This comparative study explored the influence of different pre-school models on school readiness among pre-school children from different urban socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhoods. The study sampled 207 pre-school children attending different pre-school models in different SES neighbourhoods within the city of Nairobi in Kenya. In the study, school readiness was conceived as the ability of children to learn and handle primary school tasks. Assessment was done through teachers' rating of children's level of developmental and fitnctional skills using a School Readiness Assessment Instrument (SRAI), which was adopted and modified from the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The study compared school readiness outcomes amongst pre-schoolers aged five and six years. School readiness outcome was also correlated with the level of developmentally appropriate practice of the different pre-schools, assessed through observation and interviews. Major findings from this study were that, pre-school children who attended Private pre-school models outperformed their peers from public pre-schools in school readiness scores and children from low SES neighbourhoods had lower school readiness scores compared with children from middle and high SES neighbourhoods. The study recommends a paradigm shift from an academically oriented pre-school model to one that embrace a holistic approach in program and assessment of children's school readiness. It also recommends further studies on the influence of cultural variations on school readiness and primary school readiness to receive pre-schoolers.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / The concept of self-help in a site and services project is based on the assumption that given the security of land tenureship_, an owner-builder can manage the whole process of house implementation. Generally, in any sponsored site and services project this assumption is supported by "aid" ; that is, the sponsor provides some financial and/or technical assistance. while this "aid" is minimum, often provided in the form of infrastructure, serviced plots, and some cash for purchasing building materials, it is assumed that such "aid" would assist the owner-builder in implementing the dwelling on the serviced plot. It is also assumed that the planning and construction of the dwelling would be carried out throughout the dweller's own decision-making and self-help efforts. In theory, the concept is valid. It is also adopted in most of the site and services projects in East Africa. Self-help is assumed to contribute towards economic savings, mobilization of human resources, increase in community spirit and group participation and to achieve a host of other benefits. This study looks at one such site and services project in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Through several in-depth case histories of carefully selected allottee families from the Dandora Community Development Project, a site and services project in Nairobi, the thesis shows the actual form(s) and practice of self-help. Several allottees were interviewed to understand further the real nature of self-help. That is, who did what, when, how and at what cost. Other inquiry was on the background and characteristics of the allottees' families, their approach to house planning and construction, characteristics and economics of construction, self - help practice amongst different: groups of allottees', cost and benefits of self-help and some impact of the rules of the Dandora Community Development Department (DCDD) in house implementation. The study presents several case histories of immigrant families in the process of urbanization in Nairobi. The cases trace the path of these low-income families from squatter settlements to the site and services project, emphasizing the element of self-help underlying the process of settlement. The actual role of an owner-builder is different from some of the assumptions held on self-help housing. The hard line of economic cost and benefits, as perceived in theory, does not necessarily hold true and neither do other assumptions on self - help applications in the site and services project. Chapters 1 and 2 present some background to the study, the research method employed and some of the theoretical constructs underlying the concept of self-help. In Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 findings of the field research are presented. Specifically, different forms of self-help, their characteristics, practice, costs and benefits, and some illustrations as observed in the site and services project are presented. All the material covered under these Chapters is an outcome of the author's intensive field research on the allottees of the Dandora Community Development Project, from later 1978 to mid 1979. In· Chapter 8 the uses, costs, and benefits of the dwellings completed by means of the various self-help forms are further articulated. In the final Chapter the findings on actual self-help practices are compared with the held on self-help. This analysis is followed by major conclusions drawn from the study. / by Praful Naran Soni. / M.Arch.

Chronic low back pain is a highly prevalent condition in industrialized nations. It is associated with activity limitations, disability, has significant economic impact on society and incurs personal cost. Today's working environment increasingly demands more time spent sitting due to computerization and other advances in technology. Sitting for hours without taking breaks may influence posture, and alignment of the lumbar spine. Therefore, it may influence low back pain. Kenya as a developing country has an increasing number of people involved in sedentary work. The aim of this study was to identify the predisposing factors of chronic low back pain among sedentary office workers in Nairobi. The main objectives were to establish the prevalence of chronc low back pain / to determine the possible predisposing factors of chronic low back pain and to determine the impact of chronic low back pain on work related quality of life among sedentary office workers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Clausthal, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2004. / Dateien im PDF-Format. Computerdatei im Fernzugriff.

Clausthal, Techn. University, Diss., 2004. / Dateien im PDF-Format.

