Browsing by Author "Van Damme, Patrick"

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    Healer-driven ethnoveterinary knowledge diffusion among semi-nomadic pastoralists in Karamoja, Uganda
    (Afrika Focus, 2008) Grade, Jeanne; Weladji, Robert; Tabuti, John; Van Damme, Patrick
    Karamojong, semi-nomadic pastoralists of Uganda, rely on indigenous knowledge (IK) for their own healthcare and their livestock's. It is important to preserve, promote and protect IK, in order to keep it from disappearing. One way is to facilitate its diffusion. The aim of this study was to compare the status of ethnoveterinary knowledge (EVK) in three unrelated communities to investigate whether organised healer-promoted EVK is more easily diffused and to what extent. This study applies a 'knowledge, attitude and practices' (KAP) survey to measure EVK application relating to twelve livestock diseases and sixteen remedies in different communities. Only in the community of Nabilatuk do registered healers regularly meet for participatory EVK sharing and afterwards pass on ideas to neighbours. Participants from the Lorengedwat community rarely interact with Nabilatuk while the interviewees of the Kaabong group have had virtually no chance to interact with the two other communities. In total 180 people (60 per site) were interviewed. Data were analysed in relation to distance from the healers' association; this significantly influenced EVK scores. Overall Nabilatuk scores were higher than those obtained in both other villages, while Lorengedwat was higher than the most distant and remote community ofKaabong. This indicates that organised healers have been effective in divulging their information and in promoting EVK diffusion.
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    Prioritizing Wild Medicinal and Food Plants with Potential for Commercialization and Value Chain Improvement for Livelihood Enhancement and Poverty Reduction in Uganda
    (Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2012) Akankwasah, Barirega; Agea, Jacob G.; Van Damme, Patrick
    Uganda is endowed with a diversity of wild and cultivated plant species that can be commercialized for livelihood enhancement and poverty reduction. These wild plants are increasingly becoming a valuable source of livelihoods for many people through household use and trading as medicine, food or craft materials. However existing literature on commercialization of wild food and medicinal plants in Uganda is largely anecdotal and disjointed. The objectives of this study were to (i) to identify wild food and medicinal plants sold in capital markets in Kampala (ii) To rank wild food and medicinal plants with potential for commercialization (iii) To identify challenges affecting wild medicinal and food plants trade in Uganda. A market survey was conducted in the markets of Kampala Capital City to identify wild and semi wild food and medicinal plants on the market. A total of 48 wild and semi wild food and medicinal plant species were recorded on the market. Using commercialization index, the wild plants were ranked according to their commercialization potential. It is evident from this study that wild plants with commercialization potential do exist on the Ugandan markets. It is recommended that in-depth value chain analysis of potential plants be conducted and business capacity of traders be developed.
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    Review of indigenous knowledge in Uganda: implications for its promotion
    (Afrika focus, 2012) Tabuti, John R.S.; Van Damme, Patrick
    Indigenous knowledge (IK) is an important resource that contributes to social and economic needs, community sustainability and sustainable development (Broadhead & Howard, 2on). IK holders use it to exploit, manage and conserve their environments. In Uganda, a wide diversity of IK exists such as that associated with traditional medicine. However, IK is undergoing rapid change and is weakening because of factors that include the outside influence of western cultures and inadequate documentation. These issues are explored here. Specifically we review the role of IK for household and community well-being, discuss the weakening of IK and describe opportunities in the existing national legal and institutional structures for valorizing IK.