Janestic Mwende Twikirize
Biographic Data
| ID | 4298714 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Janestic Mwende Twikirize |
| GIVEN NAMES | Janestic Mwende |
| FAMILY NAME | Twikirize |
| SIGNATURE | TWIKIRIZE J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Makerere University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5248-5041 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Facilitators and barriers to the use of Ubuntu values in social work and social development
The article explores the facilitators and barriers to integrating Ubuntu values into social work and social development practice. Ubuntu values justice, freedom, community, reciprocal relations, responsibility, service to humanity, culture, and spirituality. Drawing from an empirical study involving participants from 19 African countries, the research highlights Ubuntu not merely as a philosophical abstraction but as a lived and culturally embedd…
Decolonizing Social Work in Africa
Engaged Scholarship through Community Social Labs
The indigenisation of social work education in Africa is a response to the limitations of Western-centric approaches to addressing complex local social issues. This paper explores the role of engaged scholarship and community social labs in indigenising social work education in Uganda. The study analyses data from four focus group discussions, and student WhatsApp conversations, to examine how these approaches facilitate meaningful community enga…
Understanding Ubuntu and its contribution to social work education in Africa and other regions of the world
The overarching philosophy of Black people of Africa is known by different names but Ubuntu is the most popular name. Ubuntu’s origin is attributable to Black Africans in all regions of the continent—North, West, Central, East and South. Different communities may emphasize its different aspects but they are common knowledges, values and practices. The article begins with a discussion of the philosophy of Ubuntu and its application at the micro (i…
Re-imagining social work education in East Africa
To an increasing extent, scholars of social work have called for social work education and practice to be more responsive to local norms, customs and needs. Commonly referred to as indigenization, these scholars argue that social work curricula should incorporate practices, theories and understandings that are developed locally, eschewing the ‘professional imperialism’ that have come to dominate the discipline. This is also the case at universiti…
Deconstructing the psychosexual myths of female circumcision among the Pokot in Eastern Uganda
Sexualization of the woman’s body has for years been used to promote the practice of female circumcision in practicing communities. In this study, we provide an insight into the constructive psychosexual experiences of uncircumcised Pokot women in Eastern Uganda. This phenomenological study was based on thirty-five In-depth interviews with uncircumcised women. A thematic analysis revealed six constructive psychosexual experiences; less exposure t…
Ubuntu Philosophy and Decolonising Social Work Fields of Practice in Africa
"This book addresses a recurrent gap in social work literature by examining Ubuntu as an Indigenous African philosophy that informs social work beyond the largely residual and individualistic conceptualisation of social work that currently prevails in many contexts. Owing to the lack of social work theories, models and generally, literature that is locally and contextually relevant, most social work lecturers based in African context, struggle to…
Psychosocial coping mechanisms among uncircumcised Pokot women in North-Eastern Uganda
Uncircumcised women continue to be stigmatised with their rights and social status contested in communities where the practice is cherished. This study explored the circumcision refusal coping skills of women from the Pokot community, North-Eastern Uganda. Informants were 25 uncircumcised Pokot women and five key informants. Following in-depth interviews, the thematic analysis revealed that women cope with circumcision refusal by cultural reposit…
Reimagining Indigenised social work in Uganda
Using thematic analysis, this study examined social workers’ (n = 21) descriptions of what Indigenised social work practice in Uganda entails. Responses from semi-structured interviews revealed the following three themes that inform social workers’ understanding of Indigenised social work practice: (1) collective action and mutuality, (2) communal welfare and respect for life and (3) liberation and restoration. The discussion aims at understandin…
Social innovations in rural communities in Africa's Great Lakes region. A social work perspective
In Africa's Great Lakes region, many rural communities face serious challenges including chronic poverty, lack of infrastructure, high unemployment, inadequate education systems and healthcare services, as well as a fundamental absence of public social protection mechanisms. In some contexts, rural dwellers suffer from the additional burden of armed conflict and political violence. Yet, rural populations show remarkable indications of resilience …
Social Work Practice in Africa
Interventions addressing ritualistic child sexual abuse in post-conflict Eastern DRC
Ritualistic child sexual abuse (RCSA) is an under-recognized and poorly addressed form of child maltreatment. Despite a relative decrease of war-related sexual violence in post-conflict Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the existing monitoring reports leave no doubt that RCSA remains a public health problem of high significance. While RCSA requires urgent action, little has been done to address it. This article critically examines RCSA as a pre…
Ethical Challenges for Social Work in Post-Conflict Situations
During the past decades, the African Great Lakes region has experienced several armed conflicts, widespread political crisis, and large-scale loss of human lives. The civilian population bears the brunt of political turmoil and suffers from direct and structural violence and from the violation of their fundamental human rights. Although social work is still weak in these countries, it can play an important role in peace-building and in the overal…
Promoting social and economic equality
