Oh Yeah, about that...

I still haven't but need to:

• Research :
  *Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia
  *MDG #1
  *Water provision/management
  *surveying
  *qualitative/ethnographical analysis


• secure student insurance


• get immunizations


• Read:
  *The River Between (I've already read "Things Fall Apart". Thanks Professor Prenkart!)
  *Pedagogy of the Oppressed
  *Post Colonial Identies in Africa

(sigh) Three and a half weeks and no library. Hahaha, brilliant. So I'm thinking about practicum programs I would be honored to be apart of. Now that I've typed them out, I'm really excited about them because they utilize something I enjoy immensely and the only thing I know how to do: watch people. At the same time I'm nervous because I'm just an undergrad! The smartest minds of economics, environmental science, and and foreign affairs have been addressing these questions for decades. I'm young, maybe my eyes are "new" but I don't know anything about poverty and you want me to work on it for a month? I have a feeling everything that I thought I knew is just going to come tumbling down. Man, I hope I have something to contribute.
The work practicums I hope to apply for:

(Marsabit, Kenya)
Community Water Provision
Responsibilities:

• Analyze community water needs, including distance to water and time spent by various family members in meeting basic water needs.
• Observe water management committee meetings and describe problems and potential solutions for community water needs.
• Analyze impact of technologies, such as bicycles and pumps, on gender workloads.

Food Security and Emergency
Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance of Virginia Nzisa Mutiso, carry out an analysis on the barriers involving 58 relief committees and the factors that hindered them from reaching the most vulnerable groups.
• For World Food Program relief feeding programs, prepare a suitable manual focused on reaching the most vulnerable people groups in a culturally acceptable manner.
• Determine impact of food aid on different faith based groups.
  

(Kumi, Uganda)
HIV/AIDS Survey
Responsibilities:

• Find out the status of HIV/AIDS children in the area.
• Create a report listing the behavior of these children, including social involvement, family relations, various attitudes, etc. Include statistics such as family income, family structure, and available schooling.
• Come up with recommendations on how to best support these children.
  

(Oromo region, Ethiopia)
Integrated Community Development Program
Responsibilities:

• Major activities are water and sanitation; agricultural support to farmers on improved farming technology; and capacity building of villagers toward sustainable livelihood and leadership to 40,000 people including Muslim settlers.
  

My parents have been super supportive and helpful in getting this last minute girl's stuff together. They're the dream team, I swear. Immunization appointments, hide-n-go-find the shot records, everything. I'd be up three creeks without 'em.