Gikuyu Proverbs C

C

16. Cia athuri inyuagĩra thutha

• • Literal translation: The elders drink afterwards (i.e after the others).
  • Contextual note: Elderly people are not in such a hurry as young ones.

17. Ciakorire wacũ mũgũnda

• • Literal translation: The food found Wacũ in the field.
  • Contextual note: The proverb originates in the legend of Wacũ, the most despised amongst the wives of a rich man who never gave her any presents. One day, when a banquet was being held at home, she went to work in the field, since she knew there would be nothing for her at home. In the middle of the banquet a raven swooped down in the courtyard where the meat was being roasted, snatched a big piece and brought it to Wacũ. The Kikuyu use the proverb to say that God takes care of His poor.

18. Cia kĩonje itigayagwo gĩtanakua

• • Literal translation: The property of a helpless man must not be divided before his death.
  • Contextual note: The reason is that he is unable to get anything more than he already possesses.

19. Cia mũciĩ irĩ gacũgũma gacio gatathukagio nĩ mũthuri ũngĩ tiga mweneguo

• • Literal translation: Home affairs have their staff, which cannot be brandished by anyone but the head of the house.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means either that private matters must not be spoken of to strangers or that in each house there must be only one in authority.

20. Cia mũciĩ itiumaga ndĩra

• • Literal translation: Home affairs must not go into the open.
  • English equivalent: Do not wash dirty linen in public.

21. Cia mũciĩ ti como

• • Literal translation: Home affairs cannot be told in public.
  • English equivalent: Do not wash dirty linen in public.

22. Ciana cia ndigwa itirĩ maithori

• • Literal translation: The widow’s sons have not tears.
  • Contextual note: It means that they have been accustomed to suffer very early.

23. Ciathanaga ikĩgũa, itiathanaga ikĩũmbũka

• • Literal translation: Birds agree when flying down, but do not agree when flying up.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that it is easy for a swarm of birds to alight together, while it is difficult to get up together since after eating their fill they will fly up separately. Morally the proverb means that men easily agree when deciding on an enterprise, but will probably quarrel as soon as they have obtained what they want.

24. Cia thũgũrĩ itiyũraga ikũmbĩ

• • Literal translation: Bought things do not fill the granary.
  • Contextual note: Do not hope to become rich without cultivating your fields.

25. Ciatura ngũyũ irĩaga ng’umo

• • Literal translation: When there is shortage of figs, birds eat the fruits of the ‘mũgumo’.
  • Contextual note: The tree called ‘mũgumo’ by the natives bears little fruits that are not eaten by birds when there is plenty of other food.
  • English equivalent: If thou hast not a capon, feed on an onion; Beggars can't be choosers.

26. Cia ũthoni ciambaga nguhĩ

• • Literal translation: The buying of a wife begins from a little thing.
  • English equivalent: Great events have small beginnings.

27. Ciĩgwatagĩrĩra mareru

• • Literal translation: Goats fall that take hold of lichens.
  • Contextual note: Lichens are not strong enough to prevent a goat from falling. The proverb means that unsatisfactory excuses are insufficient defence.

28. Cionje ikũmi irũgĩtwo nĩ ũmwe ũrĩ na hinya

• • Literal translation: Ten helpless people were surpassed by a single strong person.
  • Contextual note: One strong person is better than ten helpless ones.
  • English equivalent: One grain of pepper is worth a cartload of hail.

29. Cira mũnene nĩ ũkĩa

• • Literal translation: A long lawsuit breeds poverty.
  • English equivalent: Fools and obstinate men make lawyers rich.

30. Cira mũnene nĩ wa ũthoni ũgĩkua

• • Literal translation: The breaking of a betrothal is no small matter.
  • Contextual note: Marrying a girls means giving a large number of goats or cattle to her family. Starting from the day of the betrothal the price is paid gradually. Evidently it is no simple matter if the would-be husband breaks his contract and demands the return of the marriage price.

31. Cira wa kĩrimũ ũtindaga kĩharo

• • Literal translation: The lawsuit of a fool keeps the court (sitting) all day.
  • English equivalent: The lawsuit of a fool never comes to an end.

32. Cira wa mũciĩ ndumagĩrio kĩharo

• • Literal translation: Home affairs are not to be carried on in the public squuare.
  • English equivalent: Do not wash dirty linen in public.

33. Cira wothe wambagĩrĩrio na nda

• • Literal translation: Every case begins from the stomach.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu have an ox or a goat killed, roasted and distributed to judges at the beginning of every case. Familiarly they use the proverb to say that one of the most important jobs of life is to provide something to eat.
  • English equivalent: An empty belly hears nobody.

