Single parenthood remains one of the most talked about phenomenon across all tribes, race and social status in the world today. Reasons for this continually increasing trend are diverse including death of a spouse, unwanted pregnancy and personal reasons to raise a child while stay unmarried among others. While this inclination is appearing popular and may continue to gain acceptance in most part of the world, it melts numerous social problems that impact on the single parent, child/children and the society at large. This study examines the relationship existing between single parenthood and management of special needs children in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve this goal, the study adopted quantitative research method using questionnaire to generate data from consented participants. A cross-sectional survey design was used and simple random techniques employ to select participants for the study. A sample size of 36 respondents (19 children/single parents with autistic children and 17 children/ single parents having children with down syndrome) were drown from two (2) schools namely Special Education School, Calabar and Hillcrest Special Needs Model School Calabar. Data obtained were analyzed descriptively using SPSS version 21 and result presented in simple percentage. Findings from the analyzed data showed that lack of awareness, late identification and diagnoses of symptoms, psychological and financial, stress and inadequate access as well as paucity of reliable professional information and support limit their care for their child with autism and Down syndrome. It was recommended among others that stakeholders should intensify efforts in educating the public and single parents on the peculiarities of this life-long health challenges faced by special needs children so that actions are taken early enough in their managements, Funds should be made available through the National Health Insurance Scheme or interest free loans or grants to single parents with special needs children to enable them carry on the responsibilities of managing their children, Care homes, dormitories, professionals and skilled manpower should be made available to help cater for the needs of special needs children thereby giving their parents leverage to pursue their life goals, Social workers should also advocate for these categories of persons for a better living by attracting donor agencies to them.
Emotionally responsive artificial intelligence (AI) companions are increasingly functioning as relational technologies capable of providing personalized conversation, emotional validation, and ongoing social support. Although existing scholarship has documented benefits such as reduced loneliness, enhanced self-disclosure, and improved accessibility for socially vulnerable individuals, comparatively little attention has been given to how these systems may influence adolescent attachment processes. This article introduces the Synthetic Attachment Displacement (SAD) model, a conceptual developmental framework that integrates attachment theory, family systems theory, human–AI interaction research, and digital displacement literature to explain how emotionally responsive AI may become incorporated into adolescent attachment networks. The model proposes that AI companionship exists along a developmental continuum ranging from adaptive supplementation to maladaptive displacement, depending on interactions among developmental vulnerability, family cohesion, peer connectedness, and AI relational sophistication. Four developmental stages—functional engagement, emotional reliance, synthetic attachment, and relational displacement—are proposed to describe the progression of emotionally significant AI relationships. The framework further advances empirically testable propositions concerning attachment-related behaviors, family functioning, and adolescent psychosocial development while examining competing explanations, including attachment supplementation, social compensation, social scaffolding, and human augmentation. Clinical, educational, disability-service, and AI governance implications are discussed, and a research agenda is proposed to guide future longitudinal, experimental, and cross-cultural investigations. By conceptualizing AI companionship as a potential participant within adolescent attachment systems rather than solely as a digital communication technology, the SAD model offers a theoretically grounded framework for examining the developmental consequences of increasingly sophisticated relational AI.
This qualitative study investigates the pivotal roles and multifaceted challenges of Guidance Designates in the development and implementation of Homeroom Guidance (HG) programs in the absence of licensed guidance counselors. Rooted in Humanistic Theory, the research underscores the importance of fostering a supportive, learner-centered educational environment that nurtures the holistic development of students—socially, emotionally, and academically. The study was conducted in a private sectarian basic education institution in Iligan City, Philippines, and involved six Guidance Designates who participated through written interviews. These individuals, typically teachers with additional responsibilities in student guidance, serve as key implementers and facilitators of HG programs in their respective schools. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach, allowing for a systematic identification of recurrent patterns and significant themes across responses. Four central themes emerged from the analysis: (1) the dynamic and multidimensional roles of Guidance Designates, encompassing functions as program consultants, implementers, collaborators with teaching staff, and administrative coordinators; (2) challenges faced in addressing students’ academic, personal-social, and career development needs, often exacerbated by the lack of formal training or certification; (3) influencing factors such as the availability of institutional resources, the diversity of student needs, and the Designates’ intrinsic motivation; and (4) critical insights regarding the perceived relevance and redundancy of program content, as well as the need for targeted training and clearer policy direction. The findings highlight a pressing need for systemic support structures, including capacity-building initiatives, continuous professional development, inter-stakeholder collaboration, and responsive policy reforms. Strengthening the role and institutional recognition of Guidance Designates is essential to enhance the quality, sustainability, and effectiveness of Homeroom Guidance programs, especially in educational contexts with limited access to licensed counseling professionals.
