<p>Globally, Drugs and substance abuse continues to be a challenge, especially among the youth in school and out of school. It impacts negatively on the academic, social psychological and physical development among the abusers. This paper examines the effects of drugs and substance abuse on social conduct and academic performance among the students as well as the mitigating measures. It is based on a study carried out at Korogocho slums. A total of 102 students and 15 key informants were sampled. Questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect data. The study revealed that marijuana, miraa, alcohol and cigarettes are the most abused drugs by secondary school students and had eroded the core values hence affecting their social skills development and academic performance. The study concluded that slum life, peer pressure, congestion as well as poverty are the recipe to drug and substance abuse among students. The study recommends increased public awareness campaigns on dangers posed by drug and substance abuse involving media, civic education and all the stakeholders; and proper policy formulation and implementation.</p>
Strengthening the Institutional Corrections for Effective Rehabilitation in Kenya Jeniffer Birech Department of Sociology and Social Work Abstract Globally, Institutional Corrections continue to play a critical role in the rehabilitation of the offenders. It is estimated that there are more than 10.2 million offenders in prison including sentenced and pretrial prisoners. Statistics also show that 144 out of every 100,000 people are in prison. Similarly, in the last fifteen years the estimated world prison has increased by 25-35% hence the need to strengthen institutional corrections for better rehabilitation. In Kenya, the total prison population is about 53,841. This includes the pretrial detainees and remand prisoners. Additionally, there are 92 institutional corrections in Kenya. However, the prison system struggles with overcrowding, poor governance, insufficient coordination with other criminal justice systems and inadequate resources. As a result, the institutions have become breeding grounds for recidivism. This paper examines the development of the prison system, the evolution of the challenges and abuse of human rights. It will also examine how institutions can be strengthened. The paper recommends the need for more research to unearth more innovative ways of dealing with the challenges. There is need for inbuilt mechanisms to ensure good governance and accountability, re-integration and allocation of resources. In essence, a multisectoral approach need to be adopted for sustainable solutions. Key Words; Strengthening, Institutional Corrections, Rehabilitation, Prison, Kenya.
The challenges of widowhood continues to be alarming worldwide with the number of widows increasing globally. Widows comprise a significant proportion of 7% to 16% of of all adult women populations. The ratio of widows to that of widowers is as high as 4:1. While the loss of a spouse precipitates disruption of the family, its consequences are not the same for men and women. The widows face social and economic challenges such as loss of income, inheritance of property, participation in social activities and decision making in the family. This paper examines the social challenges with restriction itself to social integration and decision making pointing out the benefits of group participation.The paper is based on the findings of a study carried out among the widows in Kenya.Grounded on social exchange theory by Peter Blau, Social Network theory and the theory of Redefinition of a situation by William Thomas, the study found out that there are more young widows below fourty five years (56%) than older ones. Most (77%) of the widows however belonged and participated in self help groups which had been beneficial, At least 23% did not belong to any group missing out on opportunities. Those in self help groups felt more integrated into the community through participating in projects such as planting trees, attending trainings organized by the groups, visiting one another and selling and buying on behalf of their groups.Their self esteem improved and they could make decisions on behalf of the family. However, it was observed that leadership of the groups is wanting thus needful to equip them with leadership skills. The paper recommends training opportunities by the government, religious organizations and other stakeholders to create awareness on the social integration and encourage all widows to participate.
Globally, there are 1.8 billion young people and the majority live in developing countries. Approximately half of them about 900 million are adolescent girls and young women. Notably, the adolescent girls have huge untapped potential, unfortunately most of them are marginalized and vulnerable. This paper discusses menstrual health challenges facing the adolescent girls and innovative ways of dealing with it. Menstruation is a natural process that every woman experience in her life time. More particularly, it is one of the physical changes that occur in girls at the start of puberty. However, in the developing countries menstruation is associated with myths and beliefs which lead to feelings of shame, stigma and anxiety. Besides, the girls lack adequate knowledge on how to handle menarche and the prohibitive costs of sanitary pads. Worldwide, studies have reported that more than 50% of girls have inadequate menstrual health facilities with high proportions reported in the rural areas. In Sub Saharan Africa, it is estimated that one in ten girls misses school during menstruation. In Ghana, it is estimated that 11.5 million women experience poor sanitation. In Kenya, 1 million girls miss over six weeks of school in a year due to lack of access to affordable sanitary pads. The marginalized communities are adversely affected. Innovative ways of dealing with menstrual health have come up though it experiences inadequate coordination, funding and awareness. In Rwanda, Sustainable Enterprises is working with communities to turn discarded banana fibers into affordable biodegradable sanitary pads and provides menstrual education. In Kenya, Zana Africa uses local agricultural products to produce affordable sanitary products. The use of menstrual cup has been associated with fears such as loss of virginity, cultural beliefs that forbid girls from touching their reproductive organs, limited resources such as soap and water. The paper recommends that awareness need to be created on the existence of innovative products, linkages and partnerships to be enhanced to ensure that the girl has access to the facilities. Beyond that, there is need for investment in research to unearth more sustainable products. Finally, a multipronged approach that encompasses government institutions, community, parents and development partners should be adopted. This enhances effective sustainable solutions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.