Academic literature on the topic '"Lost tribes" in Africa'

For centuries people from different nations have speculated about the ultimate fate and whereabouts of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. As a result it has become a myth with universal appeal that has been recruited for a variety of causes, and even a myth that has the power to persuade people to create a past which has little or no bearing on the objective reality. It has travelled effortless through time and transcended national, cultural, and religious boundaries. The myth originated in a terse report of seven repetitive biblical verses and soon grew into a vast literary corpus. Nevertheless, the structure of the myth is such that it can be moulded according to the needs and aspirations of the user. Through a three-pronged methodology it was established that the myth of the Lost Tribes is an essential feature of Jewish-Christian deliverance discourse from biblical times until the present day. Firstly a number of representative sources and groups ranging from biblical times until today were chosen. Each of these sources enhanced the myth in their own way. A number of them were exclusively Jewish in nature, others were wholly Christian, several were shared between the two, and a few were deemed to be neither Christian nor Jewish. The periodization of these sources has been in centuries rather than in decades. One chapter is devoted to each period and contains a number of sources or groups. Secondly, the development and the use of the motifs that support the discourse were charted to discover whether a change in discourse participants influenced not only the quantity of the motifs but also the motifs themselves. Thirdly, the growth of the myth was tracked and the role of any embellishments discussed.

A group of war orphans entered my life in 2007 when I was in Liberia working as the sound recordist for a documentary crew. I spent five months with them at their home, a rural Liberian orphanage named Rainbow Town. The boys at the orphanage often told me stories. During free time, we sat under the canopy outside their dorm and talked. The stories, which ranged from horrific accounts of war to playful tales of spiders and goats, fascinated me. With each story the boys narrated, a new illustration formed in my imagination. By the time I left Liberia, I had a pocketbook full of magical characters and events (See Appendix A). The boys' stories, which blend nonfiction with fantasy and folklore, are the inspiration for my 3D animation short, Dolo: Journey of the Lost Tapes. In this paper, I tell the stories behind the creation of the animation, share personal production experiences, and discuss the theoretical and historical influences that shaped my work. I conclude by discussing Dolo's significance and the work that I plan to do on the piece in the future.

Cameroon university students are drawn to informal small group talks as a highly valued learning strategy, particularly in relation to assessment. This research investigates this practice in-depth as an ‘instance in action,' with academic, social and cultural implications in the life of the average university learner in Cameroon. Showing the methodological limitations of current discourses on student group talks in higher education teaching and learning, the study draws from bakhtinian ‘dialogism' to underpin analysis of students' talks and interactions. Data were collected through extended observation of several small groups in three different universities in Cameroon, across several disciplinary fields, levels of undergraduate learning, linguistic and social boundaries. Findings suggest that in the process of talking and interacting informally, that is, outside of the formal structure of the classroom, learners strategically position themselves in ways that allow their individual and collective voices to emerge. Sustained in the context of discourse, emerging voices create the dialogic space within which learners con-struct their understandings of disciplinary knowledge. For it is within the dialogic space that learners, through their voices, best relate to assessment demands, to expected learning outcomes and to the social and cultural contexts of learning in Cameroon. This work contributes to knowledge by underlining the importance of learning spaces in higher education, particularly in relation to learners' voices and expected active engagement with learning. As such, it highlights the potentials of informal collaborative learning to enhance the learning experience in Cameroon universities, particularly in relation to assessment and critical thinking. Hence, it provides grounds for claims that Cameroonian students, and generally learners in other similar contexts, are usually more independent thinkers. This offers reasonable basis for questioning existing presumptions around ‘academic inferiority' of ‘foreign' students in some institutions abroad; presumptions that have continued to widen existing gaps between western universities and competing institutions in developing contexts. In addition, it foregrounds subsequent inquiries on learners' identities in Cameroon universities. Methodological innovations in investigating unconventional learning practices, particularly with the use of information technology, are also highlighted.

