Review of indigenous knowledge in Uganda (original) (raw)
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Review of indigenous knowledge in Uganda: implications for its promotion
2012
Indigenous knowledge (IK) has a role to play for households and community well-being in Uganda. However, IK is undergoing significant change and is on the decline in Uganda because of factors such as acculturation or the loss of IK through exposure to external cultures. In this paper we review some of the roles of, and threats to, IK with particular reference to the local community of Kaliro District. We make some recommendations on how to conserve IK in Kaliro and elsewhere in Uganda.
Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2008
This study examined and documented the role of indigenous knowledge in enhancing household food security in Uganda focussing on Mukungwe sub-county, Masaka district. It specifically identified the indigenous practices which enhances household food security; determined the extent of use indigenous knowledge versus western knowledge in enhancing household food security; identified the factors that limit the use of indigenous practices in enhancing food security. The data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, personal interviews and group discussions. The finding showed that many people depend on the use of indigenous knowledge practices in sustaining subsistence farming and enhancing household food security. Majority of farmers mulch their crops using local materials like coffee husks while others use locally concocted pesticides to control pests such as maize stem borers and cabbage diamondback moths. Use of locally made mortars and stones to pound and grind foodstuffs such as groundnuts was common. Fresh cassava and potato tubers were buried into the soil to increase their shelf-life. There is a need to build strong awareness programs by extension agents on indigenous knowledge systems in order for farmers to appreciate its role in enhancing household food security in especially rural areas where the factors of production is scarce.
Indigenous knowledge and its relevance for agriculture: a case study in Uganda
In recent decades an increased awareness has arisen of the failure of conventional agricultural practices to be effectively and equitably applied to the different types of zones in which agriculture is practised. This has resulted in greater attention being paid to local or indigenous knowledge. The present study examines the indigenous knowledge relating to the cultivation and use of traditional vegetables in a rural parish in Uganda, using a participatory research method, Rapid Rural Appraisal. The results of the study illustrate the importance of understanding indigenous knowledge for future agricultural research and extension activities. The results indicate a number of important issues regarding our understanding of indigenous knowledge, namely: it often contrasts with conventional agricultural practices, being influenced by its purposes and the resources to which it has access; not all the residents of a particular area have access to all the knowledge about a topic; it is more than technical knowledge, and there are differences and similarities in indigenous knowledge in different areas. To place some of the results in a broader context, a comparison was made with a similar study done in other African countries. The article concludes that greater understanding of the utilisation of appropriate indigenous knowledge would improve the success of future agricultural interventions.
African Indigenous Knowledge: An Underutilised and Neglected Resource for Development
2017
Indigenous knowledge points to the fact that Africa has been able to generate, test and apply knowledge through its own methodologies and approaches. This knowledge sustained communities for years prior to colonialism which somehow downplayed the value of indigenous knowledge and promoted western knowledge systems. Colonialism created dependence on western knowledge systems and Africa has over the years neglected its own rich indigenous knowledge. This paper sought to highlight challenges faced in the quest to incorporate IK into developmental goals and projects. Furthermore, the study also sought to recommend ways through which Africans can promote IK in its developmental projects. A desk research was carried out to show the challenges faced in African indigenous knowledge. The results of the study showed that there was a need for policies, legislation, standards, research capacitation, investment and local inclusion in indigenous knowledge research, documentation and use. The stud...
The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Socio-Economic Development
2015
Communities, urban or rural have diverse challenges. Societies are the owners of the challenges that befall them; they are the subject of the challenges and have the solutions for those challenges. Recognition of endogenous management of Indigenous knowledge becomes an enhancing solution to the seemingly mega challenges of community development. Indigenous knowledge is a more secure foundation for sustainable solutions to challenges in developmental issues in Africa. It calls for listening to other voices of participation and engagement. Advanced technology in IK usage and preservation empowers users to improve on pre-existing solutions to a problem, achieve a goal, and most of all improve on the standards of living. IK is a preferred mode used at the local levels by communities as more tacit than explicit. All communities have their own accumulation of knowledge which is easily decoded in IK and expressed easily by use of first language/mother tongue. IK provides a bottom-up approa...
—Indigenous Knowledge (IK), can be preserved using Information Systems in order to protect cultural heritage and disseminate local knowledge for development. This knowledge often passed on orally for generations has become significant in searching for answers to several world's critical problems, are at risk of becoming extinct. This "traditional wisdom" is highly useful in solving complex problems of health, agriculture, education, use of natural resources and the environment. The main challenges of IK are inadequate documentation and diminishing transmission channels. Both descriptive and quantitative methods are used in this study that focuses on highlighting the importance of indigenous knowledge in the sustainable development process and illustrating ways in which technology can be used to preserve it, thereby enriching the development process from a holistic perspective. This research strengthens the preservation of local IK, enhances its adoption in the formal educational settings, leads to improvement in scientific knowledge development and inspire sustainable community development using a holistic approach.