http://repository.tml.nul.ls:80/handle/123456789/171 2006-01-02T08:53:08Z http://repository.tml.nul.ls:80/handle/123456789/1507 Diversity, Inclusivity, Social Responsibility Aspects, and Outcomes of a Mobile Digital Library and Information Service Model for a Developing Country: The Case for Lesotho Moshoeshoe-Chadzingwa, M.M. The provision of library services through rigid compartmentalisation of academic, public, school, and special libraries operating in one country can be cost-effective if a country has strong socioeconomic, cultural, educational, and political structures. This arrangement is apparently a fallacy for countries that lack such structures, as is the case with Lesotho. This study examined the outcomes and the impact of the UNESCO-funded project titled Distance and Rural LearnerTeacher Support through a Mobile Digital Library (DRULETSMODIL) in Lesotho. The National University of Lesotho (NUL) Library proposed DRULETSMODIL whose objective was to reach out to NUL’s de jure distant teachers and learners. Additionally, the project expanded its scope to include library services to rural and poor communities. This paper outlines how use of the descriptive method, called the corporate social responsibility (CSR) principle, utilised the case study approach to interrogate DRULETSMODIL’s performance. The findings reveal that the project embodied various levels of diversity, inclusivity, and (mainly) social responsibility aspects of providing information for free, to the marginalized communities. From DRULETSMODIL’s three phases covering all the ten districts of Lesotho, positive outcomes were recorded. Through Information, Communication, and Technology apparatuses, DRULETSMODIL’s offerings, and the support of Participatory Initiative for Social Accountability (PISA), diverse information was easily and cost-effectively accessible. The project attracted various partners; beneficiaries included academic library users, secondary schools, and male and female youth and adults in the villages. The study recommends advocacy on CSR for all types of businesses and consideration of this model for developing countries. 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repository.tml.nul.ls:80/handle/123456789/1431 Investigation of Problems of Sesotho Oral Reading Fluency in Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Lesotho Phafoli and Thamae, Lehlohonolo and George The research on the Investigation of Problems of Sesotho Oral Reading Fluency in Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Lesotho is a joint venture between by Dr. Lehlohonolo Phafoli –Principal Researcher Faculty of Humanities and Dr. George Thamae – Co-researcher Faculty of Education from the National University of Lesotho. The researchers first approached the Ministry of Education for permission and its assistance with regard to the research. They were further asked to help identify schools in each district which could be listed for interviews. Criterion for the selection of schools was as follows; best performing schools in Sesotho and those that do not do well in Sesotho. Assistance from ECOL was also sought on the Sesotho performance in schools. ECOL provided researchers with results for 2015 to 2017 from Standard 7, Junior Certificate and Cambridge Overseas School Certificate. Six research assistants were identified and afforded a one day workshop in relation to the logistics of the interviews and oral reading tests. Research assistants were trained on the following; testing Sesotho oral reading fluency through passages, number of words read correctly per minute, conducting oral interviews from both teachers and students in schools, punctuality and social approaches when conducting a research. The activities related to the actual business were done through pre-arranged appointments which were followed by visiting primary and high schools in the lowlands and rural areas. In each district interviews were conducted in two primary schools and two high schools in this manner; one primary in lowlands and one primary in rural area, and one high school in lowlands and one high school in rural area. The team visited 39 schools and managed to interview 39 teachers and 164 students from the ten districts in Lesotho. The interviews were later compiled per districts and classified according to the two levels primary and high schools. They were further grouped based on the rural and lowlands, and the analysis also focused on the gender aspect, that is, the performance based on the female and male students at different levels. The compiled information was edited and followed by type-setting for public consumption and currently stored in both the soft and hardcopy. With regard to accountability, the Principal Researcher made regular financial accounting of activities done that enabled the release of funds on a regular basis until the last cent. In conclusion, it could be said that the exercise was a success. The hardcopies have been spiralled in a form of booklet for further proof-reading and production of final copy. The main obstacle was that the funds dried up before further activities could be completed. It is hoped that the final product will be received by most of the stakeholders through internet by the National University of Lesotho Library. 