The Art of Storytelling in Qualitative Research: Who gets to share the stories?

Telling stories to reveal elements and images of an event is one of the most powerful tools for interactive engagement anywhere. A good story is persuasive and will often elicit a reaction from the reader. Development research embraces the art of storytelling as a way of expressing views in social science and humanities. Originally, this was not the case because the development space was dominated by thoughts on development economics that engaged statistical tools and quantitative methods to show trends. If we are being honest, big organizations love numbers, there is a certain level of predictability to it. But the importance of talking about the people and their experiences often gets lost in the process. Researchers have quickly realized the importance of representing and understanding socio-cultural impacts on the wellbeing of the society, that is why storytelling is crucial.

Various authors have embraced storytelling as a form of inciting revolution on any form of injustice, particularly against women. Stories about gender inequality, abuses women suffer, sexual discrimination and many more have come to light because someone was willing to tell the story. Same also, qualitative researchers collect information on perceptions, attitudes, values, and cultures affecting women. These actions have led to transformative events that have led to an awakening for women’s rights to be defended in different ways. But this is not without its own issues. I have come to realize that whoever has the power to tell stories controls the narrative, which forms the basis of how stories can be shared as well as understood. That being the case, you can imagine how critical it is for researchers to emulate the virtues of integrity, transparency, and honesty, to have an accurate depiction of the social issue.

I came to this awareness in Uganda while collecting data for my Ph.D. Dissertation. The summary of my research centers on exploring the role of farmer cooperatives in facilitating inclusive agricultural development in Uganda, using the case of the coffee industry. Women occupy the highest labor force in the coffee industry in Uganda, yet they are the most constrained in terms of access to land, extension services, finance and agricultural inputs that limit their productivity. This is often due to patrilineal structures that are advantageous to men in acquiring land. Also, land ownership forms the basis for investments in extension service, inputs, and access to loans. Currently, the government of Uganda is working towards boosting coffee production to 20 million bags by 2030, so my objective is to investigate if the investments being pumped into the coffee industry are accessible to women and if farmer cooperatives serve as a sustainable mechanism to facilitate it.

I felt a huge burden to represent the stories of these men and women accurately because they trusted me enough to talk to me. I constantly had to be conscious of my own bias and be objective when listening to them. I asked myself a lot of questions to capture the individualism of each group rather than generalize. The issue of reframing and telling stories accurately in bringing awareness to gender issues is important. We all have biases, researcher or not, and biases and prejudices often hinder people from viewing issues objectively. Also, our participants have a voice, no matter how low their voices may seem, but getting to echo their voices through research is a huge responsibility we should carry with utmost respect and integrity. Because story tellers control the narrative, there is a risk of sharing only a single story. As Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche, a Nigerian quintessential writer, says, “the danger of a single story, the one perspective, is that it can lead us to default assumptions, conclusions and decisions that may be incomplete, and may lead to misunderstanding”

Oluwabukola Makinde

Fellow ‘22

Reference

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2019). The Danger of a Single Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

When Multiple Places Become Home

On my first night back in Uganda, I wrote in my journal, “You don’t know how much you don’t know until you are standing face-to-face with a world you don’t know.” This statement came after a series of small challenges that left me feeling helpless to understand the directions, processes, and norms that I knew would be the new routine for my stay in Uganda. I remember thinking to myself, “this could not be further from life at home” and “it’s going to take a lot of adjusting to survive these next three months.”

I have traveled to many places that I casually referred to as “home” in conversation. In those cases, a mentioning of home indicated the discovery of things that reminded me of home in a new place. Familiar foods, a similar pace of life, traveling with friends, or concepts that were easily contextualized all made a temporary visit to a new place feel like home. There is a difference between a place that resembles home and a place that is home. Deep down, I know those places are not home.

When I think about the places that actually are home, two locations come to mind–my hometown and my college town. The events that took place in these locations are what make them an actual home. They are the places I grew up, where I gained my independence, learned to take care of myself, and started to stand on my own two feet. They are the residence of the people I love, where my family and dearest friends are guaranteed to be found. They witnessed my biggest milestones, settings where my fondest memories, biggest challenges, and greatest feats all took place. They are the locations I return to time and time again, either physically or in heart, because I know something is waiting there for me.

