My paternal kukhu as grandmothers are called in Luhya language, was a dynamic matriarch, feared a... more My paternal kukhu as grandmothers are called in Luhya language, was a dynamic matriarch, feared and loved by her ten children and adored by us her numerous grandchildren. To date I still recall as a child of 6 years of age my kukhu treat our deep cuts bleeding wounds with green liquid squeezed out of plucked fluffy green leaves from short shrubs. The wound would heal leaving no scar. When we had upset stomachs, she would give us a liquid from boiled tree bark to drink. My kukhu did not know how to read and write, but that knowledge was handed down to her from her mother, grandmother and through generations. "Indigenous groups conceive education as learning for life experience, which is not confined to a fixed school curriculum" (Kanstrup-Jensen, 2006). Indigenous knowledge, in many instances, is also referred to as traditional and or local knowledge (Kothari 2007). What happened to this and other health-related indigenous knowledge may never be fully explained. Yet here we are now in the 21st century griped in fear, anxiety, and despair of increasing infection and untold death due coronavirus a global pandemic. Africa with a tremendous history of indigenous knowledge in traditional medicine is now left at the mercy of the Western developed nations begging for commercial drugs, vaccines and medical equipment. Where western science has failed to arrest the rollercoaster of human destruction and death and the so called first world nations are caught in spirit of desperation to save themselves. Various research reports inform that the West did not only pay attention to indigenous knowledge but ridiculed it as primitive and backward. In 1980 is when indigenous knowledge emerged and it was regarded as an effort by the development workers in engaging with traditional communities (Manyozo, 2018). One wonders whether the efforts made by the west were purely selfish to support their development agenda and increase dependency of these local African, Asian and Latin American communities with rich traditional knowledge on the West. Resilience of indigenous knowledge has continued to prevail in some communities on the African continent; examples include in the Maasai in Kenya, Karamajong in Uganda, Hausa in Nigeria and Gado in Bukina Faso, where the use of indigenous medicine continues to prevail. This article attempts to discuss health-related indigenous knowledge since doing so helps to indicate that its time Africa plays a bigger role in responding global issues such as Covid19.
Digital Technologies for Information and Knowledge Management Editors, 2019
The authors describe several common cultural behaviours that make Kenyans unique. Calling these ... more The authors describe several common cultural behaviours that make Kenyans unique. Calling these to the attention of ICT researchers they pose questions of continuity in the digital realm
The three authors felt challenged to make a case for addressing perceived Brain Drain and Brain ... more The three authors felt challenged to make a case for addressing perceived Brain Drain and Brain Gain by mobilizing social scientific and design methodologies and paradigms. Our exploration resulted in our proposal that KNAS consider the importance and usefulness of these two approaches to mitigate the 'scientific mystique' and to begin addressing issues of intellectual assets and deficiencies using a range of conceptual models that can be diagrammed and/or pictured thus providing greater ideational clarity.
A biochemist, a plant scientist , a respected herbalist and an anthropologist have designed a co... more A biochemist, a plant scientist , a respected herbalist and an anthropologist have designed a concept for refining indigenous fermentation techniques for widespread commercial production.
The apparent conflict between local knowledge and pedagogies and their international/exotic/ glob... more The apparent conflict between local knowledge and pedagogies and their international/exotic/ global counterparts has been negated in recent decades by the widespread collection and dissemination of information along with the challenges presented by HV/AIDS. .While foreign communities have refused to acknowledge local knowledge there has been a parallel failure/ refusal to modify indigenous systems of education and training to keep pace with changing times, a problem that has faced many nation states. A stunning example is the immediate and far reaching ripple effects of the process of initiation that, while once excellent, has led Kenyans into an intellectual setting that exacts an exceptionally high cost upon the nation state and all its peoples. Two case studies of research and interventions, from Kisii (Okwaroka) and the Maasai ceremonial cycle will be described briefly to illustrate possibilities for positive integration of indigenous and exotic systems including literacy and oral transmission.
