Research and end-of-semester reflections! - CP
I only became more and more excited the more research I put into my research topic this summer. Applying to the program, I had hoped that I would be doing some type of research on economic development and poverty reduction, which was something I was passionate about. I’m extremely satisfied when I learned that I was going to be researching that exact topic this summer with the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ).
My topic for this summer is the effect of mining on poverty levels and health outcomes in the North-Western Province of Zambia. So far, my partner and I have been limited to various literature reviews and journal articles on poverty in Zambia. We started out by trying to contextualize and break down the topic into different sections so we have a better understanding of the issue at hand and where our focus needs to be. We found that many of our sources were related to Zambia as a whole, with only a few focusing on the North-Western Province, which is where CCZ wants us to focus. Though only preliminary, we have a much better understanding of the historical context and current situation of mining, poverty in Zambia and the North-Western Province as a whole. I hope that we’ll be able to extend this research even more when we’re in country, when we have access to more specific studies as well as have contact with CCZ and Zambian locals. I’m eager to see where our research will continue once we’re in country.
We had hoped to clarify our research topic more with CCZ over email to see what exactly they want out of the research, but since we didn’t get a response, we hope to start that dialogue when we arrive in Lusaka. Going forward, we hope to continue the research with a specific focus on the North-Western Province as well as the Zambian government’s poverty reduction efforts. We also hope to integrate the lived experiences of the people in Zambia in our research and discuss the barriers they might face with these issues. Overall, I hope we are able to construct a clear picture of how mining affects poverty and health and contribute to CCZ’s larger goals.
Thinking back on my personal learning goals, I definitely still want accomplish those goals when I’m in Zambia as well as going forward in my life and career. There are definitely times when I could have been more outspoken or actively participate more, which is something that I have to be aware of this summer to have a more meaningful experience. Over the course of the pre-departure course, I believe I’ve learned a lot about Zambia through the classes as well as my fellow classmates’ presentations. I hope to learn even more first-hand when I’m in country about the culture and people in Zambia as I build relationships with my homestay family as well as my co-workers. The course has also prepared me well to become a more active participant as well as a global citizen and have raised my awareness of various ethical issues that I will need to be aware of for this summer.
Overall, I’m very excited but also anxious to leave for Zambia in 3 weeks. I hope that I can apply the things that I’ve learned throughout this semester so that I can gain as much as possible from this summer. Can’t wait to be in Lusaka!
My topic for this summer is the effect of mining on poverty levels and health outcomes in the North-Western Province of Zambia. So far, my partner and I have been limited to various literature reviews and journal articles on poverty in Zambia. We started out by trying to contextualize and break down the topic into different sections so we have a better understanding of the issue at hand and where our focus needs to be. We found that many of our sources were related to Zambia as a whole, with only a few focusing on the North-Western Province, which is where CCZ wants us to focus. Though only preliminary, we have a much better understanding of the historical context and current situation of mining, poverty in Zambia and the North-Western Province as a whole. I hope that we’ll be able to extend this research even more when we’re in country, when we have access to more specific studies as well as have contact with CCZ and Zambian locals. I’m eager to see where our research will continue once we’re in country.
We had hoped to clarify our research topic more with CCZ over email to see what exactly they want out of the research, but since we didn’t get a response, we hope to start that dialogue when we arrive in Lusaka. Going forward, we hope to continue the research with a specific focus on the North-Western Province as well as the Zambian government’s poverty reduction efforts. We also hope to integrate the lived experiences of the people in Zambia in our research and discuss the barriers they might face with these issues. Overall, I hope we are able to construct a clear picture of how mining affects poverty and health and contribute to CCZ’s larger goals.
Thinking back on my personal learning goals, I definitely still want accomplish those goals when I’m in Zambia as well as going forward in my life and career. There are definitely times when I could have been more outspoken or actively participate more, which is something that I have to be aware of this summer to have a more meaningful experience. Over the course of the pre-departure course, I believe I’ve learned a lot about Zambia through the classes as well as my fellow classmates’ presentations. I hope to learn even more first-hand when I’m in country about the culture and people in Zambia as I build relationships with my homestay family as well as my co-workers. The course has also prepared me well to become a more active participant as well as a global citizen and have raised my awareness of various ethical issues that I will need to be aware of for this summer.
Overall, I’m very excited but also anxious to leave for Zambia in 3 weeks. I hope that I can apply the things that I’ve learned throughout this semester so that I can gain as much as possible from this summer. Can’t wait to be in Lusaka!
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