Located in Lebialem division of the South West Region of Cameroon, Wabane sub-division is one of the bread baskets of this region. Agriculture occupies at least 95 percent of its production capacity. This is thanks to the abundant biodiversity of this sub division. However, this paper argues that despite the natural endowments of this sub division, it remains one of the most underdeveloped and enclaved in Cameroon. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present the agricultural potentials of Wabane and the difficulties of taping these resources for the wellbeing of the people and development of this area. An assembly of bits and pieces of this study were thanks to a combination of empirical data from primary, secondary, tertiary and iconographic sources, guided by the qualitative method of research. Data obtained from the review of selected literature revealed that Wabane can be an economic hub in the Central African sub region. It can supply both food and cash crops not only in Cameroon but to neighbouring Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Central African Republic. But the paper observed with dismay the degree of enclavement and underdevelopment; poor road network and the absence of social facilities. The research concluded that this basically agrarian economy can be of great contribution to the economy of Cameroon should the government redeem the misery of these peasants by linking this sub-division to sister sub-divisions of Lebialem and other divisions in the South West, West and North West regions and develop farm-to-market roads, provide training and modern farm tools, improve seeds to farmers, ensure electricity and storage facilities, health facilities and personnel and pipe born water to the people.
This study explores senior high school students’ perceptions of school-based guidance and counseling services in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, the study collected data from 362 students across four secondary schools through a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. Findings reveal a paradox: 93.1% of students recognize the benefits of counseling for academic and career decision-making, yet significant barriers hinder engagement. Notably, 90.9% of students expressed concerns about confidentiality violations, 89.8% found counseling facilities uncomfortable or insufficiently private, and 91.2% reported inconvenient department locations. Additionally, 41.7% viewed counseling as primarily for serious problems, limiting its preventive use. These results align with prior research highlighting systemic issues like resource shortages but uniquely emphasize student-centric barriers such as trust and environmental inadequacies. The study contributes to the literature by offering a student-focused perspective and provides practical recommendations for enhancing service accessibility and trust through improved facilities, confidentiality measures, training and awareness campaigns. These findings will support policymakers and educators aiming to strengthen guidance and counseling in Ghanaian schools.
Climate change posed a significant global challenge, characterized by long-term alterations in climate patterns. This study evaluated the impact of climate change on water security in the Sudd region, with a focus on Jonglei State, South Sudan. Utilizing historical and projected climate data, including the SSP1-1.9 and SSP3-7.0 scenarios, the study examined temperature and precipitation trends, highlighting substantial changes over several decades. The results revealed an upward warming trends and erratic rainfall patterns, represented by the regression equation y = 0.1126x+29.292, and y = 6.1977x+159.45 for the historical climate data from 1901 to 2020, respectively (figure 3.3). Annual and 5-year average temperature trends analysis from 1951 to 2020 revealed annual increase of approximately 0.0315°C, totalling around 0.1575°C over five years (figure 3.2 (a)). Climate projections indicated continued warming, with mean temperature increases ranging from 0.5°C to 0.67°C for the period 2020-2039, rising to 0.77°C to 0.95°C by 2040-2059 under the SSP1-1.9 scenario, and 1.21°C to 1.51°C under SSP3-7.0. Rainfall patterns exhibited moderate uncertainty; however, positive correlations were observed in both scenarios. Approximately more than 80% of rural households in the Sudd region depended on rain-fed agriculture, with future projections suggesting potential yield reductions of up to 50%. This underscores the vulnerability of local communities, particularly women, who face disproportionate impacts due to socioeconomic factors. The findings emphasize the need for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) to enhance resilience against climate variability. The study advocates for robust policies and multi-stakeholder coordination to address the interconnected challenges of water security and socioeconomic stability. Ultimately, the study offers actionable recommendations to improve resilience and promote long-term stability in the Sudd region.
