Minor Field Studies – MFS – Sida 7 – Malmö University's MFS students' blogs!

27 april, 201928 april, 2019 av Khalil - Inga kommentarer

Celebration of the Orthodox Easter

Easter is celebrated somewhat late in the Eastern Europe in comparison with Sweden. The celebration was today, the 27th of April. Tomorrow people will go to the church to conduct some religious rites. There will be holidays for some days in the whole country.

Cossack figurines in the streets of Odessa

This week was full with both meaningful experience and failures. I have conducted more interviews with volunteers from various battalions. The most remembered was the time spent at the headquarters of the Ukrainian Voluntary Army or Українська Добровольча Армія in Ukrainian. I made both participant observation and conducted some interviews there. The building of the headquarter had a symbolic meaning since it was build in the pre-Tsarist era and hosted various meetings of Ukrainian nationalists. Saturated with historic symbolism, the building also resembled features of a museum with patriotic spirit. One could encounter Ukrainian maps from various historical periods, as well as the drawings of children and adolescents.

At the headquarters of the Ukrainian Voluntary Army

A map in the building of the Ukrainian Voluntary Army showing the loss of Ukrainian territories to the neighboring countries

Lost Ukrainian territories in rose colour, post WW1 period

Inspirational drawings of school children that praise volunteer fighters

This week I met people from the international office at the Mechnikov University. The person who initially promised to be my contact person and assist with the practical issues advised me to contact international office since they were ”more competent” to assist me with practical issues. However, I just wasted my time with these people. Because in the end, they told me that it does not work this way, and that Malmö University had to inform them about me from the beginning. I understood one thing here in Ukraine very clearly! It is very difficult to make progress if the issue concerns signature or stamples. But it was still unclear to me why such simple things can become that difficult in this post-Soviet country. The international office in fact rejected the decision of their own colleague who initially agreed to be my contact person in the field. Nevertheless, this surprise did not disappoint me. Fortunately, during my time in Ukraine I became acquainted with so many kind people who are ready to assist me at any time. Some of my new Ukrainian acquaintances call me almost everyday, ask me how I am doing and try to help even when I don’t ask for it. For a week ago I had a fever, and I told this to a former volunteer combatant during our telefon conversation. After 20 minutes he was in front of my door with some medicine and food that he bought for me. I did not ask him for this, but it was a pleasant feeling, especially when a person is in a foreign country. All in all, I would like to thank the international office at the Mechnikov university for wasting my time! Unfortunately, I can’t be uncritical about the existing bureaucracy in the governmental structures of Ukraine. These norms, I believe are the remnants of the old regimes, and they are saturated with Soviet mentality.

This week I also spent some time in exploring the city of Odessa. Odessa is one of those cities where you can’t get enough satisfaction. You want to come back here again and again. It is really the pearl of the Black Sea. I have to confess that Odessa is one of those few cities in the world that I have become in love with.

Glad Påsk! Happy Easter! Щасливого Великодня! Счастливой Пасхи!

26 april, 2019 av ah1206 - Inga kommentarer

Sista intervjun avklarad

Buenos días!

Nu har vi avklarat sista intervjun och det har varit otroligt lärorik och givande att få träffa alla dessa engagerade människor och lyssna på när de delar med sig av sina erfarenheter. Våra intervjupersoner har varit människor från olika organisationer som på olika sätt arbetar med barn och unga som är desplazados, så kallade internflyktingar. Främst har intervjuerna ägt rum i Siloe och Aguablanca som är de två mest utsatta områdena i Cali.

En intervju vi hade i Aguablanca var särskilt intressant då det var med en grupp på fyra kvinnor från Pacific som själva var desplazados och startat en musikskola för barn och unga för att lära ut deras kulturella arv i form av musik och poesi. Kvinnorna var otroligt engagerade och uttrycksfulla och ibland svarade dem på frågor i dikter och i sång. De var klädda i traditionella Afro-Colombianska kläder med mycket färger, mycket smycken och håret i en turban. Deras svar var stundvis väldigt sorgliga och de bar på många tunga historier, men allt de berättade gjorde de med en otrolig styrka och optimism.

