Contributions of Various Kenyan Personalities in Communicating Change For Transformative Community (Published)
In spite of relatively stable governance and a hard working population, Kenya is rated among the countries with wide income disparities. Extreme and chronic poverty has not been eliminated even after fifty years of development efforts, that is, since the country gained its independence in 1963. In mitigating the adverse effects of these inequalities, communication is considered an essential tool for transformation through which essential thoughts in the minds of the people aimed at transformation are nurtured and shared. The purpose of this study was to identify the contributions made by various Kenyan personalities whose life experiences are shared in this paper, in communication change for a transformative society. The study displays how the select Kenyans engaged with the people and got them involved in transforming their community. A qualitative research design was adopted to select ten Kenyans to share their life experiences through in-depth interviews that were used by the author to gather data. Data analysis focused on the participants’ narratives on the aspect of their personal contributions and how they got the community working towards sustainable change. The study also recommends development of an African Communication Theory on what motivates communicative acts that lead to societal transformation.
Keywords: Change, Community, Contributions, Kenya, Transformation, communication
Religion, Education and Development in Ghana: A Historical Perspective (Published)
Religion’ and ‘Education’ are inseparable aspects in every human society where they are found. Education has most often been considered as the backbone of development. Similarly, many development theorists have expounded the contributions of religion toward development. The responsibility that religions share in human societies are realised in different aspects of national life. Of particular concern is religions’ role in education toward national development. This work is discussed from the dimensions of the contributions of Christianity and Islam in education in Ghana. Generally, education is understood to mean to train or mould. In this study, it implies the art of learning, literacy and the process of acquiring knowledge. In the quest to advance the livelihood of members of society through education, it has become important to expatiate the task of religion in the development of education. This is to help stamp out the reluctance to consider the influence of religion in sustainable and authentic human and national development. This paper is primarily purposed to outline the contributions of religion and education to national development in Ghana. The quest for an all-inclusive development model of Ghana and other developing nations, therefore, calls for an insight into the role and responsibilities of religion toward education. In the case of Ghana, like other nations, the impact of religion on (formal) education has immensely ensured the development of individual lives, communities and traditional institutions since the 19th century. A study with an aim such as this will help promote better relationship among states and religious groups.
Keywords: Contributions, Education, Historical Perspective, National Development, Religion.