Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and Development Studies

Antibacterial Properties of Traditional Medicinal Flora From The Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia

Yohannis Raga — 2024-12-23

In Ethiopia, the utilization of medicinal plants for the treatment of different illnesses has been common, although their
effectiveness and doses are not unknown. Aralia elata, Coffee arabica, Croton macrostachyus, and Ficus
sycomorus are some of the common cultural medicinal plants in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Leaves
of these plants were extracted using solvents such as methanol, chloroform, and petroleum ether. The inhibition effect of
the crud extracts was tested against pathogenic bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25926,
Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Shigella boydii ATCC 12022, Salmonella typhi ATCC 10535 and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 248 using disc diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration
(MIC) of the crud extracts was determined by the microplate dilution method. The highest biological yield was 2.32%
from the chloroform extract of Ficus sycomorus. The maximum inhibition zone for petroleum ether extracts was 15
mm against E. coli from Ficus sycomorus at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. 18 mm in diameter of Staphylococcus
aurous growth was inhibited at 100 mg/ml of chloroform extract of Croton macrostachyus. Methanol extract from the
plants inhibited the growth of the five pathogens with an inhibition range of 12 mm to 21 mm in diameter. The lowest
inhibitory concentration was 12.5 mg/mL by the methanol and chloroform extract of the plant’s leaves against the
pathogens. In general, the methanolic-based crude extract of the plants was the most effective and efficient in ranges of
inhibition.

The Effects of Task-Based Method on Paragraph Writing Performance among EFL University Learners

Sebona Ibsa — 2024-12-23

This research sought to investigate the effects of task-based methods on enhancing EFL learners' paragraph-writing
skills. A quasi-experimental research design was employed for this investigation. Specifically, a variant of the pretest
posttest design; that is, the interrupted time-series design type was used in which the measurements were taken at
intervals of time. Thus, the treatment group participants were measured for their performances of writing on their
paragraphs each week for three months at controlled conditions and treatment time that the interruption was the
treatment. The design includes measurements of the dependent variable both before and after the treatment. It includes
multiple pretest and posttest measurements. Hence, there were parallel measurements on pretests and post-tests which
is four times on pretests and four times on post-tests. It brought effective results to the study. The sample comprised
forty-three (43) students majoring in management, selected through a comprehensive sampling technique. All
participants were placed in a single treatment group. Data collection involved administering pre-and post-tests,
conducted at two intervals: before and after the intervention. To analyze the data, the researcher employed various
tests, opting for a non-parametric approach due to the data not conforming to a normal distribution. The Wilcoxon
Signed-Rank Test was therefore employed as a suitable alternative in situations where the normal distribution of
differences between paired subjects cannot be assumed. It posits a less stringent hypothesis, suggesting that the
distribution of this difference is symmetric around a central value, and seeks to determine whether this central value
significantly deviates from zero. Thus, it was applied to assess the statistical differences in paragraph writing skills
between the pre- and post-intervention phases. The findings indicated that the treatment group through task-based
methods demonstrated superior performance in the post-intervention compared to their pre-intervention results.
Additionally, the Friedman test was employed to compare the observed significance within the post-tests. The mean
rank for task achievement was recorded at 3.91, signifying a more substantial improvement relative to other
components. In contrast, the mean ranks for cohesion and coherence, grammatical range, and lexical resource were
2.36, 1.88, and 1.85, respectively which indicated higher improvement to lower major rubrics. Notably, students
exhibited the most significant progress in task achievement, while cohesion and coherence, grammatical range and
accuracy, and lexical resource showed comparatively lesser advancements. Furthermore, improvements were also noted
in content, communicative achievement, organization, and vocabulary usage when compared with pre-test scores. Thus,
this study advocates for the integration of task-based methodologies that incorporate authentic, meaningful, and
focused linguistic elements as well as communicative writing components into teaching materials for basic writing
courses within the EFL context.

