http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2540 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:21:35 GMT 2026-04-04T05:21:35Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2592 Title: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of First Year Students Regarding HIV/AIDS at SMU Authors: Bekele, Solomon Abstract: HIV/AIDS has been a global challenge since its advent in the 1980's. The pandemic has even been greater in the third world with Sub-Saharan Africa being hit hard. Ethiopia as one of the countries in the region was not an exception. The country had more than 800,000 people living with the virus with a national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 1.5%. Knowledge, attitude and practice of students regarding HIV/AIDS are of paramount importance in the prevention and control of the epidemic. This study tried to assess SMU's freshman students (2013/14 entry) knowledge, attitude and practice regarding HIV/AIDS. The study revealed that the majority of the students have good knowledge, desirable attitudes and good practices concerning the issue. However, 42.5%, 32% and 38.5% of the respondents are found to have no knowledge about the facts that not having sex with CSW and abstinence can prevent oneself from HIV/AIDS and that a healthy looking person can be HIV/AIDS positive, respectively. Undesirable attitude was observed among 49.5% regarding living and working/learning with PLWHA. Similarly, 29.5% of the students disagreed on the preventive role of being loyal to ones sexual partner. Likewise, 36% of them do not believe that anyone can be infected by the virus. Concerning practice, 54.5% of the respondents do not want to be seen holding condoms. Despite the 97.5% agreement of the respondents on the importance of VCT, 58.5% of them had never utilized the service. Unsafe sexual practices such as sex with CSW, sex after alcohol/drug consumption and sex after watching pornography were observed among 7%, 13% and 6.5% of the respondents, respectively. Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2592 2014-07-24T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2590 Title: Looking at Human Element in Education: Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction of Teachers at Adama Science and Technology University Authors: Disassa, Alemu Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived level of organizational commitment (OC) and job satisfaction (JS) of teachers of Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU). A six- step likert scale survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 192 regular academic staffs of the seven schools of ASTU. The result indicated that the teachers have moderate level of JS and OC. They are better satisfied with co-workers and supervisors, but less satisfied with pay, promotion, and fringe benefits. Teachers from Business and Economics, Engineering, and Health Science schools are least satisfied and committed whereas those from School of Agriculture and School of Natural Science are better satisfied and committed. Pearson correlation matrix indicated that as their age increase, teachers’ continuance commitment and satisfaction with pay and fringe benefits increase whereas their normative commitment and satisfaction with supervisors and co-workers decrease. Length of teaching experience is negatively correlated with normative commitment and satisfaction with supervisors and co-workers, but positively with affective commitment. Lack of incentives/promotion, poor salary, lack of teaching resources and office facilities, lack of proper care for academic staff, poor social services facilities and instability of top management are among the major factors believed to have hampered the teachers’ JS and OC. Improving promotion and incentive schemes, initiating projects which could financially and professionally benefit the academic staff, investing on educational inputs, improving social service facilities, involving staffs in the election of top management are among the major actions recommended to boost the teachers’ OC and JS and subsequently improve the quality of education offered at ASTU. Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2590 2014-07-24T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2588 Title: A phenomenal of ‘Social Loathing’: Psychosocial Experience of Double Orphans before and after the Death of their Parents from HIV Authors: Mekonnen, Habtamu Abstract: The rate of new HIV infection is declining in Ethiopia. However,reduction in registered prevalence alone is not sufficient as the psychosocial impacts of the disease are still persistent. Little is known how family members experience stressors from the progressive illness and death of parents, how did they experience with changes in different care services? Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore and understand psychosocial experiences of HIV orphaned children. Fifteen double orphaned children, five care givers and five community leaders were identified by purposive and snowball samplings for interview. Focused group discussions were also conducted. Data were analyzed on progressive levels from pre-death to post-death experiences. Findings indicated that double orphans were vulnerable in many ways, and their vulnerability was more serious when they became the head of the family. The existing practices of care and support were focused on meeting their daily physical needs and were not meeting their psychosocial needs. The study illustrates that HIV/AIDS has impacted negatively on the psychosocial experiences of children including: abuse, fear, grief, loss of self-esteem, stigma and discrimination and social isolation. Children’s experience can, therefore, be considered as a phenomenon of social loathing. These findings can be used as preliminary data supporting more researches to profoundly explore the psychosocial impact of parental loss on children and appropriately indicate the need for interventions. Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2588 2014-07-24T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2586 Title: Assessment of Operational Performance of Meklit Microfinance Institution Share Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Authors: Yehualashet, Aytenfisu Abstract: The main objective of the study was to assess the operational performance of Meklit Microfinance Institution. It has made use of secondary and primary data sources for which 85 clients were selected through stratified and simple random sampling. The data was analyzed by making use of simple descriptive statistical tools. The study discloses that most clients have borrowed on an individual loan base for trade, and non-trade or consumption; that reveals as Meklit Microfinance Institution seems to give much emphasis on individual lending. The survey result reveals that incentives have not been given to clients who have paid back their loan exactly on the due date instead they are treated equally with late payers. It also indicates that the amount of loan given to clients is inadequate to run their business that forces them toward double loan from other formal and non-formal financial sources. Most respondents indicated that the collateral requested for individual business loan is very difficult to fulfill particularly for lower-income individuals. The analysis on the four consecutive years’ data shows that Meklit’s repayment rate was below 97% signaling the existence of poor repayment performance and high loan default. The study reveals that the portfolio at risk for more than 30 days were above 10% up to the end of 2011/2012 fiscal year that implies the risk of uncollectible is significant for both past due loans and loans not due but contaminated. In the study the contribution of women borrowers in arrear was found to be less than men except in the last two years (2011/2012 and 2012/2013) that shows women’s participation in microfinance as a guarantee for better repayment performance and longer relationship. The study has identified inadequate loan size, lack of supervision, collateral problem, lack of training, high interest rate, absence of special arrangement for reasonable late payment, inconvenient office location, and poor customer handling as factors that discourage borrowers not to be permanent clients. Finally, it is recommended that to enhance the pertinent challenges and promote a smooth relationship between Meklit and its clients; a pooled effort is needed from all concerned stakeholders. Particularly, Meklit shall pay special attention to educe clients’ dropout and address more clients by using different promotional mechanisms. In order to improve the repayment performance in Meklit and to exactly decide to use individual or group lending, further research that employs a blend of advanced statistical techniques with more samples need to be conducted. Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2586 2014-07-24T00:00:00Z