An inquiry into divergent literacy practices among communities resident in Nandi County

Abstract

The study is an inquiry into divergent literacy practices among communities resident in Nandi County. This means that the study will explore the different literacy literacies among multicultural and multilingual residents in the County. In this study, a purposive stratified sample of 60 rural-urban mixes of intercultural group locations in Nandi County comprising a purposive selection of 20 respondents in each location using the snowball technique was used, face-to-face interviews, literacy diaries, observation, video with inbuilt audio recording, and documentation. The results of the study indicated significant ways in which multilingual residents of Nandi County use literacies in their everyday lives. For example, it was established from interviews and observations made in churches in Nandi County that the church had elaborate literacies evident in its programmes and activities. For instance, the Sunday school curriculum was structured and developed into lessons that children were taken through. In some churches, the lessons were structured to fit the children’s ages, that is, lower and upper classes. It was concluded that the skills required for navigating and performing in today’s information age invite us to focus on a wide range of literacies. It is evident that individuals and groups always go beyond the literacy they possess when confronted with situations that require them to act or solve a problem. Consequently, this calls for inquiry into literacy practices that are unique to each setting. It was recommended that individuals and groups are not limited to the knowledge and skills they possess only, and therefore, what they do with literacies should be investigated.