The Use of Rural Communities as Study Models in Scientific Field: A Short Communication Report of the Case Study on the Venda Population of South Africa
By
Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala
P.O Box 5275, Thohoyandou, 0950
madalantakadzeniedwin@webmail.co.za
Abstract
Rural communities were used as study models in scientific world for decades now. The use of rural communities as study models and exploitation of their indigenous knowledge it is not happening in Africa alone, this is also happening in other continents like Asia, South America and Europe. This situation it seems to be not a problem to some of the people like scientist who benefit from it, unjust like the communities that the researches are being done to them and their environments but benefiting nothing to them in return. Hitherto scientists have exploited rural communities for their own benefits, in the first case people are being approached for their knowledge (Indigenous), in the second case samples are collected from their environments without proper communications, and in the third and worse cases people are used as laboratory models (samples in other words). This report is focusing on three points mention above with much emphasis on the exploitation of the Venda Population of South Africa by scientist from the same country.
Summary of the problem and the findings
The Venda population is situated in the northern province of South Africa, namely Limpopo province. This province is well known of its vegetation and is one of the provinces in south Africa which is enriched by poverty, people in this province still depends solely on their Natural Environments for food and Health. People in this provinces lives in distinct regions according to different tribes. These tribes are now under threat not because of the conflicts between each other, but by the field of study referred as science and its practitioners (Scientists). Hundreds and hundreds of researches are carried out in these communities each year. In South Africa, Venda people and their environment have been used in the scientifically world, lots of publications have been done as the results of the research studies that have been carried out on these people, in many cases these people are being approached by scientists for the permission but at the end these communities benefit nothing, but this is due to improper communication between the two groups, therefore is important that there is middle person for example the department under concern to relay correct information to these poor communities which are deceived by lies everyday of their lives. In many cases it have been noted that scientist uses rural people in order to gather information about their indigenous knowledge which was supposed to be kept secret from one tribe to another, once these scientist get the information they took it to the press and claim to be the ones who postulated the knowledge in other words they don’t acknowledge the sources of the information.
The use of the Venda population in medical studies is one of the main concern of this report because it have been found that this tribe have been used by scientists to evaluate certain genetic disorders and other related diseases, once this scientist get what they want they don’t give feed back to their so called “guinea pigs”, what they do is to publish their findings to big press and journals were their names can be seen by their counterparts around the world, so one can ask if this researches are being carried out for the benefit of these poor people or the scientists?, this is one of the questions that still to be answered. It is also noticeable that some of the researches that are being carried out while departments concerned for example department health and Humanities are not even aware. One of detrimental consequences of such situation is the invasion of this villager’s environment, were by scientists from different institutions flock in to this vegetation rich environments in search of different plant species that is believed to have activities against certain diseases, according statistics one out of hundred scientists invade this environments without the approval of the locals. One of the problems that the Venda population is facing is that some of the plant species are getting extinct. Thousands of plants that are known to have activities against the HIV viruses or Aids have been identified and reported around the world, and in South Africa alone such plants are mainly from the Venda region which is rich with such plants, scientist goes to such areas and gather information about such plants, and take them to their laboratories for screening against the diseases under study, after finding positive results they patent their findings and claims to be the source of all the speculations they made without the acknowledgements to the people who came with the information at the first place.
Conclusion:
The main aim of this short communication report is to report the current scientific researches that revolve around the rural communities, which benefits the scientist but not the communities under study, in other words the use of rural people by scientists for their own benefits. It was found that such researches are carried out everyday of our lives and people are continued to be used as laboratories models for the benefit of the researchers, so if this continues like this there will be no development in rural areas, but in return the will be good benefit to the world of science, Therefore is important for the department of humanities, health and environment to start dealing with this issue. It is the right time for scientists to start to see rural people as human beings not their “guinea pigs”, so is important that all the researches that will be carried out in these people contribute something to their lives in return.