Considerable debate persists, as opponents of compulsory vaccination policies cite ethical issues related to such impositions, particularly amid a global public health crisis. This review examines whether vaccines infringe upon autonomy, self-control, and freedom from a utilitarian and deontological perspective. It draws on benchmark vaccine-related court rulings and vaccine justice principles to evaluate the moral justification of vaccine mandates, particularly with regard to prioritising disadvantaged and marginalised groups. The objective of this paper is to critically analyse how ethical theories and social justice frameworks intersect in shaping vaccine mandate policies across diverse global contexts, and to assess how these frameworks can inform more equitable and participatory approaches to public health governance. While arguing that mandates may be ethically justified in some instances, such as for the immunocompromised, it highlights the need for transparency, proportionality, and public trust that such mandates are evidence-based. From this standpoint, the analysis incorporates ideological and pedagogical dimensions of social justice theory to illuminate silences in knowledge production and advocacy in public health, to critique discourse around health inequalities. It raises questions about whether social justice is consistently defined across varying geopolitical contexts and examines how health policy can be reconfigured to incorporate more participatory and decolonial approaches. This paper argues that effective vaccine advocacy engages impacted communities because community conversation profoundly shifts the perception of how complex health knowledge is constructed and how social knowledge is applied
Public sugar processing companies in Kenya’s western region have continued to face persistent challenges such as mismanagement, outdated machinery, heavy indebtedness, and declining competitiveness compared to regional producers. These constraints have weakened their performance and sustainability, raising the need for effective turnaround strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cost reduction, reorganization, and modernization strategies on the performance of these public sugar firms. The study adopted a quantitative research design and targeted senior management staff from five public sugar companies, namely Mumias, Nzoia, South Nyanza, Chemelil, and Muhoroni. A census approach was applied to the 51 respondents, and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted with the aid of SPSS, including correlation and multiple linear regression to test relationships between turnaround strategies and organizational performance. The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between the three strategies and performance outcomes, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.89 and an R² of 0.79, indicating that 79% of performance variation was explained by the combined effect of the strategies. The adjusted R² value of 0.76 further confirmed the robustness of the model. Regression analysis established that cost reduction strategies had the greatest effect (β = 0.41, p < .001), followed by reorganization strategies (β = 0.34, p = .001) and modernization strategies (β = 0.29, p = .002). All predictors were statistically significant, affirming their importance in enhancing organizational outcomes. The study concluded that cost optimization, structural reorganization, and modernization initiatives are critical drivers of performance, competitiveness, and sustainability in the sugar sector. It recommended that management prioritize selective cost-saving measures, strengthen organizational restructuring, and invest in modernization programs to revitalize public sugar processing companies. These measures are vital for enhancing efficiency, improving profitability, and ensuring the long-term survival of the industry, which remains central to Kenya’s economy and rural livelihoods.
The arch pessimist philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, along with countless other thinkers, most notably Leibniz and Heidegger, famously proposed that a ‘why’ question – roughly along the lines of ‘why is there something rather than nothing?’ – was fundamental to all metaphysical enquiry. However, unlike many of his philosophical descendants, he did not dwell long on this notoriously fuzzy and, arguably, vacuously unintelligible question, but moved quickly on to seek answers to what he saw as the root cause of human suffering in the blind, striving will. In spite of the eminently practical turn in philosophy since Schopenhauer – the linguistic turn inspired by Wittgenstein and J L Austin, American pragmatism, and the emphasis on the useful and practical in moral philosophy by Peter Singer and others – there remains a tendency in current culture and theory to be bewitched by the ‘why’ questions in one form or another. The principal thesis of this article is that certain ‘why’ questions – the so-called big metaphysical questions of science and philosophy – are still accorded far too much importance and attention and should be downplayed in favour of activity directed to alleviating suffering in the world, both natural and anthropogenic.
Food security is an important pillar of agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa. Among food crops, maize plays a crucial role in ensuring the nutritional balance of populations in northern Côte d'Ivoire. To support its production, an input credit mechanism has been initiated in the Odienné department. This study evaluates the effects of credit on agricultural performance and attempts to capture the perceptions related to this type of investment. It is based on a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. The survey was conducted in five localities in the Odienné department with 104 producers. Two focus groups of four people each were conducted to understand the beneficiaries' relationships with maize cultivation and agricultural credit. An analysis of variance was applied on yield variables. Among the beneficiaries, productivity decreased from 2019, before the project, to 2020 from 1067 ±844 Kg/ha to 1022 ±518 Kg/ha, and increased from 2020 to 2021, respectively from 1022 ±518 Kg/ha to 1311 ±1068 Kg/ha. There is a significant difference in farm productivity depending on whether producers receive input credit or not. Overall, no significant difference was observed between the yields for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Practically, the input credit project is not profitable for manual and animal-drawn technics applied on maize cultivation. Despite these significant deficits, the attachment to maize cultivation is explained by the fact that this crop is grown primarily to meet self-consumption needs and not as a cash crop.
