ABSTRACT
It is no exaggeration that the Jihads of the 19th century West Africa were phenomenal and their study varied. Plenty have been written about their origin, development and the decline of the states they established. But few scholars have delved into the actual settings that surrounded their emergence. And while many see them as a result of the beginning of Islamic revivalism few opined that they are the continuation of it. This paper first highlights the state of Islam in the region; the role of both the scholars, students and rulers from the 14th century, in its development and subsequently its spread among the people of the region as impetus to the massive awareness and propagation of the faith that was to led to the actions and reactions that subsequently led to the revolutions. The paper, contrary to many assertions, believes that it was actually the growth of Islamic learning and scholarship and not its decline that led to the emergence and successes of the Jihad movements in the upper and Middle Niger region area.
ABSTRACT
This paper titled ‘Kutsen Miyagun Al’adu Cikin Al’ummar Hausawa: Waiwaye a Cikin Wakar Jiya da Yau ta Kyaftin Umaru Da Suru’. The paper through lights on how the Europeans uses the advantage to down grdes the Hausa people’s culture through interactions between themselves, with the aim to make their own superior and that of others inferior.The paper extracted ample examples from the poem of Umaru Da Suru named ‘Jiya da Yau’ to make the argument valid. The Europeans try their best to see that they succeeded in their mission in downgrading some good behaviors of the Hausa people like, lack of respect to elders, lack of shame, traditional plays, local technology, drug abuse and others. Lastly, the paper also came out with the writer’s opinion and findings of the paper.
ABSTRACT
The national symbols of Cameroon like flag, anthem, coat of arms and seal do not in any way reveal her cultural background because of the political inclination of these signs. In global sporting events and gatherings like World Cup and international conferences respectively, participants who appear in traditional costume usually easily reveal their nationalities. The Ghanaian Kente, Kenyan Kitenge, Nigerian Yoruba outfit, Moroccan Djellaba or Indian Dhoti serve as national cultural insignia of their respective countries. The reason why Cameroon is referred in tourist circles as a cultural mosaic is that she harbours numerous strands of culture including indigenous, Gaullist or Francophone and Anglo-Saxon or Anglophone. Although aspects of indigenous culture, which have been grouped into four spheres, namely Fang-Beti, Grassfields, Sawa and Sudano-Sahelian, are dotted all over the country in multiple ways, Cameroon cannot still boast of a national culture emblem. The purpose of this article is to define the major components of a Cameroonian national culture and further identify which of them can be used as an acceptable domestic cultural device. The research methodology adopted for this study is the historical approach with the qualitative method of primary and secondary data collection. The major findings are that although a Cameroonian culture is being forged through ways like nationalization of land, harmonization of the chieftaincy institution and national integration, this effort can only be deciphered through symbols such as cuisine, language, music, dance and dress. While the first four of these elements are multi-faceted and labourious in nature, it is easy to identify a dress that is distinctive to the nation.
ABSTRACT
What is suicide? Why are people taking their own lives? Can this be counteracted in any way? Similar questions arise in many parts of the world. These doubts are independent of our religious experience, social norms and applicable legal rules. Doctors, psychologists, sociologists and other specialists are wondering what the cause of suicide is. It can be a mental illness. Dramatic situations leading to a nervous breakdown can also have a significant impact. Is suicide something bad? Is a sin an attempt on your own life? Will there be any punishment for the suicide? These questions are still valid. For Christians, an attempt on their own lives is an act against God. God is life-giving for them. Only he has the right to collect them. In this sense, suicide is a moral evil. Will this assessment always be accurate? Is authorized psychiatric treatment for people wanting to kill themselves? Is it possible to treat a man who does not want to live? When we treat disorders, do we take away the desire to die? Suicide is a phenomenon that is still a mystery. It also provokes many questions. The following text will attempt to answer them. The basis for the author's further reflection will be primarily Polish experiences related to the protection of mental health
ABSTRACT
Eucalyptus is an important plant grown in cities in Cameroon because they perform specific functions such as draining of wetlands to increase available land area for housing construction to accommodate the bourgeoning urban population. To investigate the changing patterns of eucalyptus plants in Bali sub-division and its implications towards sustainable city planning in Cameroon, a blend of information collected from published and primary sources were used. Analysis of collected information was done with the help of cartographic and descriptive techniques including maps, tables and percentage and cumulative percentages. The results showed that the eucalyptus population in Bali sub-division has significantly evolved over time and space from 3.39km2 in 1990 to 9.47km2 in 2017. There is a significant decline in the zone occupied by the plant from mostly the urban or build-up area between 1950 and 1990 to mostly peri-urban and rural areas in 2017 due mainly to accelerated urbanisation, rapid population growth and counter-migration to rural areas to seek large farm sizes for eucalyptus cultivation. These are indicators that favour medium and long term sustainable planning policies by city and town planners towards attaining sustainable cities in Cameroon through the relocation of saw mills from urban to peri-urban and rural areas thereby preventing noise and sound pollution in cities; reduce damage to buildings and other urban infrastructures by the long spreading roots of the eucalyptus plants; rehabilitate watersheds and put in place appropriate municipal water management plans to increase water supply in cities and the planting of shade and other multi-purpose tree species in the place of the declining eucalyptus population in order to help reduce overheating, provide greening, urban aesthetics and municipal parks and botanic gardens.
ABSTRACT
Nso Fondom1 before the advent of colonial rule had developed a notion of frontiers which were designed to uphold peaceful coexistence not only with her neighbors but also among the polities within the paramountcy. Frontier zones before European colonial influence were important areas of peaceful cohabitation; they were localities where neighboring peoples met for various purposes. But this peaceful cohabitation in frontier zones was brought to an end by the introduction of colonial boundaries. The new disruptive colonial boundaries thus marked the shift in the significance of frontiers in the Nso realm from zones of peaceful coexistence to areas of animosity. This shift was manifested by frontier conflicts between Nso and her neighbors and amongst the neighboring polities in the realm.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate socio-cultural barriers to prevention of HIV and AIDS in the context of gender based violence among people living with HIV and AIDS in Thika Sub-County, Kenya. The Health Belief Model and General systems Theory guided the study. A survey of 239 randomly selected respondents from randomly selected support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) was conducted. Data were collected by use of interview schedules, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results showed that HIV prevention was impended by interplay of factors which seemed to emanate from gender power imbalances. The barriers which were paramount comprised condom refusal (40.3%), alcohol abuse (38.2%), stigma and discrimination (35.7%), financial constraints (28.1%), condom fatigue (23.5%), lack of female condoms (17.6%) ignorance and non-acceptance of one’s HIV sero-positive status (15.1%). Other minor barriers included people’s curiosity (5.0%), peer influence (2.9%), desire to have more children (2.5%), having multiple partners (2.1%) and lack of protective materials (1.7%). The study also establised that there were gender based violence meted against men and women which included: sexual violence in form of forced sex, denial of sexual intimacy, abandonment by sexual partner, physical violence, psychological violence, economic violence, stigma, discrimination and community social isolation among PLWHA. It was recommended that there was need for community based intervention programs targeting PLWHA to address socio-cultural barriers that impede self-efficacy in the prevention of HIV and AIDS and thereby reduce gender-based violence among People Living with HIV and AIDS.