Denna veckan har vi hittat ett café som vi har som vår skrivplats, lugnt och svalt och med gott kaffe. Så nu börjar nästa steg i arbetet med att läsa, analysera och skriva. Förutom uppsatsen har vi ägnat mycket tid åt att försöka få koll på alla olika steg och snurrar i salsa och ätit god mat. Ikväll ska vi och se en tango-show med vår kontaktperson och hennes familj.

Un abrazo!
Malin y Rolanda

Bild 1: Från vår oas i värmen och skrivplats
Bild 2: Tillsammans med vår nära vän och tolk José påväg till intervjun i Aguablanca

25 april, 201926 april, 2019 av Bella - 6 kommentarer

Things you cannot control: The arrival

Hello everyone,

This is my first blog post of the minor field study in Western Kenya. I will be doing an ethnographic study of a community-based organization and how it works with empowerment of the locals.

I have been in need to land in the new environment and with all its new experiences. You cannot put in words how you feel before you actually know it yourself. And still, it is hard to fully describe what I am and have been experiencing. Everything is so different from what I know.

To begin with, I did not get much sleep on the way here on the planes. First, I went to Copenhagen –> to Amsterdam –> to Nairobi –> to Kisumu. Maybe three hours of sleep all together for the whole 20 hours journey.

Even though I was tired and could not fully comprehend that I was leaving by myself to a foreign country, my goal was to just catch all the flights and get safe to the end point of where I would meet my personal contact, George, in the field in Kisumu airport.

Finally, I arrive around 10 am on Monday morning (22nd April) and I meet my distant friend for the first time. It is a meeting both relieving to see someone that will support you on your journey, but also a little scary to not know how things will turn out.

To make it short, it was a lot of new experiences on the way to the house in which I would be staying.

We drove past very poor areas, and my mind could not comprehend how the world could look like that. To read about it is a complete different thing than to see it. Things cross my mind such as; how can we put money on new hotels and renovate rich areas, and not support this kind of places where clean water, food and shelter is a virtue.

I was trying not to think too much of it as I was very tired and wanted to focus on trying to stay alert.

About a hour later, we arrived at the house. It is in a rural area in Western Kenya where cows and sheeps walk free with people herding them. People are waving to me and children shouts out ”wazungo!!”, which means ”white person”.

Arriving and entering into the room I would sleep in, all emotions came at once. I could have not prepared myself in advance of the poverty I’d seen.

No matter how much you read about something, you will not fully ”understand” it unless you experience it or see it through your own eyes. Then, your body and mind must express it the way it needs to. You have to let go of your own control. So, I could only just let the tears flow.

4 Days later…

Already after the first day, I felt SO much better. I had to just go with the flow, trust the people around me, and let go of what I cannot control. When I saw more and got more adjusted to the environment, I could enjoy the experience and the loving people around me. I even got to see a very special wedding the second day that was combined with two different type of Christian beliefs, something that seldom happens.

Asante sana. I am so thankful for the family I am staying with and all the people I’ve met this far. They have such warm hearts. And the journey, has just begun…

23 april, 201923 april, 2019 av Teodora i Mauritius - 2 kommentarer

En vecka som turist i Mauritius

Otroligt men sant. Jag vet att jag upprepar mig själv, men det är obegripligt hur fort tiden rusar iväg när man är på plats. Det gör mig nästan lite stressad, även om jag känner att jag har hunnit med en del. Frågan är om jag kommer att hinna med allt jag måste och vill 🙂

Förra veckan hade besök hemifrån (se mitt förra inlägg), vilket gjorde att mina rutiner ändrades något. Det blev nästan som en mini-semester mitt i allt. Det var mysigt att få träffa min sambo men också att uppleva ön mer som en turist. Utöver att ha besökt huvudstaden så hyrde vi också en bil och körde runt ön för att besöka alla turistställen. Vi hade några fantastiska dagar i och under vattnet, på stränder, i städer och i bergen. Det finns vackra vandringsleder i öns mitt med vattenfall och tropisk skog. Och som dykare måste man bara säga wow, helt otroligt…

