Saturday, June 8, 2013

Two Weeks Off the Grid--Internship Update

Early Monday morning I’m catching a bus to Mbarara and from there a matatu (mini-bus taxi) to Ibanda and from there likely a motorcycle taxi to a village between 5 to 10 kilometers away. This will be the first of two villagers will I will be doing a week to two weeks of ethnographic research. For the sweet potato project I am helping with, they have asked me to delve deeper into the what, how and why people buy, grow, sell, cook and eat certain foods. The goal is to find a household in the village to take me in and let me live with them for my time in the village. During the day I will help them or at least tag along in going to the market, gardening, cooking and of course eating. I’ll mainly be with the women, but whenever relevant I’ll also be spending time with men. Toward the end of my stay I’ll try to organize a few group discussions to ask some more pointed questions about nutrition, health during pregnancy and breastfeeding and gender dynamics surrounding food choice.


I am a bit excited and more than a tad bit nervous. Here’s hoping for the best! I won’t be taking my computer so it’s likely you won’t hear from me for two weeks, but I’ll be sure to let y’all know I’m alive when I get back. If you need me, call my Ugandan phone number +256 075 371 1189. (256 is the country code). 

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