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This paper aims to look at Botswana women entrepreneurs involved in informal cross-border trade (ICBT). It addresses the following questions: What is the nature of the entrepreneurship activities that the women engage in, the funding sources and profitability of the businesses? How has the business helped to enhance women’s economic empowerment? What are the factors that influence participation of women in these businesses and their challenges?

The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in studying the challenges faced by Botswana women entrepreneurs in ICBT. A sample of 319 women were identified for study using a combination of the systematic sampling method and snowball techniques. Questionnaires were administered on the sampled women by trained research assistants. In addition, key informant interviews and focus group discussion were conducted on selected women entrepreneurs and key personnel from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Customs and Immigration Offices at the border posts.

The study revealed that the majority of the women (67 per cent) were under 35 years of age, 69 per cent had very little education (senior secondary certificate and below), 41 per cent were unemployed and 44 per cent were single (never married). The women traded mainly in agricultural products and industrial goods. Raising income for the families (49 per cent) ranked highest as the push factor for the women entrepreneurs. The average monthly profit made by the women was P5916.77 ± 409.86 (US$657.42 ± 45.54). The major constraints faced by the women traders were delays at the borders, long hours of travel, time away from their homes and stiff completion with other traders. ICBT was shown to be highly profitable for the women entrepreneurs, with gross profit margin on imported goods at 59.5 per cent.

The study limitations included fear that the research assistants are agents of the income tax department disguised as researchers and that the collected information may be passed on to government authorities for the purpose of taxation. It was not possible to evaluate the impact of these feelings by the respondents on the responses. However, “anonymity” was the best strategy for getting information. They were assured in the consent form and orally that information provided was not going to be divulged to any other sources and that the questionnaire does not contain anybody’s personal information which could be used to track the person. Notwithstanding these limitations, the study design was appropriate for the purpose of the research. The instrument was adequate as can be seen from the high values of the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.90) and knowledgeable research assistants who collected the data under the supervision of the authors.

The women entrepreneurs were able to generate substantial incomes and profits that enabled them to improve the livelihood of the families and empowered them to themselves take major decisions in their families. The educational status of the women needs to be improved, as this will be necessary to improve their entrepreneurial skills.

Reduction in internal taxes on imported goods by the women can enhance the profitability of the businesses.

The study is highly original, especially as no such study has been undertaken in Botswana before. The methodology used is very adequate and specially articulated to achieve the objective of the study. The research assistants were well-trained for this assignment.

Mentorship is crucial to the success and accomplishment of librarianship in the contemporary era. This paper aims to investigate the need for mentorship and challenges besetting mentorship in librarianship with specific focus on academic libraries.

Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was 1,214 librarians in 102 academic libraries in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration sampling technique was adopted for the study.

It was reflected that mentorship, though beset by a number of challenges, is a necessity in librarianship. The hypotheses tested revealed that there is significant relationship between the need for mentorship and the types of mentorship adopted in academic libraries, and that there is no significant difference between the need for mentorship by male and female librarians.

This study affirmed that it is through mentorship that librarians can meet their job demands. Mentorship should therefore be stimulated to bolster the professional and intellectual development of the librarians. The mentees should be carried along in mentorship partnership selection process, and training should be organized for mentors and mentees on mentorship.

The interaction of librarians in the course of mentoring can facilitate work cohesion and enhanced job performance.

The needs for and challenges besetting mentorship in librarianship have been explored by collecting data directly from the librarians. The cloistered nature of librarianship, given the changing nature of the profession owing to massive deployment of Information and Communication Technology in the performance of library operations, means that mentorship should be encouraged in the profession.

The present study seeks to investigate female entrepreneurship in turbulent times (COVID-19) and contexts (emerging markets).

An in-depth, multiple-firm (five SMEs), cross-country (2 countries – Brazil and Tunisia), cross-region (Latin America and the MENA region) case study based on a mixed embeddedness perspective.

The study highlights how challenges and uncertainties are managed, what inspires female entrepreneurs and what frightens them. We capture these entrepreneurs' insecurities, self-doubts and creative survival strategies. Our findings reinforce the need for self-efficacy and resilience, as well as the importance of a support network and the ability to “reboot” whenever needed. Despite persistent patriarchal norms and cultures, the women surveyed did not see themselves as female entrepreneurs but as successful entrepreneurs, akin to their male counterparts.

Academically, the study contributes to the fields of entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship and crisis management with empirical evidence in new contexts (LATAM and MENA regions) and times (collected during a crisis). The results also contribute in a practical way to female entrepreneurs, policy makers and global agencies.

