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Key learnings of when I engaged in Research Design
I was delighted to finally start designing the project design for Jifunze International and this really advanced my understanding of the complex nature of various issues affecting women in the horticultural industry in Kenya. First things first, I had to unlearn that no research design is perfect and every research design has weaknesses and most designs are not executed without flaw. My research design included research on the women working at flower farms who Jifunze recognizes as vulnerable due to the poor living conditions and working environments and therefore being at risk. I designed how Jifunze could explore their behaviour and characteristics and I had to be extra careful and be mindful to include approaches that would do little to no harm to the women working on the flower farms and to think of worthwhile and justifiable potential findings. Within the same thought, I also kept in mind the steps I could propose for Jifunze to balance the risk of conducting research that might make the women working on the flower farms feel more vulnerable with the potential of the research being able to provide first-hand information that could help the women themselves become aware of these risks but would willing to participate in the research.
Is the existing research literature well involved in creating a design? Is the data collection technique appropriate to my design? Will the approaches be adequate and representative of the population being studied. These are some of the questions I had in mind and had hoped to answer them while doing my project design.
To answer my questions, I did a literature review on current issues that the women working at the flower farms in Kenya faced and compared it to the information that Jifunze gave me and I was able to identify the gaps that Jifunze needed to focus on. To mitigate the risks encountered during the conduct of research, I reflected and drew upon approaches I learnt from class for example, learning and participation methods such as focus groups to empower the women, organizing trainings, which Jifunze could facilitate with the women. Designing the research for Jifunze was an opportunity for me to learn unique lessons which also helped me to engage me in direct improvement of educational practice.
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Learning Never Stops
Regina’s Reflections
One thing I am learning about everyday is how academic writing can be challenging and exciting at the same time. I think of it as a learning process and I am learning a lot every single day. While doing my project with Jifunze, I learnt the importance of making learning apart of everyday work, constantly looking for ways I can do things better. I personally have a list down of the concepts, practices, thoughts that I discovered while doing my research with Jifunze International that I explore from time to time which I find very rewarding. Having access to a blog site like this one, has encouraged me to open my mind to growth and challenged the boundaries that were set by my predecessors in the masters program. Ultimately, as a Global Studies student, I am also encouraged to think about health from various different angles. I am very excited to say that the research I am doing with Jifunze is intended to lead into action which to be honest is by far the best research I have done in my education years because I am actively engaging to develop solutions to overcome various difficulties while drawing attention to the needs of the women in a developing world.
The Master of Global Studies has opened my eyes into seeing how important it is to take an interdisciplinary approach when looking global problems, which in most cases are always multi-faceted. All problems are influenced by various social, political and economical determinants, which is to say that when you have a singular focus on something you are ignoring the many other dimensions of it. I hope someone learns something from this perspective.
Cheers!!!!
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Women behind the beautiful flower farms.
Project Specifics
Location: Kajiado, Kenya
Organisation; Jifunze International
My name is Regina Gitahi. I am from Kenya, Africa. I am in my final semester of my International Development Program and I am excited to pursue my project which involves women working in the flower farms in Kajiado County, Kenya in which I will be working with Jifunze International which is an Australian not for profit organisation that focuses on key areas and goals that greatly align with my project. In line with Jifunze International goal 3 which includes providing a wider scope of health education, improving the wellbeing of women and their families, my project hopes to assist Jifunze design an appropriate program to assist the women working in flower farms in Kajiado County.
My project is a dedication to my mother Grace Wanjiru from the Gĩkũyũ ethnic group of Kenya who for a long time was a Pyrethrum picker in the late 1980s in Kenya. She has been a game changer and the biggest inspiration in my career. Her experience working under extremely hard conditions motivated me to do development work with the aim to contribute to lifting others particularly women hence the image below and my passion to explore women’s health and well-being in the horticultural sector in Kenya. With an effort to upskill and constantly learn as an emerging practitioner in the humanitarian field throughout my International Development course, I have examined the role of gender equality and women empowerment in supporting and alleviating lives from poverty. I learnt that there are issues persistence in income distribution, education, poverty among others. And because women are always discriminated in most sectors, they fail to earn a good income from the jobs they do and they then end up in poverty. I have learnt that creating awareness like health awareness and education in this context will empower the women to engage in activities and involve in the decision-making part of their lives which is part of my own professional development to a wider development practice. As part of my collaboration with Jifunze International, I get to expand my own professional experience by learning what it entails working on the ground with these women. To further deepen my passion, I get to work on a project that is directly related to SDGs, GOAL 3: Good Health and Wellbeing to assist Jifunze with their mission. The main of my IDR is to design a research for Jifunze International which will help Jifunze International to develop a specific program to address the specific conditions of the women working in flower farms In Kajiado County, Kenya as the overall aim.
A Gĩkũyũ woman and two girls picking Pyrethrum flowers. (image source www.alamy.com) -
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Women behind the beautiful flower farms 