Strategies for mainstreaming competency based training in TVET Institutions find their beginnings... more Strategies for mainstreaming competency based training in TVET Institutions find their beginnings in basic education and are presently characterized by their dependency on global curricula. As a result, the adaptation of content to local contexts is largely ignored. This leads to the loss of important pedagogical approaches to content presentation and thus, the failure to transmit the knowledge and skills needed. In Kenya, adaptation of both curricular and resource materials is limited by an authors’ lack of design expertise, narrow focus on subject matter, user fear of technology and the scarcity of communications infrastructure.
Blending emerging digital technology with local, traditional teaching practices was shown to allay these problems, in a culturally, adaptive e-learning strategy that was based on the following hypotheses:
• Cultural and local adaptation of curricula results in a high uptake of digital content. • The lack of relevant and meaningful training programmes is a prime reason for the low penetration of global e-learning brands amongst local African communities. • Cultural adaptation of digital content authoring processes results in the increased digitization of local educational resources. • Culturally adapted authoring methods improve both teaching efficiency and user satisfaction.
This paper was drafted after the digitization and piloting of educational resource material based on an e-learning curriculum established by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to support ICT integration with education in Kenya.
The contribution to research here is twofold. First is to establish a way toward constructing a holistic and culturally sensitive model for the digitization of digital content material in Kenya. Second is to suggest a methodology towards building culturally adaptive digital content that would result in a more immersive, meaningful user learning experiences.
Global solutions to mainstreaming technical and vocational training have not served local communities well to date. It has been impractical to imagine that one piece of cloth can be cut to fit all sizes. Pilot test results conducted by KICD show that solutions which take into consideration language, people, practices, behaviour, and locality have better learning outcomes.
Indigenous design and belief systems in East Africa have not been well studied. neither have the... more Indigenous design and belief systems in East Africa have not been well studied. neither have they been applied in design practice or policy formulation. Author describes the pervasive Maasai pattern of alternating symmetry and the Turkana use of quadric solids in their material culture. widespread East African understandings of color and pattern were tested and applied in the design of an AIDS education campaign
Hyperboloids in one and two sheets and hyperbolic paraboloids pervade Turkana art and material cu... more Hyperboloids in one and two sheets and hyperbolic paraboloids pervade Turkana art and material culture. The forms, with variations, as solids and elevations serve both practical and decorative purposes. Their use in a resource poor, harsh environment serves to minimize material while maximizing distal surface and stress distribution.
My paternal kukhu as grandmothers are called in Luhya language, was a dynamic matriarch, feared a... more My paternal kukhu as grandmothers are called in Luhya language, was a dynamic matriarch, feared and loved by her ten children and adored by us her numerous grandchildren. To date I still recall as a child of 6 years of age my kukhu treat our deep cuts bleeding wounds with green liquid squeezed out of plucked fluffy green leaves from short shrubs. The wound would heal leaving no scar. When we had upset stomachs, she would give us a liquid from boiled tree bark to drink. My kukhu did not know how to read and write, but that knowledge was handed down to her from her mother, grandmother and through generations. "Indigenous groups conceive education as learning for life experience, which is not confined to a fixed school curriculum" (Kanstrup-Jensen, 2006). Indigenous knowledge, in many instances, is also referred to as traditional and or local knowledge (Kothari 2007). What happened to this and other health-related indigenous knowledge may never be fully explained. Yet here we are now in the 21st century griped in fear, anxiety, and despair of increasing infection and untold death due coronavirus a global pandemic. Africa with a tremendous history of indigenous knowledge in traditional medicine is now left at the mercy of the Western developed nations begging for commercial drugs, vaccines and medical equipment. Where western science has failed to arrest the rollercoaster of human destruction and death and the so called first world nations are caught in spirit of desperation to save themselves. Various research reports inform that the West did not only pay attention to indigenous knowledge but ridiculed it as primitive and backward. In 1980 is when indigenous knowledge emerged and it was regarded as an effort by the development workers in engaging with traditional communities (Manyozo, 2018). One wonders whether the efforts made by the west were purely selfish to support their development agenda and increase dependency of these local African, Asian and Latin American communities with rich traditional knowledge on the West. Resilience of indigenous knowledge has continued to prevail in some communities on the African continent; examples include in the Maasai in Kenya, Karamajong in Uganda, Hausa in Nigeria and Gado in Bukina Faso, where the use of indigenous medicine continues to prevail. This article attempts to discuss health-related indigenous knowledge since doing so helps to indicate that its time Africa plays a bigger role in responding global issues such as Covid19.
