children, Ethiopia

Ali Sani Side and Sreevalsa Kumar

The level of parental stress parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and parents of typically developing children experienced, the resources available, and the different coping strategies parents employed are investigated using a descriptive research design, 542 parents were randomly selected. Parental Stress Scale was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. As results, both groups of parents experienced moderate levels of stress, and mothers experienced elevated stress. Some other variables were also contributed for parental stress. In conclusion, mothers requiring more support and a level of education can make a difference in coping with parental stress.

Challenges Associated With The Management Post-Consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate Packaging Bottle Waste In Harare Urban, Zimbabwe

Matambo Farai and Steven Jerie

This study analyses challenges associated with management of PET beverages bottle waste in Harare Urban, Zimbabwe. Quantitative data collection instruments used included structured questionnaires and geo-spatial data collection. Qualitative data instruments used included direct observations, open-ended questions, structured interviews (audio and videos) as well as field notes. Fundamental to the quantitative data collection process was the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Earth Observation Tools. Near-real time geo-spatial data was collected using Mobile Data Collector (Open Data Kit-ODK), was analysed (using ArcView GIS, QGIS, SPSS and MS Excel) and then presented for all the attributes associated with this particular research study. Geo-referenced data was collected from a total of 328 outlets and 299 consumers and households. Challenges associated with PET waste management in Harare include inadequate collection infrastructure, consumer behaviour, volatility of oil and PET global markets and the lack of a robust PET waste policy that addresses these challenges. Environmental and health hazards emanating from these challenges included reduced aesthetic value, blockage of drainage systems, toxic gas emissions from PET waste burning, reduced productive land, leaching of hazardous substances, high incidence of malaria and cholera and ingestion by wildlife. In order to address the generation and distribution of PET waste, the primary audiences are manufacturers of beverages packaged in PET Bottle. The manufacturers need to focus on bottle light weighting. This means that less resin are used to manufacture the same bottle and this ultimately reduces the amount of PET waste generated by weight. 

Understanding Violent Extremism And Criminality Nexuses In Tanzania

William John Walwa

The push and pull factors of violent extremism underline the material and ideological motivations of VE. Economic incentives have inspired youth to join extremist groups. In Tanzania, the police often branded VE-related episodes as banditry. In the view of the police, what happened is normal criminality since there has never been any known extremist group that declared presence. Based on the position of the police, it could be said that there are indicators that VE happened through a loose extremist network – but it has not reached the level of constituting a known extremist group. Less known, however, is how this loose extremist network sustained itself financially. This paper, which is based on qualitative research in Mwanza and Tanga regions, Tanzania, discovered the presence of close relationship between episodes of criminality and VE. Findings revealed that incidents of criminality, for example, robbery of mobile money shops, supermarkets, kiosks and motorcycles increased in the hotspot areas where VE-related incidents were reported. A loose network of extremist group turned into criminal activities to access financial resources and food. Findings call for the need to understand and deal with VE wholistically – for example, establishing how it links to criminal elements and networks. 

Marital Rape As A Human Rights Violation Of Women In Ethiopia: A Case Study Of Alumni Association Of The Faculty Of Law Of Addis Ababa University And Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (Ewla)

Kebkab Sirgew Gelaw

Initially, the concept of marital rape was a legal nullity analogous to the inability to steal what one already owns. Many defended for the exemption of marital rape from being recognized as a crime. The defense came under the assertion that a husband and a wife acted in consent and the wife had no separate rights apart from her husband; the husband was legally responsible for his wife‘s conduct, which made it unlikely for a man to stand in court alleging that he had raped her. A reflection of power and position in the household fully supported with the legal exemption and societal approval of family privacy, marital rape remained a taboo for women to talk about despite their sufferings. This paper undergoes an assessment of the challenges women go through in the veil of family privacy and explores the possible mechanisms that can be set to avail protection in the area. In a nutshell, the findings of the research demonstrate that 60% of respondents were victims of marital rape. This piece thus puts forward concrete recommendations that call for the attention of the legal system in terms of resolving the issue from a legal point of view, academic institutions in engaging in scholarly research and organizing high legal dialogues, and awareness raising work by civil society organizations working at the grass root level. 

The Social Impact Bonds Bandwagon: Critical Reflections And Policy Implications For Africa

Hardlife Zvoushe

Social impact bonds (SIBs) involve mobilising funding from private investors to finance social interventions by offering repayment of principal and agreed upon return once predetermined outcome metrics have been achieved. The article critically evaluates the potential viability of this new financing innovation for social interventions using evidence from global experiences, with the idea of further establishing the potential for application in Africa. The paper takes a qualitative and descriptive approach that relies heavily on secondary data from academic articles, and to some extent, grey literature. Informed from reviews of global experiences with SIBs, the paper argues that in Africa, SIBs can possibly establish their niche within the context of the chronic social problems, social financing challenges and persistent failure of social interventions. It concludes that while the application of the SIBs concept has produced rather mixed results, there is still potential for good social development results using this vehicle. 

The Impact Of Parental Migration On Emotion And Behaviour Of Children Left Behind In Southern Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

Getnet Tesfaw and Abebaw Minaye

Though remittance from parental migration contributed to poverty reductions, and the material well-being of children and families left behind, a significant part of the story is omitted. This article explored the impact of parental migration as experienced and perceived by children left behind and caregivers in two woredas Southern Wollo , Ethiopia whose one and both of their parents had migrated abroad. Accordingly, data were qualitatively gathered from 13 children whose parents migrated from two woredas of Southern Wollo, Ethiopia. Moreover, 12 caregivers taking care of children left behind were selected purposely. The results of the study showed that though children became aware of the reasons behind the migration of their parents they do not want their parents to migrate abroad leaving them behind. It was also found that left-behind children experienced feelings of separation, insecurity, sadness, depression, poor social relations, and lack of motivation in schooling following their parents‘ migration. To mitigate the problem families, governmental and non-governmental organizations that have a stake in children's lives shall play a role in supporting and intervening in the problem accordingly.