2019-04-04T00:00:00Z http://repository.tml.nul.ls:80/handle/123456789/1153 Report on the collection of King Letsie III’s praise poetry Phafoli, Lehlohonolo The research on King Letsie’s III praise poetry is a joint venture between the National University of Lesotho through one member from the Department of African Languages and Literature and the Sesotho Academy. The National University of Lesotho granted funds to the sum of M42, 385.00 to Dr. Lehlohonolo Phafoli who became the Principal Researcher and the overseer of the whole process. The Principal Researcher worked closely with members of the Sub-Committee on Praise Poetry from the Sesotho Academy namely; Mrs `Malisema Makoa and Mr Molisana Kulehile. Mr. Relebohile Tanki was appointed as a Technical Assistant Researcher because of his expertise in technical skills related to the use of modern technology and was assisted by Miss Mpine Mokitimi. After the request to His Majesty’s office to conduct the research was granted by the National Entertainment Committee, tedious efforts were made to solicit funds but to no avail. Concerning the process of kick-starting the research, an administrative and constructive approach was proposed by the Principal Chief of Mokhotlong who advised the team to table the matter before the Principal chiefs in Senate to solicit their support and cooperation. That done, the team visited various areas to disseminate information to the chiefs. The activities related to the actual business was done through pre-arranged appointments which were followed by visiting areas and recording the praise poetry from capable poets identified by the offices of the Principal chiefs. With regard to accountability, the Principal Researcher made regular financial accounting of activities done that enabled the release of funds on a regular basis until the last cent. The team collected 37 praises from different areas within Lesotho. The praises were transcribed, typed and edited to a certain extent, and they are currently stored in both the soft and hardcopy. In conclusion, it could be said that the exercise was a success. The hardcopies have been spiralled in a form of booklet for further proof-reading and production of final copy. The main obstacle was that the funds dried up before further activities could be completed. It is hoped that the research team will find a donor to ensure completion of this research project. The major aim is to have King Letsie III’s praise poetry published in book form.. 2015-06-01T00:00:00Z http://repository.tml.nul.ls:80/handle/123456789/1150 Confluences of Lithoko, Religious and Traditional Beliefs and Western Poetry in Modern Sesotho Poetry (Msp): An Intertextual Perspective Maimane, K. C. From an intertextual perspective, this study analyses the lithoko, religious beliefs and practices and western poetry confluences in modern Sesotho poetry. In this analysis, modern Sesotho poetry texts covering a period of seventy-nine years (79) from 1931 to 2010 have been selected. Of the utmost importance in the analysis are the intertextual manifestations in modern Sesotho poetry. These include the lithoko oralformulaic style in modern Sesotho poetry which focuses on form, structure and content. The study also looks into echoes of texts indicative of religious beliefs and practices (both local and foreign) in modern Sesotho poetry, the host-parasite relationship between Western poetry and modern Sesotho poetry, the emerging trends and the evaluation of modern Sesotho poetry in relation to its poeticness or literariness. In order to address the above intentions of the study, the qualitative library approach was employed to critically examine the identified intertextual features from the population of twelve (12) modern Sesotho poetry texts selected through both the cluster and purposive sampling techniques. The following are the findings of the study on the issues investigated: modern Sesotho poetry is an intertext as texts from lithoko Christian, traditional beliefs and practices as well as western poetry are present in it at varying levels of form structure, content and traditional images in virtually recognizable forms as Barthes (1981: 39) asserts that the literary position of any text is an intertext in which other texts are present in varying levels and more or less recognizable forms. Both proto, transitional and open forms attributed to lithoko and western poetry are present in modern Sesotho poetry. Modern Sesotho poetry has also been found to have diverse emergent trends not only in terms of structural forms but also in content and linguistic devices in the form of traditional imagery. As an intertext, modern Sesotho poetry has emerged to be poetic considering aspects of poetic function and poetic language as elements of poetry in the evaluation of its poeticness. The study concludes that modern Sesotho poetry is an intertext which is a text of convergence where the presence of the four predecessors is manifested at varying levels and in more or less recognizable forms. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the cluster of African Languages, School of Arts, College of Humanities, at the University of KwaZulu Natal 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z