The African Social Science Journalist

Published by students in the AVU-IUP Certificate in Journalism Program: Research Methods in Journalism and Public Opinion Polling

Kenyans  have mixed views on whether private security guards should  be armed

By Abner Masanda and Edward Atsiaya -- Kenya

More than half  (54 percent) of  Kenyans interviewed in a recent survey say private  the security guards should be armed to help in curbing the ever escalating crime.  However, there is a strong feeling that they should be well trained and vetted before arming them.   But 42 percent of the respondents said private security guards should not be armed because they said  firearms could be misused by the guards to collude with criminals.

Those opposing the arming of security guards also argued that since the guards are poorly remunerated they could engage in crime part-time with the guns being handy tools. Full Report

Statistics show a decrease in the number of road accidents because of government action against unqualified drivers. In Somaliland accidents are caused by many factors; ignorance by drivers; overloading of passengers and goods; over speeding; lack of driving experience; drivers not understanding  road signs; narrow roads; youths driving during the afternoon when their parents have parked their cars.

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Child labor is mainly caused by poverty.

Parents who are destitute are more likely to allow their children to go out to work.

Parents who are often unemployed or underemployed are desperate for a secure income.

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Khadra Abiib Mohamed

A survey on problems and challenges for disabled people in Somaliland 

Abdishakur Hassan Abdi -- Somaliland

Six percent of Somalilanders are disabled. They face many challenges in a society that is not always willing to understand or help.

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Female Genital Mutilation -An Open Wound

by Jitendra Nath Panda--Somaliland

There is an old saying, “some wounds are hard to reveal and even harder to be kept hidden”. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one such open wound which can neither be displayed nor concealed. It not only injures the human body but also lacerates the body of the society wherein it is practised. Difficult to speak about and dreadful to endure, female genital mutilation is taking a toll on the woman of many parts of the world where we live in. It leaves behind a deep, indelible scar in the body and mind of the individual concerned and that of the collective representation , to heal which, it is more important to treat the whole society rather than focussing on a particular sex, individual or group.

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The objective of this paper is to analyse the depth and impact of FGM on the People and the Society. It understands that preventing FGM is an uphill struggle. The paper does not attempt to provide ready made quick fix solution to the age old tradition. It is an attempt to analyse the situation so as to enable people to understand and choose their own course of action. Full Story

Somaliland’s nation building process was marked with series of peace conferences that established peace and defined the path towards transition from a clan-based system into a multi-party system. The process of transition did not change the role of women in public life as women remain marginalized from the country’s leadership structure in various levels of government bureaucracy, for example, the number of women in the Cabinet are not adequate as women deserves. Full Story

Africa has a very poor human rights record, African Commission

Fatoumatta Drammeh,  The Gambia

 A top of official of the African commission on human rights has  attacked African countries for their poor human rights record. . Full Story

By. S. Shanika. Namibia

AVU students interview 500 Gambians

Gambians favor term limits for their presidents

 A survey by the AVU class at the Media Training Centre, The Gambia

A survey of 500 Gambians  showed that over three quarters (78  percent) said  their presidents should serve limited terms.

 Over half (53.2 percent) said a president should be limited to two terms only.  Eighteen percent said the president should serve only one term. But 16 percent said the president should serve  three or more terms and 14 percent said there should be  no limits whatsoever on the president. In another question 22 percent said a president should not serve  limited terms..  Full Story

PICTURE: AVU  student, Fatoumatta Drammeh, interviews a Gambian citizen about presidential term limits.

 

More survey pictures

The social and developmental implications of charcoal burning in Somaliland

Charcoal use for energy is a common practice in the third world countries; the only energy for family and restaurant food preparation in Somaliland. This paper will analyze the reasons and the implications of charcoal production in Somaliland and the potential solutions to prevent further deterioration of tree cover.

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Community attitudes towards  sexual exploitation of children

Reports of sexual exploitation of children are widespread. The picture shows some of the exploited children in Togo.

The various groups I interviewed are as follows, Male and female parents, Community leaders, Religious leaders Teachers and other school officials Police office Officers of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)

Adult prostitutes

Most of the adults interviewed gave various age limits to define a child ranging from 14 to 40 mostly corresponding with suitable ages for marriage of females and males respectively. One male elder insisted that a child does not become a full-fledged adult until the age of 40. Teachers and other Authorities with a significant level of education generally agreed that the age limit for children is 18.

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Problems and prospects for refugees repatriated to a forgotten Somaliland

Today, more than at any other time during Somaliland’s complex recent history, peace is prevalent and refugees are readily returning home. A self-declared independent republic located in Somalia’s northwest region, Somaliland has not received the international recognition it has hoped for and endured more than a decade of unwanted anonymity.

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Poverty drives children to the streets

The Director of Social Welfare Fanta Ceesay has described poverty; low income, non-literate families and poor living conditions as common factors responsible for the presence of street children in the Gambia. Full Story

More than 5,000 cases for AIDS have been seen at hospital and clinics in The Gambia, between May 1986 to the end of the year 2003. Only a few of this cases are alive today. It is also estimated that two in every 100 persons in the country have the AIDS virus in their body, most of them looking healthy and going about their daily business. Current estimates also show that 15,000 people are living with the HIV virus in the Gambia. Full Story

Defilement, teen pregnancies and early marriages worse in western Uganda.

 Overwhelming defilement and subsequent teenage pregnancy tendencies are by far the most outstanding factor to the alarming situation of teenage marriages in western Uganda...Full Story

GIRLS EARLY MARRIAGE

FATOU JENG THE GAMBIA

A parent Awa Ndow  of Fass sent her daughter to get married at her early age of 15.. Full Story