IMAGINE: Science that contributes to the health and well being of communities in need – Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities in South Africa (from a student’s perspective)
By Kenkesha Clark Staten, Graduate Student, Master of Liberal Studies Program NCSU
IMAGINE (International Mentoring of Advanced Graduates for INterdisciplinary Excellence) is a new program at NC State. The program, directed by Dr. Melissa McHale in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, provides students with an opportunity for an interdisciplinary, international research experience. Students learn from the challenges associated with conducting ethical and scientifically robust studies within communities. They work in teams to plan and conduct research that helps people.
Although the program is open to graduate students all over campus, as a humanities student I never expected to be accepted into a program with a science based curriculum,. A trip to Africa seemed like a distant and unachievable dream, especially for a woman that never travelled far from the southeast in her lifetime, nor spent more than 2 hours on an airplane. Furthermore, I was balancing the life of a graduate student with that of a mother, which posed a host of monetary and scheduling constraints. To my surprise, students like me are perfect for this program as the goal is to gather a diverse group in educational interests, career goals, cultural foundations, and life experiences that can bring a variety of perspectives to an analysis of the obstacles faced by people with little resources.
Despite a series of seemingly endless hurdles lined up in front of me, from jury duty to immunization and passport complications, I landed in South Africa, on Mother’s Day, holding back tears - one part of me felt like I should have never left my family behind and already missed them terribly, while another was excited to finally land on the continent initially inhabited by my ancestors. Although I received a warm welcome from two of the main faculty on the program, I spent the night in a freezing cold room, nervous and shivering. The next morning I realized the bed was heated, a simple cultural phenomenon, and I suffered for no good reason. After a hot breakfast I was back in high spirits because we were on the road. Our destination was Kruger National Park, one of the most spectacular conservation areas in the world.
From the moment we arrived in Kruger, our experience felt like something on the Discovery channel. There were animals everywhere – species that I had only seen in books, on television, or in pictures. It was not unusual to see an elephant lazily grazing in the area in front of our camp gate at Kruger. In fact, many of the animals we spotted were not to far from where we slept. There was a clan of banded mongoose that frequently visited, and cheeky vervet monkeys regularly raided the kitchens, not to mention the cackling hyenas and a leopard right outside our front gate. Besides learning about charismatic megafauna we were able to experience the African Savanna on foot. Dr. Laurence Kruger led us through a catenal sequence, a known gradient of soil moisture and type, and we discussed how plants defend themselves in “the bush”.
The course began with a series of lectures and discussions on the history of conservation and apartheid. Dr. David Bunn’s love for his country of origin was a source of inspiration. We debated the politics and ethics of wildlife management, in particular focusing on the heart wrenching controversy regarding elephant culling. All of these discussions prepared us for what we were about to embark upon in our own research- the complexities around conservation goals and human needs – a dilemma very familiar in the region.
But then came our first real challenge besides predator avoidance: We were charged with teaching at a local school. We all took turns with our portion of the lesson, which included an interactive outdoor activity. I was charged with setting the stage by reviewing definitions associated with a simple statistical analysis called regression, typically used to test for correlation between two variables of interest. This process was extremely intimidating. The large and deep room was completely filled with students and desks, no extra spaces and no clear organization. As I stood in front of a chalkboard discussing concepts and asking questions, I was met with blank stares and stark silences.
Everything changed when we moved outside of the classroom, however. In between taking measurements, students from my group huddled around me sprouting what seemed like an unlimited number of questions about my life in the United States. In our discussions, they told me they were quiet in the classroom because they had never heard someone who was black speak English so well. Their honesty was endearing. Back in the classroom the students analyzed their results and presented graphs to their peers. In the end, they were so enthusiastic about our visit they requested a continuous stream of pictures, in which they posed with us as well as their friends. We were all transformed at the end of the day, and it was hard to tear ourselves away from our new friends.
Soon afterwards we took a long road trip north, through the changing ecosystems of Kruger National Park, and arrived at our next destination, Hamakuya, a rural village close to the border of Zimbabwe. Although there was no electricity, or phone service, the days that I spent in Hamakuya were some of the most precious to me. The people, adults and children alike, were remarkably happy to have us there. They knew that we were conducting research and welcomed us with open arms. It was immediately obvious why Dr. McHale fell in love with the opportunities there.
We began our preliminary research during our two nights stay with one of the local families. The women were strong, both in will and physical strength. They cheerfully incorporated us into their daily activities and chores such as collecting wood, cleaning, cooking, and visiting the local traditional healer. We asked our homestay family to draw asset maps of their homestead. Our goal was to evaluate what they valued in their community. In this practice analysis it was clear that they did not differ between their own homes and the larger community like we tend to do in the US. At the end of the week we set up focus groups with forty men and women separated into appropriate demographic categories. We interviewed each of the groups with the assistance of translators. They drew maps of their villages and indicated resources that were most important to them. The focus groups ended with a large group discussion and lunch. The data we gathered will serve as a rich foundation for future research on this community.
Our second research site in the Bushbuckridge region was more centrally located to the main entry gates for tourists visiting Kruger. We visited another small community called Welverdiend, that unlike HaMakuya, was set in the middle of an expansive urbanizing matrix. For this research project we implemented some new methodologies. Instead of conducting focus group sessions we set out in the community “knocking on doors”. With the help of local translators we interviewed over 30 families. We designed a questionnaire that we hoped would help us gain a better idea of the relationship between resource use and poverty. After compiling these data, we presented our findings to community leaders and their families. To our surprise, they were very pleased with the information that we presented because they had no idea how many of their residents actually depended on local natural resources for their daily needs.
While in Bushbuckridge we also visited a local nursery that is instrumental in the conservation of both valued plant species and local culture. This government-funded project grows threatened, endangered, or locally important plant species while training traditional healers to use plants and tress without killing them. We were able to contrast this successful government supported community project with another larger tourism facility in the area that is struggling its way into existence. We contemplated the complex reasons community based tourism projects may flounder despite what seems like extensive funding.
We took a few days of rest and relaxation at Tshukudu Game Lodge. In the company of cheetahs that roamed the lodge like well-trained house cats, we took a morning walk while our cat friends actively searched for some breakfast in the bush. At sunset, those of us not “attacked” by the local spine covered vegetation enjoyed what I would consider an extreme drive with a trained game guard. We drove over acacia trees to get within a few hundred yards of white rhino. No path was too overgrown or bumpy for our guide as long as he made sure we had a great time seeing animals up close and personal. This experience is certainly a contrast to the one we had in Kruger National Park, quietly covering miles (or kilometers) of ground searching for the Big Five.
We had great experiences outside of our many hard days work, from sundowners (happy hour drinks) at Lake Panic, to traditional braais (bbqs over fire) with some of the best foods South Africa had to offer. The lessons learned from top international faculty will never be forgotten and the IMAGINE program was a wonderful experience. Now that I have been to South Africa, I cannot wait to go back, and revisit the friends that I made during the program. IMAGINE has unlocked a new world for me and I can only imagine where I will travel to next. I recommend for any graduate student to take advantage of the life changing experience that IMAGINE offers.
