This paper examines the role and evolution of Native Medical Auxiliaries (NMAs) in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, during British colonial rule between the 1920s and 1960s. It argues that NMAs were not merely subordinates within the colonial medical system but active agents who negotiated and blended Western medical practices with indigenous healing knowledge. Drawing on archival records and oral histories, the paper finds that NMAs filled critical gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly in rural areas, while simultaneously preserving local therapeutic traditions. By applying Local Agency Theory, the paper highlights the NMAs’ strategic engagement with colonial structures and their contribution to shaping hybrid medical spaces. The paper challenges Eurocentric narratives in colonial medical history by centering African agency and knowledge production.
This paper critically examines the assertion that feminism is a Western import and incompatible with African cultures by demonstrating that African women have participated in activism and liberation struggles prior to the emergence of the term ‘feminism’. Although the term ‘feminism’ did not originate within African societies, it was subsequently adopted to describe these longstanding struggles. Through historical analysis and a review of existing literature, this study highlights that pre colonial African societies often afforded women considerable autonomy and leadership, which were later diminished by colonial and post-colonial patriarchal systems. The marginalisation of African women across the political, legal, and economic spheres is analysed alongside the resilience and resistance of some women’s movements prior and during colonisation. Drawing on evidence from various scholars, the paper demonstrates that women’s struggles for rights are not a recent phenomenon introduced by Western women, but are deeply rooted in African societies. The argument that labels feminism as ‘un-African’ erases African women’s experiences, and perpetuates patriarchal oppression. This study contributes to the existing literature by refuting claims that feminism is un-African, anti-men, disruptive, or a threat to African families; and affirms the significance of African feminism in addressing contemporary gender inequalities.
Guided by the social capital theory, this study systematically reviews empirical evidence on Christian leaders’ advocacy roles in HIV prevention across Southern Africa. The objective was to assess how different forms of social capital shape the effectiveness of faith-based HIV advocacy across the region. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted between January and June 2025, covering peer-reviewed studies published in English from 2001 to 2021. The eligible studies employed qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods; and explicitly examined Christian leaders’ HIV/AIDS advocacy within Southern African contexts. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was appraised using the mixed methods appraisal tool (2018), with most studies rated moderate to high quality. The findings indicate that prevention and behaviour change initiatives rooted in bonding social capital within congregations represent the most consistent and impactful dimension of Christian HIV advocacy. Dense, trust-based pastoral networks were associated with improved HIV awareness, reduced stigma, strengthened caregiving practices, and enhanced treatment adherence. In contrast, community engagement, partnerships with public health actors, and policy advocacy broadened reach through bridging and linking social capital; but yielded more variable outcomes, often constrained by limited technical capacity, donor dependency, and structural inequalities. Overall, faith-based HIV advocacy is most effective when inclusive and trust-based relationships are strategically aligned with biomedical knowledge. The study concludes that strengthened theological engagement, targeted clergy training, and equitable collaboration with public health stakeholders are essential to enhance sustainability and structural impact.
This study explores the ethnobiology of the Raute nomads in Nepal, a dwindling hunter-gatherer group facing threats from modernisation, deforestation, and sedentarisation policies. Despite growing ethnobiological research on indigenous knowledge, there remains a scholarly gap in integrated analyses of how nomadic practices like hunting, craftsmanship, and migration interlink to promote sustainability, particularly in South Asian contexts. Drawing on six weeks of ethnographic fieldwork with a single Raute community (n=15 key informants via purposive sampling for interviews; 3 focus groups of 6-8 participants via convenience sampling), this research employs participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions to address this gap. Findings reveal that the Raute's selective hunting (e.g., targeting macaques and langurs seasonally with traditional tools), sustainable craftsmanship (e.g., using fast-regenerating species like Bombax ceiba), and adaptive migration patterns maintain ecological balance and biodiversity. However, external pressures endanger these practices. The study contributes to ethnobiology by demonstrating how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can inform modern conservation strategies, advocating for inclusive policies that preserve nomadic lifeways amid globalisation and climate change.
Ecosystem-based approach that integrates floods and environmental risk management is believed to reduce flood disaster risk while providing socio-economic and environmental benefits to floodplain occupants. This study examined the socio-economic and environmental benefits of the ecosystem-based approach in managing flood disaster risk in the Little Ruaha River Basin in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The study involved 157 participants and employed the mixed research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, direct field observation and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data, whereas documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Findings revealed that communities in the study area adopted different ecosystem-based practices for reducing flood disaster risk. These included afforestation, wetlands conservation, agroforestry and river dredging. The study further found that ecosystem-based practices conserved soil, offered physical protection against floods, provided income, improved food security, provided building materials and fodder. As a result, households’ resilience to the effects of floods was improved. The study recommends the government and the private sector to support local communities in terms of resources, awareness raising and training in order to sustain ecosystems for enhanced resilience against flood disaster risks.
