Local to Global: Life Stories and the Politics of Rights
Location: Karagwe District, Tanzania
Course Begins Online: June 6, 2010
Travel Dates: July 6 – August 3, 2010
Coursework Completion Date: August 10, 2010
Faculty Leader: Dr. Eric Schwerer
Academic Credits: 3 English, 3 Service-Learning
Service: Work with a local women’s rights organization to collect stories representing women’s experiences in rural Tanzania; Assist with water harvesting system and water tank installations
Housing: Dormitory-type housing at the Eden Centre for Appropriate Technology. The Eden Centre accommodations include limited electrical supply, sporadic internet access, temperate showers, and pit latrine toilets. The Eden Centre is safe and secure.
Travel Highlights: Program includes travel to Kampala, Uganda’s Muburu National Game Park, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Stonetown
Program Description
Local to Global: Life Stories and the Politics of Rights introduces students to the practice of literary ethnography in a manner that is directly relevant to the efforts of a local women’s rights organization.
Your travel experience will begin in Kampala, Uganda, where you will receive an orientation to urban African life. From Kampala, you will travel eight hours south, across the border with Tanzania, to the Karagwe District, a rural area with a number of small villages nearby.
You’ll support the efforts of the women’s rights organization WOMEDA (Women’s Emancipation and Development Agency) to chronicle women’s stories in the region. The stories will support WOMEDA’s efforts to raise awareness and funds. Additionally, you’ll have opportunities to support sustainable agriculture and water harvesting efforts. After nearly three weeks in The Karagwe District, you’ll move north toward the Muburu National Game Park where you’ll view African animals. Your final week of the program will be spent in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, where you’ll have the opportunity to better understand a historically vital spice trading center and contemporary tropical paradise, as well as visit the US Embassy.
Program Fee: $4,600
Apply Now to Ensure Your Spot (pdf)
Final Application Deadline: May 29
Program Tuition Includes:
- Course delivery and instruction accredited through West Virginia University
- Accommodations
- Three meals per day
- Multiple field trips and scheduled educational, cultural and service activities
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Additional Program Related Expenses:
- Airfare to Kampala, Uganda and from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as other travel related expenses
- Course textbooks, course packet and materials
- Supplemental meals or snacks
- Personal spending money