After two months living in-country, I would add Uganda to the list as the third place I call home. This place is comprised of more than just reflections of my other homes; in fact, in many ways life in Uganda still could not be further from life in my other homes. However, the challenges that caught me off guard on night one have grown into the routine activities that make Uganda home at day 57, and the events that made other places home have happened here as well.

This is how Uganda became home:

A place I grew up – Growing up is not limited just to our youth, but it is a process of constant learning that eventually yields wisdom and independence. Living in a foreign country requires you to start all over in the process of gaining knowledge. The completion of tasks that were once fundamental–like buying food, acquiring transportation, or locational orientation–suddenly become advanced undertakings. Then you must tackle the more complex tasks of understanding historical contexts, cultural norms, and societal expectations. When very little resembles what you are used to, you have to grow up all over again.

The residence of the people I love – In this process of “growing up” in Uganda, there are a few key people that have been present as constant guides. They are the place I turn with all my questions (and they can confirm, there are A LOT of questions); they build my courage when a task feels bigger than me; they are the gentle voice of correction and the source of all my laugher—they are my confidants, my support system, and my friends.

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The witness of my biggest milestones – There is no doubt that Uganda now holds some of my fondest memories­–car conversations, sliding through Sipi, training teachers, and seeing farmers empowered will forever hold a special place in my heart–but Uganda also holds the story of victory over some of my greatest challenges (we’ll save that conversation for a later post).

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These are the things that make a place home–three places I treasure for the time, people, and growth they offered. Three locations I will return to time and time again, either physically or in heart, because I know something is waiting there for me.

A Strong Vision: Empowering Agricultural Educators

Every year, Field of Hope brings together agriculture teachers from all over Uganda to train them on how best to teach agriculture to students, using FOH curriculum and materials. I have never been to any of such trainings, and I was particularly happy to see and be part of this vision of empowerment. It is no surprise that agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. It plays a critical role in the economy of Uganda, and it is an important driving factor for economic growth, poverty reduction and food security. Unfortunately, pursuing agriculture is not a lifetime career for most young Ugandans, and varying perceptions of how non-lucrative the sector is, has impacted their interests in agriculture. It is to this view that Field of Hope is dedicated to agricultural development and education among youths and agricultural educators.

This year’s Southern teacher training in Kampala commenced with a bang – particularly because it rained so heavily on the first day, but that did not stop the participants from coming. Our team was so inspired when we saw teachers braving the heavy rain to come to our meeting room, and we knew that we were in for a time of impact.

The training spanned for over three days with facilitators imparting new classroom techniques to increase the interest of teachers as well as students in experiential learning. Some things particularly noteworthy from the training were the classroom management strategies that were taught. One of the management strategies involved engaging positive reinforcements to not only encourage students to participate in class but increase their confidence and self-esteem. In one of the group discussions, some of the teachers pointed out that they understood that their roles as teachers transcended teaching agriculture as a subject, but also, that they had been given an incredible opportunity to invest in the lives of the students which will in turn have a ripple effect on the society.

The teacher training was also a time to rekindle old friendships and foster new ones. The interactive group sessions encouraged teachers to share individual knowledge about urban gardening and agricultural best practices that were successful in their schools. It felt like a community of changed and empowered individuals who were passionate about improving themselves, the experiences of their students, their communities, and their country. The impact of this year’s teachers training might not be quantifiable or immediate, but this is an investment that will have a domino effect for years to come.

What a vision! What an impact! What an organization! To enable us to do more impactful work like this in the future, please donate.

Oluwabukola Makinde

Fellow ‘22

Shifting Narratives: What the World Sees, What I See

What do you think about then you hear “developing country”?

Seriously, stop and think about it.

Look up from your device and try to picture it in your mind.

Think about the environment. What does the country look like? What is the structure of the houses, roads, and cities? How does it sound? How does it smell?