This article examines the perceived effect of climate change on cereal crop production and the responses of various stakeholders aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of central Tanzania. A total of 366 household heads, 28 participants in focus group discussions (FGDs), and 8 key informants from Bahi and Kongwa districts in Dodoma, Tanzania, were involved in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a structured interview schedule, FGDs, in-depth interviews, and documentary reviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings indicate that smallholder farmers in the study area have noted declining crop yields for maize, bulrush millet, and sorghum; a decline that is associated with the changing climate. In response to these effects, the farmers have employed various adaptive measures, including the use of improved seeds, changes in planting dates, intercropping, adjustments in farm size, out-migration, and changes in land-use practices. However, they have faced various challenges in implementing these measures, specifically low income levels, high prices of agricultural inputs, and limited soft loans. In response, government institutions, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations have provided support to strengthen their adaptive capacity through supplying agricultural inputs, awareness creation on viable adaptive strategies, and providing support on livelihood options through non-farm activities. The study recommends the need to strengthen this support in this and other similar areas so as to increase smallholder farmers’ resilience to withstand the adverse effects of climate change.
This paper examines smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate variability, and their resilience in enhancing their capacity to adopt. The data was collected from 98 heads of households using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The methods of data collection included household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews, and document review. The quantitative data were analysed using the IBM SPSS (Version 23), while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that 69.4% of respondents reported a decrease in rainfall, while 89.8% reported an increase and fluctuations in temperature over the past 29 years. Moreover, the findings indicate that farmers adopted different strategies to respond to climate variability; including changing planting schedules, using improved potato varieties, and employing improved irrigation. Those who adopted strategies suited to climate variability experienced an increase in productivity, and hence household income. This emphasises the need to implement targeted interventions that support and scale up these adaptive practices. Hence, policymakers and development agencies should enhance climate resilience to smallholder farmers to promote sustainable agricultural productivity, and safeguard their livelihoods amid ongoing climate variability.
This study examines the nexus between perceived and scientific weather patterns, and its effects on cereal crop production in Manyoni District; and involved 157 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a mixed methods research approach. The data were collected through a household survey, FGDs, in-depth interviews and documentary review methods for triangulation and complementarity purposes. The quantitative data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics with IBM SPSS (version 27) and Microsoft Excel Office (version 2007). The results indicate that smallholder farmers perceived that rainfall had been fluctuating with increasing trends, while temperature and wind had been in increasing trends. The archival data on rainfall and temperature indicate both decreasing and increasing trends, respectively. Also, the findings indicate fluctuating patterns with slightly increasing trends for maize and sorghum yields, and decreasing trends in millet/barley production: all of which are highly associated with changes in temperature and rainfall. However, despite fluctuating rainfall and increasing temperature trends, the production of both maize and sorghum is rising; implying that despite the changes in climate variables in the study area, effective adaptive strategies have contributed to the noted increase in these cereal yields. This calls for support to smallholder farmers to shield the consequences of unpredictable weather during the critical periods of growing cereals.
The challenge of using and understanding English Language by Kiswahili L1 speaking learners is dominant in Tanzania. Having English as a foreign language (i.e. not largely spoken at social contexts) make it not accessible to many. Moreover, in Tanzania research shows that English being the medium of instructions to all subjects (except Kiswahili, Chinese, French, Arabic, and Historia ya Tanzania) from secondary schools to universities limit these learners from understanding academic content, expressing themselves in written and spoken forms, and succeeding in exams. The present study aimed to explore how the use of English as the language of instruction affects tertiary students' written and oral expression skills, including their ability to articulate complex ideas and engage in academic discourse compared to Kiswahili. This case study research involved 83 tertiary students who were sampled purposively from five tertiary institutions. Open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data on the tertiary students’ perception of the use of English as the LoI compared to Kiswahili. Audio-recorded class tasks (oral presentation and note taking) were used to collect data on the tertiary students’ performance differences on the use of English as a LoI compared to Kiswahili, and the learning difficulties caused by the use of English as the LoI on tertiary students' comprehension and expression. Guided by the Cognitive Theory of Learning and the Cummins’ Linguistic Interdependence Theory, data of the present study were analysed using descriptive method, thematic analysis, and ACTFL Proficiency Guideline. The study revealed that Kiswahili native-speaking tertiary students have low English proficiency, making them more confident and comfortable communicating in Kiswahili than English, which leads to different language-related learning difficulties. The study recommends bilingual teaching, additional language support, and considering the use of Kiswahli in academic settings to enhance students’ comprehension and reduce the adverse impact of English as the language of instruction.
Smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture, which makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This paper is based on a study conducted in Burunga and Musati villages in Serengeti District, Tanzania. The study employed a mixed methods approach; combining qualitative and quantitative methods. It involved 154 participants and employed household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions as data collection methods. The findings suggest that smallholder farmers in the study area are aware of climate change and do, indeed, develop, adopt, and use locally-based innovation systems that avert or minimise its impacts. Smallholder farmers develop indicators and innovations based on indigenous knowledge systems that are developed over time and space. The leading indicators are in the categories of weather, astronomy, wild animals, wild birds, macro-organisms, water systems, and vegetation. Locally-based innovations include planting drought-tolerant crops, changing planting techniques and planting dates, changing crop varieties, and using animal manure. On the other hand, the constraints in adopting and using locally-based innovations in adapting to the impacts of climate change include knowledge transfer, indigenous knowledge colonisation, non-institutionalisation of indigenous knowledge, the influence of the market economy, and the disappearance of plant and animal species. As such, local institutions, non-governmental organisations and the government ought to design strategies and formulate policies supportive of indigenous-based innovation systems to avert or minimise the impact of climate change, and thereby enhance agricultural productivity.
This paper investigates the association between types of water sources for livestock and livelihood choices of pastoralist households in semi-arid areas of Monduli District, Tanzania. Specifically, it aims to examine the influence of the types of water sources for livestock on livelihood diversification of pastoralist households. Using a mixed research methods approach, the data were collected from 367 households through three methods: surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and counts, and inferential statistics, Chi-square tests and correlation, while the qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed that the type of water source used for livestock significantly influenced livelihood diversification among households. Households engaged in livestock keeping, combined with farming or off-farm activities, benefited from both improved and unimproved water sources, and enhanced livelihood diversification. However, those solely dependent on livestock, the water source type had no significant relationship to the choice of livelihood strategy. The study concludes that pastoralist households’ choice of water sources for livestock supported livelihood diversification. It recommends prioritising water infrastructure development in areas with diversified livelihoods, and preserving traditional unimproved water sources for pastoralist communities. Policy interventions should address the specific needs of both diversified and traditional pastoralist households, ensuring sustainable water management and resilience to climate variability.
Campaigns for ecological sustainability have gained a great currency in the contemporary academic discourse. Nonetheless, from time immemorial, Africans have pushed the ecological sustainability agenda through cultural taboos and regulated resource harvesting. Many African societies have embedded ecological consciousness in daily life expressions, and have intricately expressed it through literary and ritual texts. This study focuses on ecological awareness in the ritual texts of the Pangwa community. It analyses how environmental domains—such as land, seeds, and fruits—serve as the basis for metaphors in the Pangwa community to prove the use of wisdom to promote and sustain ecological practices (ecocriticism). The study employed observation and interviews to solicit indigenous perspectives and orientations concerning ecological awareness. The findings reveal that ecological systems and their interdependencies are well reflected in Pangwa metaphors. The metaphors largely link the environment with God, ancestors, living beings, and inanimate entities. The findings underscore the crucial role of ritual practices in cultivating and sustaining ecological awareness and balance, thereby explaining the relations between humans and nonhumans in the environment. This suggests that metaphors embody a society’s ecological knowledge. Moreover, it provides an opportune moment to recognise the role of African traditional practices in fostering ecological awareness.
Abstract In many developing countries, agriculture remains a vital source of food, employment, and income. The adoption of agricultural technologies can boost farm revenue and productivity, reduce food insecurity, and lessen poverty. This study investigates the main factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt fertilizers, improved seeds, soil conservation practices, and pesticides in Tanzania. The analysis uses cross-sectional data from the fifth wave of the Tanzania National Panel Survey (TNPS), and employs an ordered probit model. The findings revealed that access to extension services, higher household years of schooling, poor soil quality, livestock ownership, and use of hired labour significantly increase the likelihood of adopting agricultural technologies. Conversely, a larger household size significantly reduces the likelihood of adopting technologies. To boost agricultural productivity, it is recommended that the government and relevant stakeholders should educate farmers, expand access to quality extension services, include livestock management best practices in agricultural technology packages, and also develop and share soil restoration tools that directly address poor soil conditions.
The increasingly polarised public debate surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) often lacks sufficient expert input, leading to heightened public fears and misconceptions. This prompts the questions as to how effectively scientific information on genetically modified foods (GMFs) is communicated to the general public. This study presents findings from interviews with eight crop scientists involved in GMF crop research in Kenya, with the objective of assessing the challenges and opportunities of communicating GMF research findings to the public, and especially to farmers. The participants were selected using a snowballing technique, where the initial participants were identified based on their active engagement in media discussions about GMOs. The first and subsequent participants were then requested to recommend additional ones. The participants were interviewed using a Zoom link in adherence with the COVID protocols in place during the study period. Interviews were then transcribed and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that competing messaging from anti-GMO activists, language barriers, ambivalent government stance on GMFs, and the lack of science communication skills among scientists: all constitute the key impediments to effective communication of knowledge on GMF research to farmers. Nevertheless, farmers were found to have an interest in understanding more about GMFs, especially by learning directly from scientists in the field perceived to be trustworthy. The study recommends a rethink of the public engagement strategies on scientific information, and the importance of developing a messaging framework that takes into consideration audience characteristics, concerns, and needs.
