Education for sustainable development of medicinal plant sellers-challenges in relation to marketing, sales, storage and conservation
type: CreativeWork
description: The purpose of this study was to introduce the concept of sustainability to medicinal plant sellers by a way of a non-formal environmental education programme. This was done for future generations to enjoy the benefits of medicinal plants whilst enhancing the livelihoods of medicinal plant sellers who depend on harvesting and selling these plants. Having realised that medicinal plant sellers were harvesting in an unsustainable manner, the researcher could not ignore this situation. There was a need to assist medicinal plant sellers to reflect on ways they conducted their businesses. The researcher deemed it necessary to alert the sellers to the necessity of harvesting plants wisely and consider future generations by taking preventive actions before many of the plants become extinct. The design of this study was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. On one hand, the quantitative approach involved a survey using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered through face-to-face interviews. On the other hand, the qualitative method is by way of a case study in which data were collected through open-ended questions, focus group discussions and a workshop. The questionnaires were semi-structured. The research survey instrument served as the diagnostic tools to identify challenges that confronted the medicinal plant sellers. Information obtained through this instrument was explored in a workshop, which was designed to be an intervention programme. The programme engaged medicinal plant sellers and the researcher in discussions about sustainability of medicinal plants. The assessment of the intervention programme was carried out by means of site visit and open-ended interviews. Data were coded and grouped according to themes. They were interpreted, analysed, presented according to the set perspectives such as tabulation, graphing and direct citations from the respondents. iii The results showed that there were problems in the medicinal pla…
abstract: The purpose of this study was to introduce the concept of sustainability to medicinal plant sellers by a way of a non-formal environmental education programme. This was done for future generations to enjoy the benefits of medicinal plants whilst enhancing the livelihoods of medicinal plant sellers who depend on harvesting and selling these plants. Having realised that medicinal plant sellers were harvesting in an unsustainable manner, the researcher could not ignore this situation. There was a need to assist medicinal plant sellers to reflect on ways they conducted their businesses. The researcher deemed it necessary to alert the sellers to the necessity of harvesting plants wisely and consider future generations by taking preventive actions before many of the plants become extinct. The design of this study was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. On one hand, the quantitative approach involved a survey using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered through face-to-face interviews. On the other hand, the qualitative method is by way of a case study in which data were collected through open-ended questions, focus group discussions and a workshop. The questionnaires were semi-structured. The research survey instrument served as the diagnostic tools to identify challenges that confronted the medicinal plant sellers. Information obtained through this instrument was explored in a workshop, which was designed to be an intervention programme. The programme engaged medicinal plant sellers and the researcher in discussions about sustainability of medicinal plants. The assessment of the intervention programme was carried out by means of site visit and open-ended interviews. Data were coded and grouped according to themes. They were interpreted, analysed, presented according to the set perspectives such as tabulation, graphing and direct citations from the respondents. iii The results showed that there were problems in the medicinal pla…
author: Ndawonde, Busisiwe Gugu
keywords: medicina --plant sellers --sustainability
license: https://devspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/6f715791-7c8d-47d2-a20c-f9c17fdac8b0/download
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:16:44Z
provider: University of Zululand
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zululand