Cette thèse est sur l’historique et contemporain, social, politique et économique des forces, qui ont conduit à la (re) production et (re) construction d’injustice spatiale, de la consommation des espaces verts publics socialement valorisées urbaines à Nairobi. À l’aide d’un cadre de l’écologie politique urbaine (EPU), l’étude examine les forces structurant et les acteurs qui ont déterminé et continuent à la forme, les caractéristiques et les tendances, d’utilisation et accès, de la nature urbaine se réserve dans la ville. La question de recherche central de l’étude est, quels sont les processus sociaux, politiques et économiques passés et présents qui déterminent l’utilisation et l’accès des espaces verts urbains pour différents groupes sociaux à Nairobi? L’étude a été guidée par trois objectifs principaux : (1) d’enquêter sur le contexte historique, dynamique, sociale, politique et économique, impliqué dans les espaces verts urbains de création à Nairobi ; (2) afin d’étudier les politiques passées et présentes et des législations guidant l’utilisation, gestion et conservation de l’urbain protégé des zones, ainsi que les résultats des législations pour différents groupes sociaux et (3) d’examiner les résultats sociaux des interventions de l’acteur non étatique, dans la conservation et la gestion des aires protégées urbaines, sur l’utilisation et l’accès des espaces verts urbains publics, pour différents groupes sociaux. L’approche méthodologique utilisée était l’histoire de l’environnement et de la construction sociale de la nature. L’étude a recueilli des données qualitatives et analyse les informations à l’aide d’un style d’analyse critique du discours. Le premier argument que rend la thèse est que les inégalités sociales et spatiales dans l’utilisation et l’accès nos espaces verts urbains à Nairobi se fonde sur l’histoire urbaine de la ville coloniale, fondée par les impérialistes britanniques et mis au point à l’aide de la ségrégation raciale institutionnalisée, comme la principale stratégie de planification et de gestion urbaine. Basé sur un examen critique des résultats sociaux, des politiques et législations dans la période postcoloniale, je fais le deuxième argument que les gouvernements post indépendantes et moyens, a continué à reproduire injuste nos espaces verts urbains, en omettant de traiter l’oppression et l’autocratie, construit dans les forces structurantes et les institutions, hérités de l’administration coloniale. Par conséquent, pendant une longue période après l’indépendance, autre désenchantement des groupes sociaux vulnérables et marginalisés ont continué, limitant leur utilisation équitable et l’accès des ressources naturelles socialement valorisées. Le discours de l’époque est qu’ouverture aux acteurs non étatiques, augmentera les possibilités pour les groupes sociaux marginalisés et vulnérables, soient habilitées à prendre des décisions sur la gestion et l’utilisation durable des ressources. On croit que cela permettra aux collectivités de durablement pour utiliser et accéder aux ressources naturelles, réduire la pauvreté, améliorer les moyens de subsistance, prestation de services et améliorer la conservation et gestion. Ainsi, environ de la dernière décennie un, indépendant des gouvernements ont modifié leurs politiques, par l’ouverture à la participation du public dans la gestion et la conservation de la nature urbaine se réserve notamment dans la ville. Ces changements dans la politique font partie des déplacements plus loin le gouvernement de l’État centré, vers une autonomisation locale, conformément à la Constitution du Kenya a récemment promulgué (CoK) 2010. L’idée maîtresse de la thèse vient ici, où j’ai une question l’affirmation que la participation citoyenne permettra d’améliorer la justice sociale et spatiale. / This thesis is about the historical and contemporary social, political and economic forces, that have led to the (re)production and (re)construction of spatial injustice, in the consumption of socially valued public urban green spaces in Nairobi. Using an Urban Political Ecology (UPE) framework, the study investigates the structuring forces and actors that have determined and continue to shape, patterns and trends, of use and access, of urban nature reserves in the city. The central research question of the study is, what are the past and present social, political and economic processes that determine use and access of urban greenspaces for different social user groups in Nairobi? The study was guided by three main objectives: (1) To investigate the historical context, that is, social, political and economic dynamics, involved in the creation urban greenspaces in Nairobi; (2) To investigate the past and present, policies and legislations guiding the use, management and conservation of the urban protected areas, as well as the outcomes of the legislations for different social user groups and (3) To examine the social outcomes of non-state actor’s interventions, in the conservation and management of urban protected areas, on use and access of public urban green spaces, for different social user groups. The methodological approach used was environmental history and the social construction of nature. The study collected qualitative data and analysed the information using a critical discourse analysis style. The first argument the thesis makes is that social and spatial inequalities in use and access urban greenspaces in Nairobi is grounded on the city’s colonial urban history, as founded by the British imperialists and developed using institutionalised racial segregation, as the main strategy for urban planning and management. Based on a critical review of the social outcomes, of policies and legislations in the post-colonial period, I make the second argument that the early and middle post-independent governments, continued to reproduce unjust urban greenspaces, by failing to address the oppression and autocracy, built in the structuring forces and institutions, inherited from the colonial government. Therefore, for a long time after independence, further disenfranchisement of vulnerable and marginalised social groups continued, limiting their equitable use and access of socially valued natural resources. The contemporary discourse is that opening up to non-state actors, will increase opportunities for the marginalised and vulnerable social groups, to be empowered in making decisions on sustainable resource use and management. It is believed that this will enable communities to sustainably use and access natural resources, reduce poverty, improve livelihoods, service delivery and enhance conservation and management. Thus, approximately for the past one decade, the post-independent governments have changed their policies, by opening up to public participation in management and conservation of urban nature reserves including in the city. These changes in policy are part of the wider shifts away from the state centred government, towards local empowerment, in line with the recently promulgated Constitution of Kenya (CoK) 2010. The main thrust of the thesis comes here, where I question the assertion that citizen participation will enhance social and spatial justice. Therefore, a larger part of the thesis investigates the social outcomes of interventions by non-state actors in management and conservation of the urban nature reserves, on different social user groups.

The purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether Sheng, a language spoken in the Eastlands area of Nairobi, Kenya, is a mixed language (incorporating Swahili, English and local vernaculars). The study focuses on the lexicon and morphosyntax, but social factors are examined as well. Three broad research questions are addressed: (1) Does Sheng have a core vocabulary separate from that of Swahili? (2) How do the system morphemes of Sheng compare with those of Swahili? And (3) in what manner does Sheng provide its speakers a new identity?With respect to question one, the core lexicon, like Russenorsk's, Trio-Ndjuka's and Michif's, manifests a nearly fifty-fifty split in Sheng (52% Swahili; 48% other), making it a mixed language lexically.As for question two, the analysis reveals that Sheng has a composite morphosyntax. No object or relative affixes are marked on the verb. Predicate-argument structure from English has provided a null relativizer. The aerial feature imperfective suffix -a(n)g- is preferred 68% of the time. Noun classes show convergence leveling. The marker ma- serves as the generic plural. The diminutive markers, (ka-, to-), constitute a complete non-Swahili subsystem. Consequently, Sheng is also a mixed language morphosyntactically.In reference to question three, a negative correlation exists between competence in Sheng and income and housing. Though the affluent display a negative attitude towardSheng, they agree with the lower socio-economic groups that Sheng has a communicative utility in metropolitan Kenya. A comparison of the usage in the different residential areas establishes that community-wide grammatical norms (i. e., stability) exist in Sheng. Over two decades without institutional support for Swahili provided a niche in which Sheng, a non-standard language variety, flourished and a new urban identity emerged.Eastlanders walk a linguistic tightrope, balancing between the labels mshamba (`rube') and Mswahili (`slick talker'). However, Sheng provides a sociolinguistic embodiment symbolizing what nuances their existence. Over time, speakers formed a new identity group, whose language was initially `off target' (1899-1963) but subsequently became deliberate postcolonially. Finally, the name of the language itself (Sheng < LiSheng < lish-eng < English) results from and is symbolic of this social transformation. / Department of English

Univ., Diss., 2009--Bayreuth.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Chronic low back pain is a highly prevalent condition in industrialized nations. It is associated with activity limitations, disability, has significant economic impact on society and incurs personal cost. Today's working environment increasingly demands more time spent sitting due to computerization and other advances in technology. Sitting for hours without taking breaks may influence posture, and alignment of the lumbar spine. Therefore, it may influence low back pain. Kenya as a developing country has an increasing number of people involved in sedentary work. The aim of this study was to identify the predisposing factors of chronic low back pain among sedentary office workers in Nairobi. The main objectives were to establish the prevalence of chronc low back pain; to determine the possible predisposing factors of chronic low back pain and to determine the impact of chronic low back pain on work related quality of life among sedentary office workers in Nairobi, Kenya. / South Africa

Having grown up abroad, the topic of architectural mediation has often made me pause. The world abounds with differences, and with today's globalization, many of us are being faced with cultural, social, and a multitude of physical differences/conditions. This thesis seeks to explore the role of architecture as a mediator and seeks designs that transition successfully between differing entities. The project is an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. The program is comprised of young orphans and the project explores how the structure that they occupy can effectively accommodate their specific needs. Challenges which need to be mediated include consideration of two scales, one for the child under the age of 6, and the other for the caretaker who has adult proportions. The building also will need to reconcile cultural stigmatization and attitudes towards orphans while also providing a safe environment. And lastly, the specific social needs of the orphan need to be tended to. The design and experience within the spaces will need to convey feelings of security, affections, and hope. / Master of Architecture