34. Ciunagwo rũkomo, kimenyi akamenya ikiunwo.

• • Literal translation: We speak by proverbs: he who is intelligent will understand.
  • English equivalent: Intelligenti pauca.

Gikuyu Proverbs B

B

15. Bata ndũbatabataga

• • Literal translation: Necessities never end.
  • English equivalent: He that will have no trouble in this world must not be born in it.

Kikuyu proverbs: A

A

1. Agĩkũyũ moĩ kũhitha ndĩa, matiũĩ kũhitha ũhoro

• • Literal translation: The Kikuyu know how to conceal their quiver, but do not know how to conceal their secrets.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu, though very clever in concealing their arms, cannot keep secrets from the members of their tribe.

2. Ageni erĩ matirĩ ũtugĩre

• • Literal translation: Two guests (at the same time) have no welcome.

3. Ageni erĩ na karirũĩ kao.

• • Literal translation: Two guests love a different song.
  • Contextual note: When you receive two visitors at the same time, you cannot treat them in the same manner because they have different tastes.
  • English equivalent: Every man has his hobby horse.

4. Aikaragia mbia ta njũũ ngigĩ

• • Literal translation: He is a man that looks after money as ‘njũũ’ looks after locusts.
  • Contextual note: ‘Njũũ’ is a bird which accompanies migrating locusts to feed on them.
  • English equivalent: Much wants more.

5. Aka erĩ nĩ nyũngũ igĩrĩ cia ũrogi

• • Literal translation: Two wives are two pots full of poison.
  • Contextual note: The more women you have in your house, the more troubles you must expect.
  • English equivalent: Women’s jars breed men’s wars.

6. Aka matirĩ cia ndiiro no cia nyinĩko

• • Literal translation: Women have no upright words, but only crooked ones.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu use the proverb to say that women keep no secrets and seldom tell the truth.
  • English equivalent: Women conceal all that they know not.

7. Aka na ng’ombe itirĩ ndũgũ

• • Literal translation: Wives and oxen have no friends.
  • Contextual note: There are things which are not to be given to friends.
  • English equivalent: A woman is to be from her house three times: when she is christened, married, and buried.

8. Andũ maiganaine magĩthiĩ na magĩceera

• • Literal translation: Men are equal when they are going and walking.
  • Contextual note: One can tell a difference between two men's character when they are commanding or working, but not when walking down the road.

9.Andũ matarĩ ndundu mahũragwo na njũgũma ĩmwe

• • Literal translation: People who have not secret agreement are beaten by a single club.
  • Contextual note: A group of men not bound by a secret will be easily beaten by a single man.
  • English equivalent: Lack of union is weakness.

10. Andũ matiũĩ ngamini

• • Literal translation: Men do not know liberality.
  • Contextual note: One does not give without hope of return.

11. Andũ matiũĩ ngũ, moĩ ithendũ

• • Literal translation: Me do not know hard firewood, but only lops.
  • Contextual note: People put aside hard tasks and devote themselves only to easy ones.

12. Andũ me muoyo matiagaga wĩra

• • Literal translation: Live men do not lack work.
  • English equivalent: Life would be too smooth if it had no rubs in it.

13. Angĩmĩtuĩria na ũmĩrĩte ndangĩmĩona rikiĩ

• • Literal translation: He who seeks his goat with the man who ate it, is certain not to find it.
  • Contextual note: Do not look for stolen goods in the robber's house.

14. Arũme marĩ rwamba

• • Literal translation: Men have got quills.
  • Contextual note: Do not annoy others because they will respond by hurting.
  • English equivalent: What goes around comes around; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Absolute Advantage Versus Comparative Advantage

Absolute Advantage versus Comparative Advantage -

Absolute advantage refers to differences in productivity of nations, while comparative advantage refers to differences in opportunity costs.

Absolute Advantage

Absolute advantage compares the productivity of different producers or economies. The producer that requires a smaller quantity inputs to produce a good is said to have an absolute advantage in producing that good.

Table 1 shows the amount of output Country A and Country B can produce in a given period of time. Country A uses less time than Country B to make either food or clothing. Country A makes 6 units of food while Country B makes one unit, and Country A makes three units of clothing while Country B makes two. In other words, Country A has an absolute advantage in making both food and clothing.

TABLE 1

Country A has an absolute advantage in making both food and clothing, but a comparative advantage only in food.