The study's originality arises from a qualitative cross-country comparison of findings from internationally minded companies from under-researched developing countries and regions at an especially interesting and turbulent time: the pandemic of 2020.

This study examines the cultural history of the Api-Opi deity in Opi, Nsukka, Enugu State of Nigeria. The study sets out to examine the re-emergence of youthful worshippers of Api-Opi, despite the penetration of Christianity in the area.

The study employed ethnographic observation and field visits to the shrine of Api-Opi in Opi community of Enugu State, Nigeria. In addition, this study uncovers new information drawn from semi-structured interview questions undertaken in the study area between March and October of 2019.

Against certain claims on the impact of Christianity on Africa's traditional religions, the study found that the Api-Opi deity has withstood these post-colonial changes, growing its followership, particularly amongst the youths. It demonstrated the resilience of Igbo Traditional Worship System even in the midst of culture clash and religious iconoclasm advanced by Christianity in Igboland, Nigeria.

Evidence from this study helps debunk the notions of Eurocentric scholars who say African traditional religions are fetish, barbaric or primitive. It also shows how indigenous communities have protected and preserved their religious heritage despite the wave of modernization and other eternal influences. The study contributes to the increasing conversations about the role of traditional religion in the cultural resilience/revitalization of indigenous communities.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate challenges faced by and opportunities open to women entrepreneurs in Botswana and how entrepreneurship education can boost their knowledge and skills of doing business profitably and contribute to women empowerment.

In total, 400 women entrepreneurs of different ages, educational levels and from trades and different geographical locations were selected using a stratified random sampling procedure to participate in the study from ten towns and cities in the country. A structured questionnaire that used a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection. One-way ANOVA, regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used as tools for data analysis.

Findings showed that women entrepreneurs faced a complex web of challenges among which were access to finance, lack of training leading to lack of technical skills, lack of knowledge of sources of financing and technical support, high competition in the market, marginalisation of women and lack of knowledge of marketing strategies. The key findings were that while women entrepreneurs faced a number of challenges, the legal and regulatory environment in Botswana was highly conducive and supportive of women entrepreneurship and also that customised entrepreneurship education and training offered opportunities for women entrepreneurs to enhance their knowledge and technical skills.

The study only used a quantitative approach to collect data. It could have perhaps been more enriching if a mixed-methods approach were used to help probe the participants more. The study also only used women entrepreneurs in cities and towns. Perhaps, it could have also got some women entrepreneurs from rural areas to hear what they say. These limitations will be addressed in future studies.

Practical implications of the study are that women entrepreneurs need more training in business entrepreneurship for them to gain more knowledge and skills; finance houses become more accommodating to women entrepreneurship they could help in the empowerment of these people as they show potential in their businesses; and if more pro-women entrepreneurship policies are developed, they could enhance the activities of women entrepreneurs.

Women can perform as much as men in business if given the necessary support.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge on women entrepreneurship as it helped expose challenges women entrepreneurs face as well as opportunities for them to take advantage of and improve their business operations.

This study aims to examine whether or not residential properties closer to landfill sites have lower offer values by the developers. That is, by analyzing real estate data and landfill site locations, the study seeks to provide insights into whether properties situated closer to landfill sites tend to have a lower offer values than those located farther away.

The study is exploratory in nature, and a case study approach is applied. A landfill site named “Uruli Devachi” is selected in the region of Pune district, and data is collected from 102 developers selling residential projects within a radius of 15 km (about 9.32 mi). The gathered data is analyzed by using basic descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The OLS regression helps to determine whether there is a relationship between the distance of a residential property from a landfill site and its offer value.

The findings suggest that landfill sites have a detrimental impact on residential property offer values, with the negative impact increasing with proximity to a landfill site. The negative effect seems to vanish after over 10 km (about 6.21 mi). The developers provide extra facilities including a clubhouse, a children’s play area, a gym and a swimming pool in an effort to mitigate the negative effects of the landfill site on residential properties.

The findings of this study could have implications for property developers, real estate professionals and policymakers in understanding how landfill proximity might impact property offer values.

This study presents many novelties for the Indian housing market: the landfill sites do have a negative effect on the offer value of residential property; the closer the residential property to a landfill site, the higher the negative effect. Further, the developers try and mitigate the negative effect of landfill sites on residential properties by providing additional amenities such as a clubhouse, children’s play park, gym and swimming pool.