Friends, family and colleagues,
I am not really a blog person but I decided to do one this summer because I will be traveling to Africa on my own for the next two months (June 18 – August 14). This is my first time in Africa and my first time traveling on my own. Although I have established key contacts and resources, I will be going without any family, friends, or fellow Northwestern undergraduates. So, I figured it would be best to consolidate my experiences in one place for everyone to read.
What am I doing exactly?
I will spend the next two months in Senegal, the Francophone West African country, to conduct fieldwork on an independent research project concerning youth and politics. I will be examining the relationship between youth and political parties in the aftermath of a widespread protest movement two years ago that helped oust the incumbent President of 12 years. In the capital city of Dakar, I will be interviewing party officials and surveying young people on their political opinions. Affiliated with Northwestern, the West African Research Center will support me with a home-stay program, research equipment, and important connections.
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| Aeriel View of Dakar, the capital city |
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| Y’en a marre, the protest movement that gripped the nation two years ago |
Why am I doing this?
1. Growing up in an affluent New Jersey suburb, there has always been a part of me that has wanted to escape the privileges and luxuries of the developed world. In a tightly structured routine of work, activities, and play, it is easy to forget the experiences of people outside your bubble. This summer, I am looking forward to navigate through an entirely different society with different languages (ie. Wolof, French), different practices (ie. 95% Muslim population), and different habits. My entire life has been guided by a desire to meet new people and to have new experiences. After 18 years in the East Coast, I have been introduced to a new home in Chicago and the Midwest. This summer, I will be introduced to another region of the world and forced out of my comfort zone in new ways.
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| My home for 17 years |
2. Originally, I pursued this experience without any knowledge of the research process. Someone recommended the Undergraduate Research Grant Office (URG) because I did not want to attend a typical study abroad trip nor pay the $5,000 sticker-price of programs like the Global Engagement Studies Institute. Instead, the idea of forming my own academic project and getting paid for it sounded both interesting and challenging. Since December, I have taken classes related to my project, read independent material about the global political economy, and talked to dozens of faculty and professors. At an expected slow pace and with unexpectedly fortunate turns, I narrowed my geographic focus to the country of Senegal and my research topic to youth mobilization. In April, I successfully received the grant and one month later, I received supplemental funding from the Program of African Studies. This project has not only been the longest and most fulfilling one I have taken on, but it has also provided me a new attitude of examining and analyzing problems through sound theoretical frameworks.
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| RESEARCH |
It is about 6 AM on Wednesday June 18th, and in 12 hours I will be getting on a plane from Chicago to Dakar, Senegal with a layover in Belgium. I would be lying if I told you that I am not scared. This trip will have its fair share of challenges: the language barrier, culture shock, and homesickness to name a few. But I remind myself that no other internship, job, vacation, or time at home could live up to these exciting two months that lie ahead of me.