Digital Technologies for Information and Knowledge Management Editors, 2019
The authors describe several common cultural behaviours that make Kenyans unique. Calling these ... more The authors describe several common cultural behaviours that make Kenyans unique. Calling these to the attention of ICT researchers they pose questions of continuity in the digital realm
The three authors felt challenged to make a case for addressing perceived Brain Drain and Brain ... more The three authors felt challenged to make a case for addressing perceived Brain Drain and Brain Gain by mobilizing social scientific and design methodologies and paradigms. Our exploration resulted in our proposal that KNAS consider the importance and usefulness of these two approaches to mitigate the 'scientific mystique' and to begin addressing issues of intellectual assets and deficiencies using a range of conceptual models that can be diagrammed and/or pictured thus providing greater ideational clarity.
A biochemist, a plant scientist , a respected herbalist and an anthropologist have designed a co... more A biochemist, a plant scientist , a respected herbalist and an anthropologist have designed a concept for refining indigenous fermentation techniques for widespread commercial production.
The apparent conflict between local knowledge and pedagogies and their international/exotic/ glob... more The apparent conflict between local knowledge and pedagogies and their international/exotic/ global counterparts has been negated in recent decades by the widespread collection and dissemination of information along with the challenges presented by HV/AIDS. .While foreign communities have refused to acknowledge local knowledge there has been a parallel failure/ refusal to modify indigenous systems of education and training to keep pace with changing times, a problem that has faced many nation states. A stunning example is the immediate and far reaching ripple effects of the process of initiation that, while once excellent, has led Kenyans into an intellectual setting that exacts an exceptionally high cost upon the nation state and all its peoples. Two case studies of research and interventions, from Kisii (Okwaroka) and the Maasai ceremonial cycle will be described briefly to illustrate possibilities for positive integration of indigenous and exotic systems including literacy and oral transmission.
Strategies for mainstreaming competency based training in TVET Institutions find their beginnings... more Strategies for mainstreaming competency based training in TVET Institutions find their beginnings in basic education and are presently characterized by their dependency on global curricula. As a result, the adaptation of content to local contexts is largely ignored. This leads to the loss of important pedagogical approaches to content presentation and thus, the failure to transmit the knowledge and skills needed. In Kenya, adaptation of both curricular and resource materials is limited by an authors’ lack of design expertise, narrow focus on subject matter, user fear of technology and the scarcity of communications infrastructure.
Blending emerging digital technology with local, traditional teaching practices was shown to allay these problems, in a culturally, adaptive e-learning strategy that was based on the following hypotheses:
• Cultural and local adaptation of curricula results in a high uptake of digital content. • The lack of relevant and meaningful training programmes is a prime reason for the low penetration of global e-learning brands amongst local African communities. • Cultural adaptation of digital content authoring processes results in the increased digitization of local educational resources. • Culturally adapted authoring methods improve both teaching efficiency and user satisfaction.
This paper was drafted after the digitization and piloting of educational resource material based on an e-learning curriculum established by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to support ICT integration with education in Kenya.
The contribution to research here is twofold. First is to establish a way toward constructing a holistic and culturally sensitive model for the digitization of digital content material in Kenya. Second is to suggest a methodology towards building culturally adaptive digital content that would result in a more immersive, meaningful user learning experiences.
Global solutions to mainstreaming technical and vocational training have not served local communities well to date. It has been impractical to imagine that one piece of cloth can be cut to fit all sizes. Pilot test results conducted by KICD show that solutions which take into consideration language, people, practices, behaviour, and locality have better learning outcomes.
