I thought, since this blog is about studying abroad, I'd go into a little more detail about what I studied while abroad.  So, here is some information on my school projects in Africa:

A farming village, Nder provided the perfect opportunity to gain a more thorough understanding of the market system starting at the source: the fields and farmers.  Additionally, as the villagers had previously expressed an interest in organic agriculture, we could work with those farmers (all men) and women interested in organic agriculture to enact small-scale change that would, ideally, lay the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable agricultural future in Nder.

Prior to Arrival in Nder:

Held a brainstorming session and devised a general strategy for our work in Nder
1.    Gain thorough understanding of the current agriculture setup and system in Nder—how it operates on a daily basis, those involved, the challenges it presents, the nature of the village’s dependence, what it was founded upon, and how it has changed.
2.    With the farmers, make some kind of formal assessment of the villagers’ needs and aspirations and plan with them accordingly.
3.    Work towards the creation of a concrete marker of Nder’s (potentially brighter) organic future.

In Nder:

Mr. Thioye identified six members of the Nder community to join the various work groups and within a few a days of our arrival, our Organic Agriculture group was formed and on April 6, 2005, we held our first group meeting.  

Agenda for Group Meeting I

1)    Introduce selves and interest in organic agriculture/aims for time in Nder
2)    Go around and have Nder partners introduce selves and provide a little information about their agriculture experience and interest in organic agriculture.
3)    Establish set time to meet with entire group every 2-3 days.
4)    Set up individual meetings (for interview questions).


From the initial introductions alone, we could tell that each would bring a unique perspective to the group.  Fatou Gaye and Salimata Diongue, both women, sold produce in the local markets and aided in the planting and harvesting of the fields.  Maodo Diaw, the chief’s son, had participated in a three-month PNUD/TROPIS sustainable agriculture training in Gnit in 2002.  After completing the training, he had been given 180,000 CFA to train the women of Nder in sustainable agriculture and get them started on their own gardens.  However, once the money ran out, he had been unable to keep his own fields going while overseeing the women’s gardens.  Best friends Ndery Thioye and Guedel Diouf were seasoned farmers and occasional bana bana (middlemen).  Yareem had joined us our first day in Nder, taking us to his fields and helping us with the questionnaire.  A student who had decided to return to his native village and work the fields, Yareem could converse with us in French and lift a bit of the constant weight of translation from Ronald’s shoulders.

Next time I'll talk about a survey/questionaire I had to conduct.  It's very interesting.