Exploring the potential role of adult education in the implementation of the Individual Veterans Projects in the Khomas region, Namibia

Date
2023-12
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to explore and gather rich information on the potential role of adult education in the implementation of the Individual Veterans Projects in the Khomas region, Namibia. The study was qualitative and employed a narrative inquiry to explore the research problem. During the study, six veterans were interviewed to tell their stories relating to their life experiences on how they manage their IVPs with or without necessary skills. The data was collected using an interview guide, through semi-structured interviews and observations. The objective of the interviews was to provide in-depth understanding of the research problem. Furthermore, thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. This study employed experiential learning as the theoretical lens with the purpose of understanding and analysing the experiences with IVPs of war veterans in the Khomas region of Namibia. The study used the age groups, and experiences to identify who could be classified as veterans. As such, for them to be classified as veterans, the subjects of the study, ought to have been involved in the Namibian liberation war. Considering that the war of liberation of Namibia ended in 1989 and independence was in 1990, these individuals are adults with experience of the liberation struggle, meaning that they could provide the necessary information for the research. The main finding from the study is that the veterans who participated in the study for the funded IVPs were faced with many challenges in the running of their IVPs. The key challenges included that: the veterans who own IVPs were operating with no skills or knowledge in terms of business management or entrepreneurship; they had a problem with space to operate their IVPs and they had inadequate funds to sustain their IVPs. It was recommended that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs should consider assisting the veterans of the national liberation struggle with mentoring or training programmes. Training Needs Assessment should be introduced, where veterans are encouraged to state their training needs. Also, policy makers in the Ministry should integrate adult education into the implementation guidelines of IVPs. This is considering that it was noted that veterans are elderly citizens and adult learning principles should be considered. These principles include other strategies used in the adult education programmes.Furthermore, the Ministry should create a platform for the media to promote successful stories of IVPs with the intention of promoting these IVPs. In conclusion, the qualifying IVPs should be given necessary support by government and non-governmental sectors, in terms of mentorship, training and finances to encourage them to work hard and successfully grow their businesses. In turn, this would contribute to the national development of the country.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om ryk inligting oor die potensiële rol van volwasse onderwys in die implementering van die Individuele Veterane-projekte in die Khomas-streek, Namibië, te verken en in te samel. Die studie was kwalitatief en het 'n narratiewe ondersoek gebruik om die navorsingsprobleem te verken. Tydens die studie is onderhoude gevoer met ses veterane om hul stories te vertel wat verband hou met hul lewenservarings oor hoe hulle hul IVP's bestuur met of sonder die nodige vaardighede. Die data is ingesamel met behulp van 'n onderhoudsgids, deur middel van semi- gestruktureerde onderhoude en waarnemings. Die doel van die onderhoude was om in- diepte begrip van die navorsingsprobleem te verskaf. Verder is tematiese analise gebruik om die data te ontleed. Hierdie studie het ervaringsleer as die teoretiese lens gebruik met die doel om die ervarings met IVP's van oorlogsveterane in die Khomas-streek van Namibië te verstaan en te analiseer. Die studie het die ouderdomsgroepe en ervarings gebruik om te identifiseer wie as veterane geklassifiseer kan word. As sodanig, om as veterane geklassifiseer te word, moes die onderwerpe van die studie, by die Namibiese bevrydingsoorlog betrokke gewees het. In ag genome dat die bevrydingsoorlog van Namibië in 1989 geëindig het en onafhanklikheid in 1990 was, is hierdie individue volwassenes met ervaring van die bevrydingstryd, wat beteken dat hulle die nodige inligting vir die navorsing kon verskaf. Die hoofbevinding van die studie is dat die veterane wat aan die studie vir die befondsde IVP's deelgeneem het, voor baie uitdagings in die bestuur van hul IVP's te staan gekom het. Die sleuteluitdagings het ingesluit dat: die veterane wat IVP's besit, werksaam was met geen vaardighede of kennis in terme van besigheidsbestuur of entrepreneurskap nie; hulle het 'n probleem gehad met ruimte om hul IVP's te bedryf en hulle het onvoldoende fondse gehad om hul IVP's te onderhou. Daar is aanbeveel dat die Ministerie van Verdediging en Veterane-sake dit moet oorweeg om die veterane van die nasionale bevrydingstryd met mentorskap- of opleidingsprogramme by te staan. Opleidingsbehoeftebepaling moet ingestel word, waar veterane aangemoedig word om hul opleidingsbehoeftes te meld. Ook moet beleidmakers in die Ministerie volwasse onderwys integreer in die implementeringsriglyne van IVP's. Dit is in ag geneem dat daar kennis geneem is dat veterane bejaarde burgers is en volwasse leerbeginsels moet oorweeg word. hierdie beginsels sluit ander strategieë in wat in die volwasse onderwysprogramme gebruik word. Verder moet die Ministerie 'n platform skep vir die media om suksesvolle verhale van IVP's te bevorder met die doel om hierdie IVP's te bevorder. ten slotte, die kwalifiserende IVP's moet die nodige ondersteuning deur die regering en nie-regeringssektore gegee word in terme van mentorskap, opleiding en finansies om hulle aan te moedig om hard te werk en hul besighede suksesvol te laat groei. Op sy beurt sal dit bydra tot die nasionale ontwikkeling van die land.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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