Toponyms, or place names, act as vital markers of historical memory, cultural identity and resilience. In Iringa, Tanzania, toponymy offers valuable insights into the enduring impacts associated with the German-Hehe War (1890–1898), and colonial encounters on indigenous communities. This study explores how place names—such as Kitanzini (‘a place with a noose for hanging people’), Ilundamatwe or Lundamatwe (‘a collection of slaughtered heads’), and Gangilonga (‘the speaking stone’)—convey narratives of Hehe war superiority, resistance, and survival. Using a qualitative approach, the research incorporates archival sources, oral histories, and linguistic analysis to investigate the stories behind naming and renaming, the role of toponyms in maintaining historical awareness, and the function of narratives associated with these names as cultural markers. The findings demonstrate that, despite colonial efforts to erase indigenous identities, the Hehe people preserved their history and cultural heritage through resilient place-naming practices. The study emphasises the broader importance of toponymy in shaping post-colonial identity, and advocates for further research on naming practices in regions affected by colonialism to enhance the preservation of records relating to indigenous memory and heritage.
Numeral systems in Bantu languages reflect both linguistic structure and socio cultural functions. This paper explores the structure and socio-cultural functions of the Bena numeral system. The research employed a qualitative approach whereby the data were gathered through elicitation, and non-participant observation. The study was guided by the cognitive linguistics theory, which reveals how language shapes numerical cognition; testing linguistic relativity by showing how structural features like bases and classifiers influence thinking, memory, and arithmetic acquisition across cultures. The results show that numerals in Bena depict agreements with the noun class system, and follow additive structures in compound forms. The traditional counting system using fingers, head, and stones is also attested among elder speakers. However, the influence of Swahili has led to a gradual erosion of the numeral structure and traditional numeral usage, especially among younger generations. Also, the results show that numerals hold symbolic meanings in various socio-cultural functions. The study recommends an investigation of prosodic features in Bena numerals borrowed from Kiswahili, a documentation of native numeral systems, and further comparative research on numeral systems in other under documented Tanzanian Bantu languages.
This article critically explores how Bongo Fleva’s lyrics engage with environmental themes; and the interrelationship between nature and culture in the context of the Anthropocene. The data were purposively sampled from YouTube via content analysis, from which 50 Bongo Fleva songs were listened to, and only 10 environmentally-themed songs were analysed. Then, the selected songs were subjected to transcription (from oral to written form), translation (from Kiswahili into English), and close reading and textual analysis. The close reading of the selected songs focused on the employed aesthetic and rhetorical strategies, such as anthropomorphism, symbolism, antithesis, apocalyptic tones, solastalgia, rhetorical questions, repetition, and adages; with a specific lens on environmental concerns. The thematic analysis focused on climate change and sustainability themes emerging from the songs. The findings show that the songs convey landscapes, nonhuman agency, ecocatastrophes, eco-hesitation, people’s negligence, moral decay, political failure, and biodiversity loss as the themes; which in turn reveal the ecological awareness and displeasure at the abuse of nature among Bongo Fleva artists. In this context, they demonstrate the agency to influence public opinion, incite environmental policy dialogues, and support eco-activism in the country. Conclusively, the findings suggest that the analysed songs portray Bongo Fleva as an aesthetically and culturally grounded platform for ecological discourse; not antagonistic but rather collaborative and dialogic in addressing issues of environmental (in)justice and violence. Further studies could be on multimodal analysis of visual aesthetics in Bongo Fleva music videos to assess whether they reinforce or contradict the lyrical environmental message.
This study investigated the development of leadership identity among six female undergraduate student-leaders in higher learning institutions (HLIs). Based on the hexagon and motivation to lead theories, the study focused on personal knowledge, beliefs and actions that female undergraduate student-leaders attach to their leadership identities. Furthermore, the study explored the perceived leadership motivational factors for female student-leaders in HLIs. The study employed a phenomenological interpretive approach to investigate the lived-experiences of female student-leaders related to their leadership identities and developments in three HLIs. The study noted that there are important roles played by parents, peers, teachers and religious institutions in developing female student-leaders. According to the findings, the role of peers becomes more evident during the adolescent age of female-leaders. Further, the findings revealed that female students’ participation in leadership is, in most cases, pushed by their feeling of a sense of duty or responsibility to lead. The study recommends promoting the influence of socialnormative and affective identity among young girls within families, schools and colleges to develop strong committed female-leaders.
