Greetings! Here’s a word from a member of my research team who worked on the project in Kenya this summer. Enjoy!
From Stephanie Allen…
Members of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Poverty Initiative,
Thank you so much for your generous donation to our community development project in Kenya this summer! Working on the Qualitative and Qualitative Agroecological Assessment of a Community in the Nyakach Region of Kenya project was one of the highlights of my 7.5 weeks in Kenya. We conducted many interviews of Bethlehem Home elders and other members of the community, gathering data on farming practices in the region.
As a Pre-Medical student interested in maternal and child health, it was interesting to learn more about the diets of families in this area. Most QQAACN participants mainly focused on growing staple crops such as maize and beans. Others, however, had elaborate gardens, cultivating a more nutritious variety of crops, including fruits and local vegetables. Using the data gathered in this study, we plan to identify ways in which the gardens of the Bethlehem Home elders and orphans can be improved and expanded, in order to provide more nutritious foods as well as a more sustainable income.
One of the most gratifying components of this experience was the gratitude and hospitality that we were shown by the elders and community members that we interviewed. People welcomed us into their homes and participated in interviews and assessments that could last up to two hours. Many participants took great joy in showing us their garden plot, detailing the history of their establishment as well as their philosophies on farming techniques and practices.
Once again, thank you for your generosity and dedication to the alleviation of poverty through interdisciplinary scholarly pursuits. I’m confident that the investment you have made will make a difference in this community, which struggles with food insecurity year-round. I hope to be involved in this project in the coming years, as the principal investigators for the project, Jake Abell and Danny Nassar, plan and implement farming interventions in this area to maximize the richly fertile land of our Kenyan partners.
Thank you and God bless you.
Stephanie Allen