Men nu har jag återgått till mina tidigare rutiner och är tillbaka på kontoret, laddad för en ny härlig arbetsvecka. Efter att ha ”knäckt koden” för att få möten på plats genom att knacka dörr har jag nu lyckats få fem intervjuer inbokade till imorgon, då jag kommer att få träffa de tjänstepersoner som jag ville träffa från början. Det känns tillfredsställande och gör att jag känner mig mindre stressad. Just nu ser det ljust ut!

Efter min ”turist-vecka” på ön har jag funderat en del på mina intryck. Det är intressant att jämföra att vara turist med att vara mer med de lokala. Att få möjlighet till att leva hos och arbeta med dem som lever här ger en verkligen en djupare förståelse för landet. Ett exempel är ett samtal jag hade med familjen som äger stället där jag bor, efter vårt besök på Aapravasi Ghat (museet och minnet för de främst indiska arbetarna som togs hit för att arbeta på sockerplantagen, som jag beskrev i mitt förra inlägg). Familjen är av afrikanskt ursprung (alltså inte från indiskt ursprung) och de menade att Aapravasi Ghat enbart beskrev en del av landets historia. De slavarna som hade tagits hit före den tid när slaveriet slutligen avskaffades nämns inte och deras historia finns det inget museum för. Det slog mig hur lite de olika folkgrupperna som lever tillsammans på ön har blandat sig med varandra och hur starka deras identiteter är. Kanske inget man som turist skulle lägga märke till, på ytan är allt harmoniskt… Ett annat exempel är det här med helgdagar. I Mauritius lever många olika religioner sida vid sida. Skulle allas helgdagar blir ”röda dagar” så blir det inte många arbetsdagar kvar på året. Därför bestäms det från år till år vilka dagar som blir officiella helgdagar i landet. Till exempel var Påsken inte helg här i år. Men, som en man sade till mig, så är det ofta att någon religion har någon högtid, och där är nästan varje vecka att någon som firar nyår 🙂

Här kommer några bilder från denna vackra ö.

21 april, 201921 april, 2019 av Madelene - Inga kommentarer

Team dinner + trip to Pokhara (Nepal)

Hi all! This last week has gone so quick! Last weekend I had to do some online work for my work back home, hence I booked a nice hotel (Hotel Radisson Kathmandu) to make sure I had internet and electricity for the full two days. It was so nice to stay in a nice hotel, however I spent in one night the same as I usually spend in one week. BUT I got to enjoy a hot shower!

I was working from my hotel room at Radisson for two days — Working from hotel room

I had a lovely night together with my colleagues at Australia Awards as well as staff from the Australian Embassy. Sunita, my contact person in Nepal works at the Australian Embassy (in red in below photo) and she has been amazing. Any question – she will always have an answer, she invites me to events, and she helps me to get in contact with people I want to interview. Could not have asked for a better contact in the field.

Team dinner and drinks with staff from the Australia Awards and the Australian Government

Last Sunday night my husband Andrew arrived from Sweden! He only had one week in Nepal but it was great to show him around and for him to meet my friends and colleagues. We spent 4 nights at a holiday destination called Pokhara, such a nice place. You can either go by bus approx. 7-12h or fly 25min to get there… In Pokhara we did a fantastic 3h trek to Sarangkot view point where we had a beautiful view of the city as well as the Himalayas mountain range.

My husband and I in Kathmandu — Andrew and I in Kathmandu

View in Pokhara of Phewa Lake and the Himalayans — View in Pokhara of Phewa Lake and the Himalayas

3h trek to Sarangkot View Point - here photo of Pokhara — 3h trek to Sarangkot View Point – here photo of Pokhara

I went to a really interesting presentation by Maggie Doyne, an American philanthropist who has built a children’s home, women’s center and school in Surkhet, Nepal. She won the CNN Hero of the Year Award in November 2015. An inspiration!