This article explores how social workers in South Africa (where social work is regulated by law), and Uganda (where social work is not professionally regulated), draw on the premises that social work is a human rights profession embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their respective countries’ constitutions, and developmental social work to claim their role in promoting social and economic equality. The case studies from both Sou…
War-affected children in northern Uganda
Armed conflict and war violate children’s rights. In northern Uganda, thousands of children have been forcefully abducted and recruited by an armed opposition group. Despite relative peace and stability since 2006, children suffer from the destruction of the social, economic, and educational infrastructure, and lack of protection of their fundamental rights. This article provides an overview of international legal frameworks pertaining to childre…
Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services
Twikirize JM, O'Brien C. Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services Uganda reintroduced free healthcare in 2001, but today, nine years later, less than 30 per cent of the population are using these services. This study investigated why rural households were under‐utilising the government's free health services and turning to community health insurance instead. A survey ca…
A life of fear
Schoemaker J, Twikirize J. A life of fear: sex workers and the threat of HIV in Uganda The way individuals perceive their risk to certain threats influences their adoption of preventive behaviour. This study explored sex workers' perception of risk of HIV infection within the context of other serious threats. The study was carried out in Kampala, Uganda, using peer ethnography. Sex workers were well aware of their risk of HIV infection but this r…
Promoting social and economic equality
This article explores how social workers in South Africa (where social work is regulated by law), and Uganda (where social work is not professionally regulated), draw on the premises that social work is a human rights profession embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their respective countries’ constitutions, and developmental social work to claim their role in promoting social and economic equality. The case studies from both Sou…
War-affected children in northern Uganda
Armed conflict and war violate children’s rights. In northern Uganda, thousands of children have been forcefully abducted and recruited by an armed opposition group. Despite relative peace and stability since 2006, children suffer from the destruction of the social, economic, and educational infrastructure, and lack of protection of their fundamental rights. This article provides an overview of international legal frameworks pertaining to childre…
Reimagining Indigenised social work in Uganda
Using thematic analysis, this study examined social workers’ (n = 21) descriptions of what Indigenised social work practice in Uganda entails. Responses from semi-structured interviews revealed the following three themes that inform social workers’ understanding of Indigenised social work practice: (1) collective action and mutuality, (2) communal welfare and respect for life and (3) liberation and restoration. The discussion aims at understandin…
Social innovations in rural communities in Africa's Great Lakes region. A social work perspective
In Africa's Great Lakes region, many rural communities face serious challenges including chronic poverty, lack of infrastructure, high unemployment, inadequate education systems and healthcare services, as well as a fundamental absence of public social protection mechanisms. In some contexts, rural dwellers suffer from the additional burden of armed conflict and political violence. Yet, rural populations show remarkable indications of resilience …
Ubuntu Philosophy and Decolonising Social Work Fields of Practice in Africa
"This book addresses a recurrent gap in social work literature by examining Ubuntu as an Indigenous African philosophy that informs social work beyond the largely residual and individualistic conceptualisation of social work that currently prevails in many contexts. Owing to the lack of social work theories, models and generally, literature that is locally and contextually relevant, most social work lecturers based in African context, struggle to…
Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services
Twikirize JM, O'Brien C. Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services Uganda reintroduced free healthcare in 2001, but today, nine years later, less than 30 per cent of the population are using these services. This study investigated why rural households were under‐utilising the government's free health services and turning to community health insurance instead. A survey ca…
Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services
Twikirize JM, O'Brien C. Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services Uganda reintroduced free healthcare in 2001, but today, nine years later, less than 30 per cent of the population are using these services. This study investigated why rural households were under‐utilising the government's free health services and turning to community health insurance instead. A survey ca…
A life of fear
Schoemaker J, Twikirize J. A life of fear: sex workers and the threat of HIV in Uganda The way individuals perceive their risk to certain threats influences their adoption of preventive behaviour. This study explored sex workers' perception of risk of HIV infection within the context of other serious threats. The study was carried out in Kampala, Uganda, using peer ethnography. Sex workers were well aware of their risk of HIV infection but this r…
War-affected children in northern Uganda
Armed conflict and war violate children’s rights. In northern Uganda, thousands of children have been forcefully abducted and recruited by an armed opposition group. Despite relative peace and stability since 2006, children suffer from the destruction of the social, economic, and educational infrastructure, and lack of protection of their fundamental rights. This article provides an overview of international legal frameworks pertaining to childre…
Ethical Challenges for Social Work in Post-Conflict Situations