<p> This document examines the musical performance practices of the Igbo Jews of Abjua, Nigeria. Amongst the 50 million Igbo, an estimated 5,000 are currently practicing Judaism. Despite prior research conducted by Daniel Lis (2015), William Miles (2013), Shai Afsai (2013), Edith Bruder (2012), and Tudor Parfitt (2013), there is little to no discussion of the role of music in this community. This study of the musical practices of the Igbo Jews of Nigeria reveals that the Igbo combine traditional Nigerian practice with modern Jewish and Christian elements. This combination of practices has led to the development of new traditions in an effort to maintain a shared sense of individualized Jewish identity and unity in a time of persecution and violence towards the Igbo from terrorist organizations. This study demonstrates that the Igbo Jews view the creation of this new music as serving to rejuvenate their Jewish identity while preserving Igbo traditions. The analysis draws upon theories of Eric Hobsbawm, Philip Bohlman and Alejandro Madrid to explain Igbo practice. Data includes material gathered from fieldwork conducted in the summer of 2014 in Abuja and in the cities of Kubwa and Jikwoyi. My observations focused on the musical properties of the Shabbat prayers and <i>zmirot </i> (para-liturgical table songs). While the Igbo are often considered one of &ldquo;the lost tribes of Israel,&rdquo; my research indicates that &ldquo;lost&rdquo; is not so &ldquo;lost&rdquo; as previously believed.</p>

This study records all known legume (Leguminosae/Fabaceae) species indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland to establish distribution patterns and optimum climatic and soil conditions for growth. The main purpose was to propose a list of legume species for further evaluation of their pasture potential. Collection data supplied by the National Herbarium (PRE) Computerised Information System were recorded to establish the distribution patterns of species based on the bioregions vegetation map. A total of 1 654 species are known to be indigenous, representing 24 tribes and 122 genera. The grouping of legume species into five main clusters and 16 Leguminochoria is ecologically described, with the highest legume species richness found in the Northern Mistbelt Forest. Key and diagnostic species are provided for each Leguminochorion. Soil pH and mean annual minimum temperature were found to be the main drivers for distinguishing between legume assemblages. The optimum climatic and soil conditions for growth are described as well as the available descriptive attributes for species recorded. Information on the range of tolerance of most species to abiotic factors is presented. Mean annual rainfall and soil pH are highly correlated with the distribution pattern of most species, followed by mean annual minimum temperature. Legume species adapted to a wide range of soil pH levels and low soil phosphorus levels are recorded. Existing data on the cultivation and grazing or browsing status of indigenous legumes were used to select 584 species found mainly in the Central Bushveld, Mopane and Lowveld Bioregions to be further evaluated for their pasture potential. Known characteristics were used to categorise species. Species contained in the tribe Phaseoleae are of special interest since it contains most of the genera with present-day agricultural value, i.e. Eriosema, Rhynchosia and Vigna species are listed as having high potential as pasture species. This study has shown that the descriptive and distribution data accumulated by botanists (notably taxonomists) could be of beneficial use in meeting agricultural objectives. Indigenous legumes are adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions and represent a valuable but largely unexploited natural resource for pasture development and soil conservation practices.<br>Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013.<br>gm2014<br>Plant Science<br>unrestricted

Our society has become more and more radicalized. For many people religion plays a vital role in this radicalization process, particularly for those who justify racial supremacy through religious tenets. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare two ideologies from which radicalized followers assume racial supremacy from a God given designation as the "true Israelites". The two ideologies interpret the Bible – and sometimes even the same passages – differently.  In this study I will examine the Christian Identity movement and the Black Hebrew Israelites by using a comparative method from a prototypical approach. My focus is how two different ideologies misinterpret the biblical myth about the Lost Tribes of Israel and how this misinterpretation inspires racial supremacy and Anti-Semitism. This is a study about the connection between race and religion. Keywords: racism, race, Christian Identity, Black Hebrew Israelites, Anti-Semitism, Lost Tribes of Israel