Indigenous design and belief systems in East Africa have not been well studied. neither have the... more Indigenous design and belief systems in East Africa have not been well studied. neither have they been applied in design practice or policy formulation. Author describes the pervasive Maasai pattern of alternating symmetry and the Turkana use of quadric solids in their material culture. widespread East African understandings of color and pattern were tested and applied in the design of an AIDS education campaign
Hyperboloids in one and two sheets and hyperbolic paraboloids pervade Turkana art and material cu... more Hyperboloids in one and two sheets and hyperbolic paraboloids pervade Turkana art and material culture. The forms, with variations, as solids and elevations serve both practical and decorative purposes. Their use in a resource poor, harsh environment serves to minimize material while maximizing distal surface and stress distribution.
Following publication of my review of Turle's book on his fake collection, several scholars respo... more Following publication of my review of Turle's book on his fake collection, several scholars responded in debate form in African Arts. All are included in this file with my response to P Riva on the last page. Zoom in.
In Africa, are burdened with the history of philosophy as the intellectual work of single individ... more In Africa, are burdened with the history of philosophy as the intellectual work of single individuals and small groups of brilliant people who wrote down their ideas (except Socrates). East Africans lack the need to ID outstanding thinkers and to thank them or place them in sycophantic elevation above their peers. Over centuries, Maasai developed a philosophical system, enshrined in their religion, action and practice. It is system of resilience and required change that has enabled their survival for at least 300 years of the recorded oral history male agesets.
Using the classification of fantasies articulated by Prof Francis LK Hsu in the early 1960s, the... more Using the classification of fantasies articulated by Prof Francis LK Hsu in the early 1960s, the authors explore their interpersonal, cultural and professional understandings of dreams as involuntary fantasy along with their interconnectedness with other types of fantasy.
This is the ppt presentation that accompanies the paper entitled Fusion Transformation and Assert... more This is the ppt presentation that accompanies the paper entitled Fusion Transformation and Assertion in Kenyan Heraldry
This paper is about the interaction of esthetic systems seen through the integration of heraldic ... more This paper is about the interaction of esthetic systems seen through the integration of heraldic traditions and the rich, but not always pleasant, history that accompanies that process. Let us begin with a brief history of heraldry in the British Isles as it forms the basis of present heraldry throughout the British Commonwealth, of which Kenya is a member. The English term 'heraldry' is derived from 'herald', meaning the person who announces the presence or arrival of a leader or other person of great importance. The word has oter meanings connected to announcement but this is the one most relevant to the present inquiry.(WikiPedia. Heraldry) Over many centuries, it came to mean the complex system of symbols and their arrangements that designate a person, family, institution, corporation or nation in the form that began in Europe in the 1100s CE. The main form of heraldic device in the European systems is the Coat of Arms. (Wikipedia. Coat of Arms) Others are the badge, seal and flag of any of the above mentioned entities (see appendix). Within the Anglophone world there has been an all too
converted from a pptx file, this presentation is about possibilities and limitations of interpret... more converted from a pptx file, this presentation is about possibilities and limitations of interpreting East African rock art.
Social Design has a dark history in East Africa because of its unnamed use in subjugating, and ma... more Social Design has a dark history in East Africa because of its unnamed use in subjugating, and manipulating unsuspecting peoples for over a century. Terms like 'civilization' and 'modernization' were often used to mask intensive 'social control' and 'social engineering.' The study of Design as an academic discipline began at the end of the 1960s, on the misunderstanding that Design is part of Art, which may explain why many subfields of Design have gone unrecognized. To many design educators the notion that their work should be influenced, if not driven by social research and insights gained from the target populations remains strange. The authors now shed light on Social Design, a subfield of Design that has tentacles in many other fields including Social Marketing, Advertising, Public Health, Urban and Rural Planning, Architecture, Green Design and Social Innovation Design. The unclear, diverse and contradictory views of Design sometimes muddle understanding of Social Design and complicate its integration into tertiary Design Education. An online survey of African and other Universities reveals great variation in definitions of design and very little attention to Social Design as a subfield. The authors bring together experience, literature, observation and experimentation in elucidating the status and trajectory of Social Design in Kenya as we integrate it into our curricula. As the use of computers spreads in Kenya, Virtual Reality and Digital Design promise to redesign us if we do not take them under our insightful and vigilant control.