Assessment of On-Farma Reproductive Performance and Sheep Breeding Practice: A case of Dubulk District of Borana Zone

Birhanu Tesema — 2024-12-23

This study aimed to assess on-farm reproductive performance, sheep breeding practices, and breeding objectives in
the Dubulk district. In the current study, 150 households were selected and included in the survey. A total of 450
sample sheep were monitored for three months to collect quantitative data per 15-day interval. The data was
gathered through structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, field observations, quantitative data collecting,
and assessment of secondary data sources. The Body weight, body measurements, and qualitative records were
taken and observed from each sheep. Within each sex group, the main effects of breed and dentition were fitted to
the model for quantitative data analysis. In the Dubulk district, breeding was mostly uncontrolled mating without
record keeping. The sheep population in the study area were plain, patchy, pied, body white, and blackhead.
Accordingly, in Karsa damb, Lafto, and Dubulk center Kebele, male and female sheep were dominant coat colors
of body white and black head, with proportions of 87.5 %, 80 %, 74.3 %, and 66.96 %, 73.04 %, and 66.1
%, respectively. Body weight was significantly affected (p<0.05) by the Sex and age of the sheep. In general, body
weight and body measurements were higher for males than females and also increased as the age increased from the
pairs of permanent incisors (0PPI) to the oldest age group (>2PPI). Feed shortage, frequent drought, and disease
were the most important sheep production constraints. It was concluded that pastoral indigenous knowledge of the
sheep breeding system needs to integrate the trait preference of pastoralists. Furthermore, lamb mortality and
disease prevalence were among the most important constraints limiting the productivity of sheep breeding.

Dreams to Reality: Unraveling the Secrets of Youth Entrepreneurship in Adama C

Alemayehu Ethiopia — 2024-12-23

Youth unemployment is becoming a serious concern in the urban population of Ethiopia. With a focus on turning
dreams into tangible ventures, the research aims to uncover the secrets behind the success of young entrepreneurs and
identifies the main factors confining youth from self-employment. Utilizing primary data collected at the woreda level,
the study analyzes both qualitative and quantitative data from a sample size of 384 respondents. Through factor
analysis, composite variables are created to examine the impact of both local and youth-specific factors attributable to
youth entrepreneurship. Finally, Poisson and Tobit regression models are used to estimate the likelihood of youth
starting their own business and its determinant factors. The findings shed light on the pivotal role of entrepreneurial
learning, network, & support system, family status, opportunity constraint, and dissatisfaction with current
employment opportunities in driving youth towards self-employment. In the pursuit of self-employment in the city,
personal factors hold greater significance than the business environment like macroeconomic and socio-political
conditions of the country. Men are found to be voluntarily self-employed and choose self-employment as a career path
while women engage in self-employment out of necessity rather than choice. The majority of women are largely
involuntary and unemployed. Age prevails “U-shaped” self-employment tendency among youth. There is a low
correlation between education and self-employment, youth with degrees and above have shown a lower tendency of
starting their own business than their counterparts. The path to youth self-employment in Adama City involves
interconnected stages: personal development, technical development, provision of economic incentives, institutional
development, and market linkage. When these factors align, young individuals can turn their dreams into reality and
contribute to the city's economic prosperity. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, highlighting the
need for targeted support and policies to nurture and empower young entrepreneurs

Interpreting The Socio-Cultural Symbols in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Wizard of the Crow and Ben Okri’s StarBook

Alem Sitot — 2024-12-23

African literary writers use African socio-cultural values and elements in writing African literature. These values and
elements help them to restore, recreate, and/or reclaim the long socio-cultural practices and histories of African nations.
One of these is the socio-cultural symbolic elements that epitomize nationhood or peoplehood. The main purpose of this
paper is to investigate the African nations‟ socio-cultural and political experiences by interpreting culturally significant
novels, which are written by national-oriented writers. Ngugi wa Thiong‟o‟s Wizard of the Crow from Eastern Africa
and Ben Okri‟s Starbook from Western Africa are purposively selected based on their culturally symbolic features they
employ. Extractions are included to make the interpretation textually evident. From the interpretation, we can
conclude that both Ngugi and Okri depend on their respective community‟s culturally symbolic elements to retrieve and
reclaim the African nation‟s culture and history. In this regard, birds, insects, and ogres are the most important
creatures that are represented in the novels to signify the socio-cultural meanings that the respective country‟s culture and
tradition provide to them. Similarly, they use the novels to depict the national socio-political predicaments. They also
signpost the way out of the troubles of the African nations. They specifically indicate that Africans' wit and wisdom
need to be reconsidered for their socio-political healing.