Comparative Advantage

Comparative advantage refers to the ability of a party to produce a particular good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another. Even if one country has an absolute advantage in producing all goods, different countries could still have different comparative advantages. If one country has a comparative advantage over another, both parties can benefit from trading because each party will receive a good at a price that is lower than its own opportunity cost of producing that good. Comparative advantage drives countries to specialize in the production of the goods for which they have the lowest opportunity cost, which leads to increased productivity.

For example, consider again Country A and Country B in table 1. The opportunity cost of producing 1 unit of clothing is 2 units of food in Country A, but only 0.5 units of food in Country B. Since the opportunity cost of producing clothing is lower in Country B than in Country A, Country B has a comparative advantage in clothing.

Thus, even though Country A has an absolute advantage in both food and clothes, it will specialize in food while Country B specializes clothing. The countries will then trade, and each will gain.

Absolute advantage important, but comparative advantage is what determines what a country will specialize in.

SUMMARY

•           The producer that requires a smaller quantity inputs to produce a good is said to have an absolute advantage in producing that good.

•           Comparative advantage refers to the ability of a party to produce a particular good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another.

•           The existence of a comparative advantage allows both parties to benefit from trading, because each party will receive a good at a price that is lower than its opportunity cost of producing that good.

•           Comparative advantage

The ability of a party to produce a particular good or service at a lower marginal and opportunity cost over another.

•           Absolute advantage

The capability to produce more of a given product using less of a given resource than a competing entity.

TYPES OF RESEARCH

TYPES OF RESEARCH

Different authors have classified research into various categories.

Qualitative research

It includes designs, techniques and measures that do not produce discrete numerical data. Qualitative data can be collected through direct observation, participant observation or interview method.

Quantitative research

It includes designs, techniques and measures that produce discreet numerical or quantifiable data.

Advantages of using both qualitative and quantitative methods

1. Since in many cases a researcher has several objectives, some of these objectives are better assessed using quantitative methods.
2. Both methods supplement each other i.e. qualitative methods provide the in-depth explanations while quantitative methods provide the data needed to test hypotheses.
3. Since both methods have a bias, using both types of research helps to avoid such bias in that each method can be used to check the other.

Disadvantages of using both qualitative and quantitative methods

1. It is expensive
2. Researchers may not have sufficient training in both methods to be able to use them effectively.

Classification by purpose

1.      Basic / Pure / Fundamental Research

Basic researchers are interested in deriving scientific knowledge i.e. they are motivated by intellectual curiosity and need to come up with a particular solution. It focuses on generating new knowledge in order to refine or expand existing theories. It does not consider the practical application of the findings to actual problems or situations.

2.      Applied research

It is conducted for the purpose of applying or testing theory and evaluating its usefulness in solving problems. It provides data to support a theory, guide theory revision or suggest the development of a new theory.

3.      Action research

It is conducted with the primary intention of solving a specific, immediate and concrete problem in a local setting e.g. investigating ways of overcoming water shortage in a given area. It is not concerned with whether the results can be generalized to any other setting.

4.      Evaluation Research

It is the process of determining whether the intended results were realized.

Types of evaluation research

                       i.            Needs assessment

A need is a discrepancy between an existing set of conditions and a desired set of conditions. The results of needs assessment study provide the foundation for developing new programmes and for making changes in existing ones.

                     ii.            Formative evaluation

Helps to collect data about a programme while it is still being developed e.g. an educational programme, a marketing strategy etc.

                   iii.            Summative evaluation

It is done after the programme has been fully developed. It is conducted to evaluate how worthwhile the final programme has been especially compared to similar programmes.

Classification by methods of analysis

1.      Descriptive research

It is the process of collecting data in order to test hypotheses or to answer questions concerning the current status of the subjects in the study. It determines and reports the way things are. It attempts to describe such things as possible behaviour, attitudes, values and characteristics.

Steps involved in descriptive research

Ø  Formulating the objectives of a study

Ø  Designing the methods of data collection

Ø  Selecting the sample

Ø  Data collection

Ø  Analyzing the results

2.      Causal-comparative research

It is used to explore relationships between variables. It determines reasons or causes for the current status of the phenomenon under study. The variables of interest cannot be manipulated unlike in experimental research.

Steps in causal-comparative research

Ø  Define the research question

Ø  Select a group that possesses the characteristics, which the researcher wants to study.

Ø  Select a comparison group which does not display the characteristics under study but which is similar to the group in other respects.

Ø  Collect data on both the experimental and control groups

Ø  Analyze the data

Advantages of causal-comparative study

Ø  Allows a comparison of groups without having to manipulate the independent variables

Ø  It can be done solely to identify variables worthy of experimental investigation

Ø  They are relatively cheap.