20 april, 201920 april, 2019 av Khalil - Inga kommentarer

One month in Odessa, Ukraine

One more week comes to an end in the beautiful Ukrainian city of Odessa. It has gone one month since my arrival and I have to say that time runs really fast here.

This week, with the help of some former volunteer combatants, I was introduced to the local Odessa battalion called ”Shtorm”. Shtorm’s paramilitary battalion was formulated from the existing self defense personnel and included people from police squads, as well as civilians who enrolled as volunteers. The preceding week Shtorm and its personnel celebrated the fifth anniversary since the creation of the self-defense battalion. According to the stories that I have heard, all Ukrainian battalions including the Shtorm were not created randomly, but due to the anticipation of Russian aggression, as well as the further advance of the pro-Russian separatism into regions other than Crimea and Donbass. So, the paramilitary battalion Shtorm was created in responce to the events of 2014, and the fifth anniversary since the creation had a strong symbolic importance for the Ukrainian independence, as well as the capability of Ukrainian people to defend their country.

I had the honour to participate in this important event for both the battalion and its members. Everything began from the military parade ground with the singing of the Ukrainian anthem. Thereafter, the combatants were awarded with rewards and certificates for their deserts. Shtorm’s volunteer fighters played a significant role in impeding the advance of the pro-Kremlin insurgents in the Eastern Ukraine. Therefore, the deeds of the fallen soldiers were met with great respect both under the military performance and the joint lunch. Thanks to my acquaintances within the battalion and the hospitality of the Ukrainian people, I was invited to participate in this joint lunch. During the mingle, I was acquainted with more volunteer combatants who had very interesting stories to tell about their experience at the frontline.

Volunteers at the military parade ground

At the joint lunch with the volunteers from Shtorm

The poster of fame dedicated to the fallen volunteer combatants

I liked the delicious Ukrainian dishes, especially those dishes with herring. Herring can be found in almost all dishes such as sallads, sandwiches and in a warm meal with cooked potatoes and dill.

The combatants in the Shtorm battalion were very friendly. What I found interesting was the number of women in military uniform, which indicates a relative gender equality within the Shtorm. The upcoming week I plan to meet more volunteers from Shtorm and talk about their experience during the military operation in the Eastern Ukraine.

Hasta la vista!:)

16 april, 2019 av ag8212 - 2 kommentarer

Seremos Ley

Hola Amigxs!

Now I am entering week three here in Argentina and I finally got in contact with some people involved in the struggle and the movement for the legalization of abortion about conducting interviews with them. So for this week I have scheduled three interviews, the first one tomorrow. The nerves are a bit shaky but it will hopefully be fine.

Tomorrow I will conduct an interview with a women involved in the ”National Campaign for the legalization of abortion” (La campaña nacional por el aborto legal seguro y gratuito) and then later during the week I have two interviews with two medicine students who are organizing an open and free course at the medicin faculty about abortion and it being a problem of public health care. Since the practice of abortion is illegal the medicin students does not get trained in how to address the issue of abortion and how to talk about it. The organizers of the course states that the purpose of the course is to provide academic and practical tools that are needed in order to confront the reality, a reality where where people that are able to get pregnant do have abortions . The penalization of the practice imply that women realize abortion in unsafe and clandestine manner, which makes it a problem of public health care. I believe that it is an important aspect and action in the struggle for the legalization to also provide professionals with the tools they need in order to help women.

During the weekend I had time to enjoy some fiesta. A cultural center in the city had a LGBTQ festival that where arranging performances and concerts that raised awareness to the trans and non binary artist scene. It was really fun and so nice and open energy at the place. It makes me glad that there are places like this where everyone is welcomed and the hegemonic way of understanding gender is challenged and deconstructed.

