Browsing by Author "Okumu Charles Nelson"

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    Experiences with Green Charcoal: A Gender Consideration of Rural and Urban Households in Gulu District
    (EAST AFRICAN NATURE & SCIENCE ORGANIZATION, 2024-11-03) Okello,Simon; Alidri Agatha; Mbazalire,Ezekiel; Aoyo Christine; Atube Francis; Okello,COllins; Okumu Charles Nelson
    The study focused on the use of green charcoal, a sustainable cooking fuel made from agricultural residues, in Gulu District, to highlight the experiences households have encountered, from a gender perspective. The study followed a cross-sectional design using qualitative approach which included the use of one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and ethnographic observations for data collection. The findings show that households in Gulu District use acombination of cooking fuels such as firewood, wood charcoal, green charcoal, or gas. Furthermore, the study established that there were cases where both men and women had shared experiences in cooking, for example, knowledge of the faster cooking rate, cleanliness, and much ash content involved while using green charcoal. However, to a larger extent, there were gendered differences in cooking activities: while women predominantly handle cooking, men often influence decisions about what and how to cook, revealing underlying gender and power dynamics within households. Key findings indicate that green charcoal is favored for its affordability relative to traditional black charcoal, prolonged burn time, and higher heat output, though it is also harder to light and produces more ash. It is particularly popular in rural Owoo Sub-County, where residents are more involved in its production compared to their urban counterparts in Gulu City. The study concluded that positive experiences with green charcoal have facilitated its adoption and recommendsfurther actions to promote its use. These include increasing awareness of its environmental, health, and financial benefits, improving product quality, and involving women and girls as advocates to expand its utilization.
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    The Life and Times of Okot p’Bitek
    (UNISA, 2023) Okumu Charles Nelson
    Abstract Okot p’Bitek was born on 9 June 1931 to Jebedayo Opii of the Pacua clan in Patiko and Cerina Lacwaa of Palaro-Rajab. In the discussion on his biography, I follow a holistic approach using a chronological methodology which focuses on his education and life until his death on 20 July 1982. I premise my research on autoethnography which is a form of qualitative research in which the author uses self-reflection and writing to explore anecdotal and personal experience while acknowledging and valuing his/her relationships with other people. My personal knowledge of and shared culture with Okot have added value to my biographical structuring. I collected data using questionnaires and personal and group interviews with Okot’s family members, friends and colleagues in Makerere and Nairobi Universities, lecturers in Bristol and Oxford, and teachers in the various schools he attended in Uganda. I also researched his writings and writings about him in various libraries at different institutions, including the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of South Africa, Oxford University, Makerere University and the University of Nairobi, where Okot’s original manuscripts are archived. The data collected is intended to inform scholars about Okot the man. This article is divided into two parts: Okot’s biography and the importance of this biographical study.