Incorrect classification of silent transfer (STF) patients as lost to follow-up (LTF) negatively impacts accurate assessment of retention in care for antiretroviral (ART) programmes. Understanding reasons why patients STF and what proportion of LTF patients constitute this silent transfer phenomenon is necessary to ensure patient continuity of care. We attempted to identify STF patients using the routine government electronic monitoring systems. Furthermore, we sought to identify potential reasons for the STF phenomenon through patient surveys and healthcare provider interviews, in order to guide policy and improve programmatic outcomes. In this mixed methods approach, we selected patients identified as LTF between 2008-2012 in three health facilities from Khayelitsha, Western Cape. Identified patients were subsequently searched for using a combined provincial patient data set. Once consent was obtained, sampling of patients and healthcare providers, using convenience and snowballing methods respectively, were selected for participation. Ninety percent of patients believe it necessary to inform facility staff of the intent to transfer, 56% of patients interviewed cited fear of negative attitudes from staff regarding transfer request (65%), family situations (30%), and long waiting times (11%) as contributing factors to silently transferring care between facilities. Healthcare providers cited stigma, family obligations and/or support, and migration to the Eastern Cape as main reasons for patients transferring. Healthcare providers cited incomplete or lack of transfer documentation as the biggest barrier to timeous treatment of the transfer patient. Incorrect reporting of patients as lost to follow-up negatively affects the treatment programmes retention in care. Negative staff attitudes and poor operational services prevent patients informing staff of transfer intent. The treatment programme must adapt current transfer policies in order to facilitate the transfer process for all patients, including those experiencing emergencies and life events. Linked electronic patient monitoring systems will improve accurate retention in care reporting and improve fluidity of transferring of patients between health services.

<p>The aim of this essay is to investigate the attitudes and assumptions made about Africa in Joseph Conrad’s <em>Heart of Darkness </em>and Caryl Phillips’ <em>Crossing the River</em> from a postcolonialist perspective. In this context, the main two characters Mr Kurtz and Nash Williams are given specific critical attention. On the surface, these characters share similar destinies, but when examining them more closely it becomes apparent that they do not. The critical model used is taken from Edward Said’s notion of the binary division between the East and the West. Thematically, both novels address the issue of the ‘other’, the unknown qualities of other races and other cultures, the Western world’s construct of what separates us from them. The analysis shows that Conrad’s <em>Heart of Darkness </em>is a scathing late nineteenth-century critical account of the imperialist forces behind Europe’s colonization of Africa, but does not succeed in depicting the Africans as a people worthy of respect. Phillip’s <em>Crossing the River,</em> on the other hand, clearly avoids stereotypes. Instead, it is an account of how humans, regardless of race or sex, have hurt each other through the slave trade. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of Mr Kurtz and Nash Williams shows that while Mr Kurtz loses himself in Africa, engrossed in the hunger for money and power, Nash Williams actually finds his identity when he is freed of the metaphorical shackles put on him by the white man.</p>

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.<br>Informal settlements exist all over South Africa and are expanding and multiplying as people seek better jobs close to urban areas. The close proximity of the thousands of shacks has enabled the rapid spread of massive fires in informal settlements. The purpose of this study was to identify resilience characteristics in families who have lost their home in a shack fire. Family resilience refers to the family’s ability to achieve normal family functioning despite having experienced a traumatic event. The focus of this study was on 38 families from an informal settlement just outside Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. The study was conducted from a mixed methods approach and made use of a cross-sectional survey research design. Data was collected through the use of a biographical questionnaire, an open-ended question, and self-report questionnaires based on the Resilience Model of Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation. The results from the qualitative data indicate that the families indicated working together as a family as being vital to resilience. Material support from the municipality and extended family, shelter provided by members of the extended family and financial support from the extended family were also indicated as essential in overcoming a crisis. The results from the quantitative data indicate a significant positive correlation between family adaptation and: (i) the quality of communication within the family, (ii) the fortitude and durability of the family unit, (iii) the family’s sense of internal strengths, dependability, and ability to work together, and (iv) the family’s sense of being in control of family life rather than being shaped by outside events and circumstances.