During Sunday evening I went to a book release event. A student from the journalist faculty presented her book ”Seremos Ley” that is a result from her bachelor thesis. The book presents various stories from the women engaged in the movement for the legalization of abortion and especially women engaged in the ”socorrismo”. Las socorristas is a group of women that help and accompany persons that wish to have an abortion in the process, so that they are able to have a safe and abortion. This national network of help or first aid, which is the translation of socorrismo into english, has become extremely important to the struggle for legalizing abortion. Every year this network help and accompany around 5,000 women to have safe abortions.

During the event there were some beautiful live music but also a discussion talk and presentation of the book by the author. Women who had been interviewed for the book where also there and together they presented a interesting discussion of the their work and its importance for the struggle.

The book Seremos Ley which in English means ”we will be ley”.

Picture of the talk where the author presented her book and then some live music.

The call for abortion can be found in many different places, for example in the bathroom of the place where they held the party, there I found these stickers.

15 april, 2019 av Teodora i Mauritius - Inga kommentarer

Intervjuer!!! Och besök hemifrån

Äntligen hände det. Efter en vecka i mer eller mindre ångest, där jag hade en jobbig tid eftersom mina tilltänkta intervjuobjekt inte svarade, så vände det. Jag hade skrivit mail, skrivit påminnelser, ringt och försökt få tag på någon utan resultat. Efter över en veckas väntan blev jag trött på det och helt enkelt gick bort till kommunhuset. Vid receptionen frågade jag efter kommunchefen och fick besked om att gå upp till andra våningen. En ny reception, där uppenbarligen alla visste vem jag var… Men efter en viss diskussion fick jag audiens hos förste sekreteraren till kommunchefen. Och det blev ett riktigt bra möte! Jag fick massor av information och också fått bokat ett nytt möte med chefen för avdelningen för markplanering och bygglov. Det mötet blev av i eftermiddags och även det få klassas som en succé. Plus att jag fick honom till att hjälpa mig med att boka kommande möten med hans personal. När man väl får tag på människorna är de så väldigt hjälpsamma.

Jag måste också nämna mina kontaktpersoner här som har varit ett stort stöd under tiden. Jag har verkligen haft möjlighet till att diskutera både mitt uppsatsämne och mina funderingar med dem och de har gett mig väldigt värdefulla tips både vad gäller vem som jag skulle intervjua men också inför intervjuerna. Ett stort tack till dem!

Och så har jag fått besök av min sambo! Även om vi bara har en begränsad tid tillsammans här, har han väntat tålmodigt på mig medan jag försökte finna vägarna igenom administrationens villospår. Men som belöning fick han en guidad tur i Port Louis och vi tog också tillfället i akt att besöka UNESCO Heritage Site som kallas för Aapravasi Ghat i staden. Det är en minnesplats för de arbetare som togs hit från Indien och många andra länder för att under slavliknande förhållande arbeta på sockerplantagen. Dessa arbetare är förfäder till huvuddelen av öns invånare idag. En mycket intressant och lärorik erfarenhet och väl värt ett besök: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227

Förutom den kulturella upplevelsen tillsammans är det såklart underbart att få direktkontakt med sitt vardagsliv där hemma. Jag har ”bara” varit här i drygt två veckor, men det känns som så mycket längre! Alla upplevelser gör att tiden får en annan dimension när man är borta så här. Väldigt givande perspektiv som är värd att ta med sig.

15 april, 2019 av Louise Wiklund - Inga kommentarer

Some fun random facts about Ghana that I’ve experienced so far!

Hello from a new week in Ghana!

Spending this Monday trying to plan this coming week and what I want/need to do! I am currently writing a letter to the minister of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Protection here in Accra, to hopefully be granted an interview with the director of the human trafficking department there. I really really hope I will get that interview, would be SOOO helpful! Other than that, this weeks will be filled with studying as usual. I am still trying to find a good location where I can sit down and study, so far it is either at home in the house or a cafe in the mall. I miss a good old library…

I thought I would share some things that I have noticed so far after my 3 weeks here, that are quite different from Sweden. Most of them positive, some a little less.

