Dear Friends and colleagues,
It’s hard to believe that Erin has been in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa for a year now. She sounds great and is enjoying her time there very much. Her primary Peace Corps job involves working with the people in her village to improve rural sanitation. You may know that we will be going to visit her in March for two weeks. We are very excited and promise a slide show when we get home.
In addition to her main job, Erin has developed a strong interest in issues related to women’s health. (Wonder where she got that from?) She has put together a research project to conduct a preliminary assessment of women’s health needs in her village. The project will be reviewed by Peace Corps administration before it is initiated.
This project is voluntary; there are some expenses involved, and we are seeking personal donations to help with funding. We ask that people donate no more than $10 to support this. We would like to give her the needed funds when we arrive in Côte d’ Ivoire.
Below is a short project summary. We’ve attached a copy of the full project description.
The Gboguhé Women’s Health Project
There are three main ethnic groups in my village: the Bété, a rather rowdy, mostly Christian group with some outspoken women; the Djoula, mostly Muslim, generally found in a neighborhood of their own and not interacting with the others; and the Burkinabé, immigrants from Burkina Faso who live in campements outside of the village proper, whose women are always expected to bow when they meet their husbands.
Little is really known about the health of women in my village, and as I work with them side by side, and observe their daily routines, I am overwhelmed with how hard their lives are. I can’t help but think that there must be some links between their health, living situation, and workload, factors which all change with the ethnic group. I would like to document this in a systematic way so as to begin to identify common health problems in the hopes that those that come behind me might begin to create some change to improve the health of women.
Four translators will help me interview women at the marché (market) on Saturdays. We will use a questionnaire asking about life, work, and health issues. I hope 200 women will answer the questionnaire; these women will be given a Polaroid photo of themselves in return for their time. (For many, it will be the first picture they have of themselves.) In addition, we hope to do some in-depth interviews at a later date – these women will be given a T-shirt (being donated by friends I worked with in San Diego).
Money is needed to rent a stall at the marché, to pay the translators (who will be missing the chance to sell their wares), and to buy paper, pencils, and a Polaroid camera and film. The total budget is about $550, including the cost of the camera and film.
We, and she, would appreciate any support you can give – but no more than $10 – prior to March 1st. Thanks so much, and if you have any questions, please call.
Linda Andrist and Russ Hereford
978-927-5709
105 Lovett Street
Beverly, MA 01915