One of the rare models of Islamic practice to have attracted the attention and curiosity of religious analysts, historians and social scientists is Islam as practiced in Senegal by the majority of Muslims. Indeed, far from being considered as a betrayal of the prophetic Sunna and the Sharia, this model reflects the abyssal depths of the culture and allows the Senegalese to be themselves and then believers. What the Senegalese Muslim does is that he is always in tune with his socio-cultural values while remaining faithful to religious (cult) practices, hence his ability to resist Arab and French cultures and draw from them a syncretic model that guarantees social peace and political stability without equal in the world. This expresses the tendency of a perspective with an assimilated and dominated culture (colonization) or that of a perspective integrated into culture (Sufi Islam).
This study examined the impact of socio-economic factors on the successful implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme in Mombasa County, Kenya. The scope of the study was vested in the Buxton Point Affordable Housing Programme, where the researcher was interested in examining the former residents of Buxton Point who were relocated to pave the way for the redevelopment of the estate into affordable housing units. From a target population of 520 former households displaced during redevelopment, a sample of 226 respondents was selected to investigate the impact of income, access to financing, employment status, education, and household size on housing outcomes. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data, which was then analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression. The results show that household income and access to financing are the best indicators of being able to buy a home, which shows how crucial financial capacity and credit availability are. Employment status and education have moderate positive effects, while larger household sizes make things less affordable. Correlation results indicate strong positive associations between income (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) and employment status (r = 0.58, p < 0.05) with housing outcomes. This strong positive correlation is contrasted by a negative relationship between affordable housing programs and household size (r = -0.42, p < 0.05). The regression model accounted for approximately 58% of the variance in housing outcomes (Adjusted R² = 0.578), with ANOVA results confirming statistical significance between the variables tested. The study concludes that socio-economic factors are central to the success of the Affordable Housing Programme, with income and financing access as the most critical enablers. Policy implications recommended by the study include designing income-sensitive mortgage products, expanding cooperative and microfinance lending, job creation, and skills development to enhance financial capacity. Additionally, aligning housing unit typologies with household size and strengthening financial literacy are essential to increase affordability and eventual uptake of the affordable housing units. By addressing these multi-dimensional barriers, housing policy can move closer to achieving equitable and sustainable affordable housing access.
Cross-cultural communication is essential in interactions between individuals from different cultural backgrounds, as differences in values, norms, and social habits can lead to communication challenges, including culture shock. Social media platforms such as Instagram serve as spaces to represent cross-cultural communication experience. This study explores the representation of culture shock in interactions between Puri and Jane on the Instagram account @prettypuri17. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from conversations between Puri and Jane in video reels depicting culture shock phenomena in daily interactions. Data analysis applied intercultural communication theory by Samovar et al. (2010) and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory (2001), focusing on differences in cultural values, communication patterns, and the dynamics and culture shock. The results reveal that culture shock in the interactions reflects differences between Indonesian and American cultural values, particularly in the use of formal and informal language, perceptions of authority, and concepts of individualism and collectivism in work and social contexts. The content also illustrates identity negotiation and communication strategies used to adapt to new cultural settings. These findings suggest that representations of culture shock on social media can function as light yet educational tools for fostering understanding of cross-cultural communication dynamics, making them accessible to a broader audience.
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of composition writing templates in enhancing the persuasive writing skills of Grade 10 students. Specifically, it aimed to investigate the impact of student demographics on writing competencies, identify common gaps in persuasive writing, and evaluate the acceptability and validity of the writing templates in terms of format, content, presentation, and accuracy. The study used a developmental research design, focusing on the creation and evaluation of instructional material. A total of 42 Grade10 students from Lucban Academy participated in the study, completing pretest and post-test persuasive writing tasks. Eleven English teachers assessed the composition templates. Data collection involved a self-made questionnaire and an analytic rubric for scoring pretest and post-test tasks. Results showed that students faced challenges in understanding persuasive text features and formulating clear arguments. However, the use of composition templates significantly improved their writing skills, with post-test scores indicating a marked increase in proficiency. The templates were found to be highly acceptable across all evaluated areas: content, format, presentation and organization, and accuracy/up-to-datedness. Paired t-tests showed statistically significant improvement in the students' writing proficiency. The study concluded that structured writing templates are a valuable instructional tool for improving persuasive writing skills and recommended their continued use.