People always say good morning, good afternoon, good evening before beginning a conversation. Took me a few days to pick that up, they must have thought I was so rude…
The traffic here is CRAZY compared to Sweden. Everyone drives like crazy, honking to everything and nothing, and I wouldn’t say traffic rules are what decides how people drive. I’m taking both Uber, but also the local ’bus’ called trotro which is the cheapest option. It is all the same, you kinda feel happy you are still alive when you get out of the vehicle haha! It is definitely true what they say, if you can drive in Accra you can drive anywhere in the world!
People are so friendly and welcoming. Maybe sometimes a bit too much for a European… I love the fact that everyone talks to everyone, every house is open to everyone, people sit outside and talk and just spend time with each other. It is a whole different culture in that sense compared to Sweden, where most people just want to stay in their own corner and spend as little time as possible with strangers or interacting face to face. But the downside might be when the Uber driver says he loves you and asks to marry you after 5 minutes in the car. It happened to my roommate from Germany, it seems like she handled it well whereas I’m thinking I would’ve either freaked out and jumped out of the moving car or gotten quite angry… Neither which would be a very good solution haha, so I am happy she told me about this so that I’m prepared with a chill answer if it would happen to me. + always sit in the backseat, less risk for it to happen!
Obruni – white man. This is the main word Ghanaians use to get my attention on the street. At first, I found it to be a bit strange and felt uncomfortable, but after discussing it with some Ghanaian friends I’ve understood that it is not an insult or a bad word per se. As I connected it to be, like if someone would call black man after a Ghanaian on the streets in Sweden – we all know what would happen then.
Goats, chickens, lizards, cockroaches, (huge) spiders and dogs are everywhere. In our yard by the house some chickens from the houses around daily come for a stroll, it freaked me out at first but now I kinda like it! Regarding the spiders, I killed one my first week here, but now I have named the one in my room because I consider him my roommate! Can’t say for sure if I like having him there just because, or if it is because seeing him in his usual spot calms me knowing that at least then he is not in my bed!

14 april, 201914 april, 2019 av ah1206 - Inga kommentarer

III veckor har redan passerat! Tiden går så fort!

Hejsan svejsen alla!

Det är ungefär tre veckor sen vi lämnade Sverige och åkte iväg för att uppleva den tredje största staden i Colombia (Cali). Jag skulle vilja skriva att det ungefär som Malmö som är Sveriges tredje största stad, men icke! Cali till skillnad från Malmö innehar två millioner människor och det är lätt hänt att man går vilse i denna stad. Dock finns det två millioner människor som skulle vilja hjälpa till om något märkligt skulle uppstå. Såklart, har vi fått lära oss rätt snabbt att det inte går att vandra runt hur som helst i denna stad, speciellt på kvällarna! Det är då alla vampyrerna kommer ut!

På dagarna har vi svettats eftersom det är super varmt här. Malin verkar ha lättare för värme, än mig. Jag skulle kunna skoja att jag hade kunnat åka till Sverige för några dagar, bara för att andas in lite kyligare luft!

I veckan har vi åkt till Juanchaco. Det tog ungefär 4-5 timmar att komma dit. Först tog vi en buss i tre timmar till Buenaventura och därifrån tog vi en båt till djungel. När vi anlände så mötes vi av den vilda naturen och en guide som skulle visa oss runt! Det kändes underbart att ta en paus från stadens puls och befinna oss närmare det gröna. Vi besökte vår intervjuperson för att fråga om tiden som skulle passa henne att ta emot oss. Det var en kvinna med ett stort leende på läppar och färgglada kläder. Efter att ha ett intervju har vi besökt en skola som ligger precis intill damens hem och butik. Vi blev inbjuda att träffa elever och delta på en lektion. Vi fick till och med dansa och sjunga med kidsen! Det intressanta är att man inte behöver kunna språket för att kommunicera med barnen!

Efter resan i djungel hade vi inte enbart intervjuer i våra fickor, men även en upplevelse rikare. Såklart var det trevligt att komma hem till Cali och njuta av en vardagslyx som att kunna ta en varm dusch.

Med vänliga och somriga hälsningar Rolanda och Malin<3!