Hi Katherine, I lived and worked in Rwanda for my previous job, so please feel free to message me if you think I can be helpful. It’s a wonderful country. A few thoughts:
I would be careful not to generalize too much from Rwanda --> Africa, as Rwanda’s culture, history, geography, and economy are unique.
I would also just stay away from questions about the genocide or violence—these are super sensitive and there are v complex social and political norms around them.
Outside of the city, few people speak English, and in the city English-speakers are much more likely to be wealthier and better-educated. That will bias the sample of who you get to speak with and maybe pushes in favour of looking into animal stuff (do you speak French? Older people are more likely to speak French).
Is this a personal trip during which you’re hoping to do some interesting research, or are you going primarily for research purposes?
Edit: One other thing is that, depending on which question you investigate, the Rwandan government might not like this if they hear about it. I knew a team of volunteers who came to Rwanda to perform free vasectomies who got deported after they sent an unauthorized tweet. You’ll very likely be fine, but the govt’s wariness of outsiders poking around is something to be aware of.
Hi Katherine, I lived and worked in Rwanda for my previous job, so please feel free to message me if you think I can be helpful. It’s a wonderful country. A few thoughts:
I would be careful not to generalize too much from Rwanda --> Africa, as Rwanda’s culture, history, geography, and economy are unique.
I would also just stay away from questions about the genocide or violence—these are super sensitive and there are v complex social and political norms around them.
Outside of the city, few people speak English, and in the city English-speakers are much more likely to be wealthier and better-educated. That will bias the sample of who you get to speak with and maybe pushes in favour of looking into animal stuff (do you speak French? Older people are more likely to speak French).
Is this a personal trip during which you’re hoping to do some interesting research, or are you going primarily for research purposes?
Edit: One other thing is that, depending on which question you investigate, the Rwandan government might not like this if they hear about it. I knew a team of volunteers who came to Rwanda to perform free vasectomies who got deported after they sent an unauthorized tweet. You’ll very likely be fine, but the govt’s wariness of outsiders poking around is something to be aware of.