Disadvantages of causal-comparative study

Ø  Interpretations are limited because the researcher does not know whether a particular variable is a cause or result of a behaviour being studied.

Ø  There may be a third variable which could be affecting the established relationship but which may not be established in the study.

3.      Correlation Methods

It describes in quantitative terms the degree to which variables are related. It explores relationships between variables and also tries to predict a subject’s score on one variable given his or her score on another variable.

Steps in correlational research

Ø  Problem statement

Ø  Selection of subjects

Ø  Data collection

Ø  Data analysis

Advantages of the correlational method

Ø  Permits one to analyze inter-relationships among a large number of variables in a single study.

Ø  Allows one to analyze how several variables either singly or in combination might affect a particular phenomenon being studied.

Ø  The method provides information concerning the degree of relationship between variables being studied.

Disadvantages of the correlational method

Ø  Correlation between two variables does not necessarily imply causation although researchers often tend to interpret such a relationship to mean causation.

Ø  Since the correlation coefficient is an index, any two variables will always show a relationship even when commonsense dictates that such variables are not related.

Ø  The correlation coefficient is very sensitive to the size of the sample.

Classification by type of research

1.      Survey Research

A survey is an attempt to collect data from members of a population in order to determine the current status of that population with respect to one or more variables. Survey study is therefore a self-report study, which requires the collection of quantifiable information from the sample. It is a descriptive research.

Steps involved in Survey research

Ø  Problem statement

Ø  Defining Objectives

Ø  Selecting a Sample

Ø  Preparing the instruments

Ø  Data analysis

Purpose of survey research

           i.            It seeks to obtain information that describes existing phenomena by asking individuals about their perceptions, attitudes, behaviour or values.

         ii.            Can be used for explaining or exploring the existing status of two or more variables, at a given point in time.

       iii.            It is the most appropriate to measure characteristics of large populations.

Limitations of Survey research

           i.            They are dependent on the cooperation of respondents.

         ii.            Information unknown to the respondents cannot be tapped in a survey e.g. amount saved per year

       iii.            Requesting information which is considered secret and personal, encourages incorrect answers.

       iv.            Surveys cannot be aimed at obtaining forecasts of things to come.

2.      Historical research

Involves the study of a problem that requires collecting information from the past.

Purpose of Historical Research

Ø  Aims at arriving at conclusions concerning causes, effects or trends of past occurrences that may help explain present events and anticipate future events.

Ø  Attempts to interpret ideas or events that had previously seemed unrelated.

Ø  Synthesizes old data or merges old data with new historical facts that the researcher or other researchers have discovered.

Ø  To reinterpret  past events that have been studied.

Steps involved in historical research

Ø  Identifying and delineating the problem.

Ø  Developing hypothesis or hypotheses that one is interested in testing.

Ø  Collecting and classifying resource materials, determining facts by internal and external criticism.

Ø  Organizing facts into results

Ø  Interpreting data in terms of stated hypothesis or theory.

Ø  Synthesizing and presenting the research in an organized form.

3.      Observational Research

The current status of a phenomenon is determined not by asking but by observing. This helps to collect objective information.

Steps

Ø  Selection and definition of the problem.

Ø  Sample selection.

Ø  Definition of the observational information.

Ø  Recording observational information

Ø  Data analysis and interpretation.

Types of observational research

1.      Non-participant observation

The observer is not directly involved in the situation to be observed.

2.      Naturalistic Observation

Behaviour is studied and recorded as it normally occurs.

3.      Simulation observation.

The researcher creates the situation to be observed and tells subjects to be observed what activities they are to engage in. Disadvantage – the setting is not natural and the behaviour exhibited by the subjects may not be the behaviour that would occur in a natural setting.

4.      Participant observation

The observer becomes part of or a participant in the situation.  May not be ethical

5.      Case studies

A case study is an in-depth investigation of an individual, group, institution or phenomenon. It aims to determine factors and relationships among the factors that have resulted in the behaviour under study.

6.      Content analysis

It involves observation and detailed description of objects, items or things that comprise the sample.  The purpose is to study existing documents such as books, magazines in order to determine factors that explain a specific phenomenon.

            Steps

Ø  Decide on the unit of analysis

Ø  Sample the content to be analyzed

Ø  Coding

Ø  Data analysis

Ø  Compiling results and interpretations.

Advantages

Ø  Researchers are able to economize in terms of time and money.

Ø  Errors that arise during the study are easier to detect and correct.

Ø  The method has no effect on what is being studied.

Disadvantages

Ø  It is limited to recorded communication.

Ø  It is difficult to ascertain the validity of the data.