IK: Other Ways of Knowing (Journal)
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Rural Women Economic Empowerment, Indigenous Fermented Milk Production, and the Challenges of Modernity
Get PDFTraditionally, women are known as producers of fermented milk in manyAfrican communities. In more recent times, the production of fermented milkusing indigenous technology is more widely practiced by women in rural areas.In rendering support to small and medium-scale industries, many Africangovernments, NGOs, and the private sector strongly encourage the use ofcommercial starter culture in milk fermentation, while some go as far asdiscouraging or withholding support for traditional fermentation. Most womenin rural areas across Africa are unable to afford commercial starter cultures or donot have the knowledge and other required resources to use them. Yet,traditionally fermented milk holds prospects as a means of economicempowerment for rural women. This study examines the challenges andopportunities for women who live in rural areas of Rwanda and use indigenousknowledge and technology in their milk fermentation process. The study seeksto enhance the understanding of traditional fermentation techniques and thepossibilities they hold for the economic empowerment of women in ruralRwanda. In this pursuit, emphasis is placed on the cost of production in terms offinances, ease of access to raw materials, and ease and speed of production, inaddition to other production dynamics, including hygiene. Further, the researchexplores the health and nutritional benefits of traditional fermentation methods,as well as possible side effects. Finally, the shelf life and taste of traditionalprocessing methods are explored alongside modern fermented milk (usingstarter culture), all with a view to determining how much benefits accrue to onemore than the other
Who Knows What About Gorillas? Indigenous Knowledge, Global Justice, and Human-Gorilla Relations
Get PDFThe gorillas of Africa are known around the world, but African stories ofgorillas are not. Indigenous knowledge of gorillas is almost entirely absent fromthe global canon. The absence of African accounts reflects a history of colonialexclusion, inadequate opportunity, and epistemic injustice. Discountingindigenous knowledge limits understanding of gorillas and creates challengesfor justifying gorilla conservation. To be just, conservation efforts must beendorsed by those most affected: the indigenous communities neighboringgorilla habitats. As indigenous ways of knowing are underrepresented in thevery knowledge from which conservationists rationalize their efforts, adequatejustification will require seeking out and amplifying African knowledge ofgorillas. In engaging indigenous knowledge, outsiders must reflect on their ownways of knowing and be open to a dramatically different understanding. In thecontext of gorillas, this means learning other ways to know the apes andindigenous knowledge in order to inform and guide modern relationshipsbetween humans and gorillas
Indigenous Knowledge and Prospects for Income and Employment Generation: The Case of Handicraft Production among Rural Women in Tanzania
Get PDFThis paper examines the extent to which handicraft activities can generate viableincome and employment for rural women in Tanzania. Based on survey datacollected from three regions of Tanzania (Iringa, Dodoma, and Mbeya), thestudy finds that women engaged in handicrafts earn lower mean incomes thanthose in farming and livestock keeping. Handicraft activities are not donethroughout the entire year, and selling activities have peak periods. The keychallenges women face are: marketing, inadequate capital, difficulties inacquiring raw materials, and low prices. Some policy implications include:linking handicrafts to tourism activities so the activity can be promoted as aviable employment option for rural women; providing women with access toaffordable loans and inputs; providing marketing channels for selling handicraftproducts; providing support in marketing products internationally; and providingtraining on improving the quality of products so that the women can compete inboth local and international markets
