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This article reports on a collaborative action research project, conducted in a pre-primary school in South Central Uganda, which explores the opportunities for children to draw upon and integrate their home and community-based knowledge and experiences through mother tongue (MT) instruction and resources. We use the funds of knowledge (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992), language and identity (Norton, 2000, 2013), and social capital (Bourdieu, 1984; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) theoretical perspectives to consider how MT pedagogical approaches that acknowledge the value of children's MT and prior life experiences support young children's learning and the development of their identities as learners. Findings indicate MT-based instruction engaged and supported the cultivation of children's funds of knowledge, identity, and social capital related to home and community relationships, resources and practices, classroom learning communities, bilingual development, and agency and empowerment.

Stimulation activities are events that parents and other caregivers give to the children to support their cognitive, emotional, and physical needs right from birth onwards. For instance, playing and talking with them (even before children can respond verbally), and exposing them to words, numbers, and simple concepts while engaging in daily routines. Whereas School-parent engagement is where schools tend to create partnerships between themselves and the parents so that they are able to work together, most especially pertaining to their children's education and holistic development. Schools can work with parents in making decisions, setting goals and attaining academic outcomes. This contributes to the enhancement of children's holistic growth and development. This research study, therefore, aimed at examining school-parent engagement in Pre-primary schools in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda which has remained a gap for long. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative instruments. These included; Focus group discussion guides, document analysis guide, observation checklist, and questionnaires. The respondents included; headteachers, Centre Management Committee (CMC) chairpersons, parents, and teachers. The findings of this study show that parents were not closely working with the school to stimulate children's learning. Schools reported significantly lower levels of parents came in to check on their children's books or to submit homework, or drop and pick a child from school. Parents were majorly coming in for meetings and any event that had been organised by the school or to pay fees dues. Three major recommendations regarding parent engagement in stimulation activities were given. These included; ensuring that parents understand what stimulation activities mean, the materials to use and their role in supporting their children's learning. Then, it also suggested the best approach to ensure that stimulation activities are provided to the children both at Pre-primary school and at home for continuity of learning. The paper concludes by suggesting recommendations on the need for school-parent engagement to ensure that effective stimulation activities are provided at the Pre-primary schools. Thus, enabling children to receive integrated stimulation opportunities that are contextualised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capture fisheries and aquaculture have remained important sources of food, nutrition, income and livelihoods to millions globally, with annual per capita consumption of fish in developing countries having increased from 5.2 kg in 1961 to 18.8 kg in 2013. On the contrary, low income food-deficit countries annual fish per capita consumption rose from 3.5 to 7.6 kg against 26.8 kg among industrialized countries. Increased demand for animal protein and declining capture fisheries has seen aquaculture grow rapidly than any other food production sector over the past three decades. Rapid global aquaculture growth is directly related to levels of technological advancement, adoption and adaption prompting aquaculture transition from semi-intensive to intensive and super intensive production systems among developing and developed countries. In light of the aquatic environment economic potential, cage culture in Lake Victoria is fast gaining prominence in aquaculture production contribution. This began with trials by Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and Uganda's National Fisheries Resource Research Institute and later by private investors at Dunga and Obenge beaches of Kenya, Source of the Nile in Uganda and Bulamba Beach Management Units in Bunda District of Tanzania. However, only Kenya has so far documented cage culture development recording 3,696 cages across the five riparian counties with an estimated production capacity of 3,180 MT valued at Kshs 955.4 Million (9.6 million USD), created over 500 jobs directly and indirectly created income opportunities for over 4,000 people. The sub-sector's value chain, its supportive value chains and associated enterprises are rapidly expanding thus creating jobs, enhancing incomes and ensuring food security in rural and urban areas. As cage culture commercialization takes root, there is urgent need to address issues such as introduction of alien species, diseases, marine parks and maximum carrying capacity among other aspects. This will require trans-boundary policy to ensure sustainable utilization of the lake as a common resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a collaborative action research project, conducted in a pre-primary school in South Central Uganda, which explores the opportunities for children to draw upon and integrate their home and community-based knowledge and experiences through mother tongue (MT) instruction and resources. We use the funds of knowledge (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992), language and identity (Norton, 2000, 2013), and social capital (Bourdieu, 1984; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) theoretical perspectives to consider how MT pedagogical approaches that acknowledge the value of children's MT and prior life experiences support young children's learning and the development of their identities as learners. Findings indicate MT-based instruction engaged and supported the cultivation of children's funds of knowledge, identity, and social capital related to home and community relationships, resources and practices, classroom learning communities, bilingual development, and agency and empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) significantly reduces human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition risk. However, data on predictors of PrEP uptake in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We assessed predictors of PrEP uptake among HIV-uninfected high risk individuals enrolled in a HIV vaccine preparedness study in Masaka, Uganda.Between July 2018 and October 2020, we recruited adults (18-40 years) from sex work hotspots along the trans-African highway and Lake Victoria fishing communities. We collected baseline data on socio-demographics and PrEP awareness, and provided HIV counselling and testing, information on PrEP, and PrEP referrals at quarterly visits. Urine pregnancy tests (women) and data collection on sexual risk behaviour and PrEP uptake were performed every 6 months. We analysed PrEP uptake among participants who had completed 6 months of follow-up.Of the 588 cohort participants, 362 (62%) were included in this analysis. Of these, 176 (49%) were female, 181 (50%) were aged ≤24 years, 104 (29%) worked in sex work hotspots, 74 (20%) were fisher folk. Only 75 (21%) participants initiated PrEP. Predictors of PrEP uptake included having ≥6 sex partners (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-4.17), engaging in transactional sex (aOR = 2.23; 95% CI 0.95-5.20), and residence in a nonfishing community (aOR = 2.40; 95% CI 1.14-5.08). The commonest reasons for not starting PrEP were pill burden (38%) and needing more time to decide (27%).PrEP uptake was low and associated with HIV risk indicators in this cohort. Interventions are needed to improve access to PrEP especially in fishing communities., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)