About the Author
Name: Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala
Qualifications: B.Sc in Biochemistry (Univen, SA). B.ScHons (UJ, SA)
Current activity: M.Sc Student at University of Johannesburg (UJ)
Contacts: Tell +27 11 559 2402 or +27 83 464 9922
Fax +27 11 559 2605
Email madalantakadzeniedwin@webmail.co.za
Country: Republic of South Africa (RSA)
By
Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala
P.O Box 5275, Thohoyandou, 0950
madalantakadzeniedwin@webmail.co.za
Abstract
Rural communities were used as study models in scientific world for decades now. The use of rural communities as study models and exploitation of their indigenous knowledge it is not happening in Africa alone, this is also happening in other continents like Asia, South America and Europe. This situation it seems to be not a problem to some of the people like scientist who benefit from it, unjust like the communities that the researches are being done to them and their environments but benefiting nothing to them in return. Hitherto scientists have exploited rural communities for their own benefits, in the first case people are being approached for their knowledge (Indigenous), in the second case samples are collected from their environments without proper communications, and in the third and worse cases people are used as laboratory models (samples in other words). This report is focusing on three points mention above with much emphasis on the exploitation of the Venda Population of South Africa by scientist from the same country.
Summary of the problem and the findings
The Venda population is situated in the northern province of South Africa, namely Limpopo province. This province is well known of its vegetation and is one of the provinces in south Africa which is enriched by poverty, people in this province still depends solely on their Natural Environments for food and Health. People in this provinces lives in distinct regions according to different tribes. These tribes are now under threat not because of the conflicts between each other, but by the field of study referred as science and its practitioners (Scientists). Hundreds and hundreds of researches are carried out in these communities each year. In South Africa, Venda people and their environment have been used in the scientifically world, lots of publications have been done as the results of the research studies that have been carried out on these people, in many cases these people are being approached by scientists for the permission but at the end these communities benefit nothing, but this is due to improper communication between the two groups, therefore is important that there is middle person for example the department under concern to relay correct information to these poor communities which are deceived by lies everyday of their lives. In many cases it have been noted that scientist uses rural people in order to gather information about their indigenous knowledge which was supposed to be kept secret from one tribe to another, once these scientist get the information they took it to the press and claim to be the ones who postulated the knowledge in other words they don’t acknowledge the sources of the information.
The use of the Venda population in medical studies is one of the main concern of this report because it have been found that this tribe have been used by scientists to evaluate certain genetic disorders and other related diseases, once this scientist get what they want they don’t give feed back to their so called “guinea pigs”, what they do is to publish their findings to big press and journals were their names can be seen by their counterparts around the world, so one can ask if this researches are being carried out for the benefit of these poor people or the scientists?, this is one of the questions that still to be answered. It is also noticeable that some of the researches that are being carried out while departments concerned for example department health and Humanities are not even aware. One of detrimental consequences of such situation is the invasion of this villager’s environment, were by scientists from different institutions flock in to this vegetation rich environments in search of different plant species that is believed to have activities against certain diseases, according statistics one out of hundred scientists invade this environments without the approval of the locals. One of the problems that the Venda population is facing is that some of the plant species are getting extinct. Thousands of plants that are known to have activities against the HIV viruses or Aids have been identified and reported around the world, and in South Africa alone such plants are mainly from the Venda region which is rich with such plants, scientist goes to such areas and gather information about such plants, and take them to their laboratories for screening against the diseases under study, after finding positive results they patent their findings and claims to be the source of all the speculations they made without the acknowledgements to the people who came with the information at the first place.
Conclusion:
The main aim of this short communication report is to report the current scientific researches that revolve around the rural communities, which benefits the scientist but not the communities under study, in other words the use of rural people by scientists for their own benefits. It was found that such researches are carried out everyday of our lives and people are continued to be used as laboratories models for the benefit of the researchers, so if this continues like this there will be no development in rural areas, but in return the will be good benefit to the world of science, Therefore is important for the department of humanities, health and environment to start dealing with this issue. It is the right time for scientists to start to see rural people as human beings not their “guinea pigs”, so is important that all the researches that will be carried out in these people contribute something to their lives in return.
About the Author
Name: Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala
Qualifications: B.Sc in Biochemistry (Univen, SA). B.ScHons (UJ, SA)
Current activity: M.Sc Student at University of Johannesburg (UJ)
Contacts: Tell +27 11 559 2402 or +27 83 464 9922
Fax +27 11 559 2605
Email madalantakadzeniedwin@webmail.co.za
Country: Republic of South Africa (RSA)
posted by Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala wa Tshamphada @ 9:48 AM
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