emerging Trends in INformamtion and knowledge Management, 2017
In order to stimulate discussion and introspection about the many issues related to the Managemen... more In order to stimulate discussion and introspection about the many issues related to the Management of Indigenous Knowledge, the author builds on earlier publications and examples drawn from nearly five decades of participant observation in Kenya. Consideration is given to the historical conflict in attitudes toward the management of knowledge in general during pre-colonial, colonial and post independence periods. Culture-based systems and their caretakers have faced intrusion and misappropriation by self interested parties while vast bodies of knowledge have been lost as the generations that held that knowledge have expired. In plans for management of indigenous knowledge, the range of stakeholders and changes in applicability over time must be considered. Examination of categories and dichotomies of Indigenous Knowledge and modes of collection, expression, storage and dissemination can inform the small and large scale planning and implementation of indigenous knowledge management.
The authors address the issue of brain drain in Kenya by describing the present setting and by pr... more The authors address the issue of brain drain in Kenya by describing the present setting and by proposing a new, non-linear, inclusive model for the planners to work with.
I was the principal author and the art director for this comic book. Maurice Cardinal Otunga bur... more I was the principal author and the art director for this comic book. Maurice Cardinal Otunga burned several copies of it along with another comic book and several hundred condoms at a public rally on August 31, 1995.
A PPT presentation illustrating how Turkana people of Kenya use quadric solids generated from con... more A PPT presentation illustrating how Turkana people of Kenya use quadric solids generated from conic seections
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Papers by Donna Pido
Blending emerging digital technology with local, traditional teaching practices was shown to allay these problems, in a culturally, adaptive e-learning strategy that was based on the following hypotheses:
• Cultural and local adaptation of curricula results in a high uptake of digital content.
• The lack of relevant and meaningful training programmes is a prime reason for the low penetration of global e-learning brands amongst local African communities.
• Cultural adaptation of digital content authoring processes results in the increased digitization of local educational resources.
• Culturally adapted authoring methods improve both teaching efficiency and user satisfaction.
This paper was drafted after the digitization and piloting of educational resource material based on an e-learning curriculum established by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to support ICT integration with education in Kenya.
The contribution to research here is twofold. First is to establish a way toward constructing a holistic and culturally sensitive model for the digitization of digital content material in Kenya. Second is to suggest a methodology towards building culturally adaptive digital content that would result in a more immersive, meaningful user learning experiences.
Global solutions to mainstreaming technical and vocational training have not served local communities well to date. It has been impractical to imagine that one piece of cloth can be cut to fit all sizes. Pilot test results conducted by KICD show that solutions which take into consideration language, people, practices, behaviour, and locality have better learning outcomes.
Blending emerging digital technology with local, traditional teaching practices was shown to allay these problems, in a culturally, adaptive e-learning strategy that was based on the following hypotheses:
• Cultural and local adaptation of curricula results in a high uptake of digital content.
• The lack of relevant and meaningful training programmes is a prime reason for the low penetration of global e-learning brands amongst local African communities.
• Cultural adaptation of digital content authoring processes results in the increased digitization of local educational resources.
• Culturally adapted authoring methods improve both teaching efficiency and user satisfaction.
This paper was drafted after the digitization and piloting of educational resource material based on an e-learning curriculum established by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to support ICT integration with education in Kenya.
The contribution to research here is twofold. First is to establish a way toward constructing a holistic and culturally sensitive model for the digitization of digital content material in Kenya. Second is to suggest a methodology towards building culturally adaptive digital content that would result in a more immersive, meaningful user learning experiences.
Global solutions to mainstreaming technical and vocational training have not served local communities well to date. It has been impractical to imagine that one piece of cloth can be cut to fit all sizes. Pilot test results conducted by KICD show that solutions which take into consideration language, people, practices, behaviour, and locality have better learning outcomes.