During the past decades, the African Great Lakes region has experienced several armed conflicts, widespread political crisis, and large-scale loss of human lives. The civilian population bears the brunt of political turmoil and suffers from direct and structural violence and from the violation of their fundamental human rights. Although social work is still weak in these countries, it can play an important role in peace-building and in the overal…
Promoting social and economic equality
This article explores how social workers in South Africa (where social work is regulated by law), and Uganda (where social work is not professionally regulated), draw on the premises that social work is a human rights profession embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their respective countries’ constitutions, and developmental social work to claim their role in promoting social and economic equality. The case studies from both Sou…
Interventions addressing ritualistic child sexual abuse in post-conflict Eastern DRC
Ritualistic child sexual abuse (RCSA) is an under-recognized and poorly addressed form of child maltreatment. Despite a relative decrease of war-related sexual violence in post-conflict Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the existing monitoring reports leave no doubt that RCSA remains a public health problem of high significance. While RCSA requires urgent action, little has been done to address it. This article critically examines RCSA as a pre…
Social Work Practice in Africa
Social innovations in rural communities in Africa's Great Lakes region. A social work perspective
In Africa's Great Lakes region, many rural communities face serious challenges including chronic poverty, lack of infrastructure, high unemployment, inadequate education systems and healthcare services, as well as a fundamental absence of public social protection mechanisms. In some contexts, rural dwellers suffer from the additional burden of armed conflict and political violence. Yet, rural populations show remarkable indications of resilience …
Psychosocial coping mechanisms among uncircumcised Pokot women in North-Eastern Uganda
Uncircumcised women continue to be stigmatised with their rights and social status contested in communities where the practice is cherished. This study explored the circumcision refusal coping skills of women from the Pokot community, North-Eastern Uganda. Informants were 25 uncircumcised Pokot women and five key informants. Following in-depth interviews, the thematic analysis revealed that women cope with circumcision refusal by cultural reposit…
Reimagining Indigenised social work in Uganda
Using thematic analysis, this study examined social workers’ (n = 21) descriptions of what Indigenised social work practice in Uganda entails. Responses from semi-structured interviews revealed the following three themes that inform social workers’ understanding of Indigenised social work practice: (1) collective action and mutuality, (2) communal welfare and respect for life and (3) liberation and restoration. The discussion aims at understandin…
Re-imagining social work education in East Africa
To an increasing extent, scholars of social work have called for social work education and practice to be more responsive to local norms, customs and needs. Commonly referred to as indigenization, these scholars argue that social work curricula should incorporate practices, theories and understandings that are developed locally, eschewing the ‘professional imperialism’ that have come to dominate the discipline. This is also the case at universiti…
Deconstructing the psychosexual myths of female circumcision among the Pokot in Eastern Uganda
Sexualization of the woman’s body has for years been used to promote the practice of female circumcision in practicing communities. In this study, we provide an insight into the constructive psychosexual experiences of uncircumcised Pokot women in Eastern Uganda. This phenomenological study was based on thirty-five In-depth interviews with uncircumcised women. A thematic analysis revealed six constructive psychosexual experiences; less exposure t…
Ubuntu Philosophy and Decolonising Social Work Fields of Practice in Africa
"This book addresses a recurrent gap in social work literature by examining Ubuntu as an Indigenous African philosophy that informs social work beyond the largely residual and individualistic conceptualisation of social work that currently prevails in many contexts. Owing to the lack of social work theories, models and generally, literature that is locally and contextually relevant, most social work lecturers based in African context, struggle to…
Understanding Ubuntu and its contribution to social work education in Africa and other regions of the world
The overarching philosophy of Black people of Africa is known by different names but Ubuntu is the most popular name. Ubuntu’s origin is attributable to Black Africans in all regions of the continent—North, West, Central, East and South. Different communities may emphasize its different aspects but they are common knowledges, values and practices. The article begins with a discussion of the philosophy of Ubuntu and its application at the micro (i…
Decolonizing Social Work in Africa
Engaged Scholarship through Community Social Labs
The indigenisation of social work education in Africa is a response to the limitations of Western-centric approaches to addressing complex local social issues. This paper explores the role of engaged scholarship and community social labs in indigenising social work education in Uganda. The study analyses data from four focus group discussions, and student WhatsApp conversations, to examine how these approaches facilitate meaningful community enga…
Facilitators and barriers to the use of Ubuntu values in social work and social development
The article explores the facilitators and barriers to integrating Ubuntu values into social work and social development practice. Ubuntu values justice, freedom, community, reciprocal relations, responsibility, service to humanity, culture, and spirituality. Drawing from an empirical study involving participants from 19 African countries, the research highlights Ubuntu not merely as a philosophical abstraction but as a lived and culturally embedd…
Political science (12 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Law (10 works) · Social Work (8 works) · Law (7 works) · Social Work Education and Practice (7 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Economics (5 works) · Economic growth (4 works) · Engineering (4 works)