Think about the people. What do they look like? What are they wearing? Where are they and how are they moving around?

If you actually stopped to answer those questions, your mind likely followed one of two paths, both based on personal experience:

Path 1: If you have ever traveled to a developing nation, your mind likely took you back to that place and easily created an image based on what you have seen.

Path 2: If you have never been to a developing nation, your mind likely created its own image informed by what you have heard or observed through media or educational resources.

Neither one of those paths is superior to the other, in fact they are simply the result of natural processes in the brain that seek to build understanding through prior experience. But sometimes, the image our mind creates could not be further from reality.

At the risk of being misunderstood, I am going to be very honest. If you had asked me those questions a few years ago, my response would have sounded something like this:

“I imagine dirt roads and houses structured like huts, made of either sticks or mud. People are walking to get from place to place. There are piles of trash scattered across the ground, clothes hanging outside, and animals grazing at the side of the streets. The sounds are only those made by faint voices or animals in the distance, unless you are at the market, then it is loud and busy.

The people are slim from limited diets. They are dressed in clothes with faded colors that are worn and thin from age. Their eyes look tired, and their faces look stressed from enduring a life of scarcity.”

There is a part of me that is embarrassed to admit that this is the image my mind would have created in the past—a list of assumptions informed only by pictures seen in the news, a narrative formed by promotional stories of aid agencies. Still, there is a part of me that knows this narrative does in fact exist in parts of the developing world and I would like to think that this is a safe space for both truths to exist at the same time.

Narratives have a funny way of changing when we actually live in a place instead of just observing life from a distance. Suddenly, you may come to realize that what the world taught you to see when you think about a certain situation is drastically different from what you see in real life.

When I look at Uganda, even after living here for just a few short weeks, I realize that what much of the world sees when they think about development is not what I see.

They see dirt roads and humble homes, but I see communities built on connection.

They see worn human exteriors, but I see hearts full of compassion.

They see faded clothes and dirty hands, but I see people working hard to provide.

They see a lack of resources, but I see curiosity and innovation.

They see deficient means, but I see joy in all circumstances.

They see strangers living a completely foreign lifestyle, but I see people with the same basic needs as any other human on this planet.

By: Bekah McCarty

What on Earth am I here for? This question has frequented my conversations lately. Between family and friends, and even within myself. I asked this question to myself during my mid semester crisis before I graduated college just a few months ago. During said crisis, something in me just wasn’t sure what I was made to do. “What’s my purpose?” I asked my mom one day on the phone. While in the midst of my 15 hour flight towards Uganda, I also found my mind wandering towards those questions.

Upon being in Uganda, I believe my purpose has more clarity. In the last two weeks of my fellowship with Field of Hope I have experienced and taken in so much good. My travels have gone very smoothly and my immersion into living in country is also going well. Most of my takeaways include absorbing all the scenery, making new friends, and serving my purpose.

First, I have truly not seen a landscape quite like Uganda. Lush green everywhere, mixed with colorful flowers, bright red dirt, and rows of crops. While driving the other day I tried to go through all of the ecosystems I learned in biology and I simply can’t choose just one between the mix of dry, swamp, and pine and palm trees. Either way, I’m loving the landscape.

Next, the people. I’ve had such amazing company with me the last couple of weeks. Kindness, heart, and generosity mean a lot; and unexpected friendship is something I often find anywhere I go. To my new dear friend Gloria, thank you for being my house mate for a week. What a short week! From playing cards, to traveling (or mostly sleeping during travel in our case), exploring the market, and teaching me how to properly hand wash my laundry, we have shared SO many laughs. I’ll miss you in the FOH house, but I can’t wait to see you again very soon!

Gloria also took me to my first Ugandan church service. We arrived at Victory Outreach Church (main) to find “What on Earth am I here for?” postered all over the church. Next to other signs reading, “We are here for mission, worship, fellowship, growth, and service.” These words meant so much to me as I truly am here in Uganda for each of those. After amazing songs from the choir, and a warm welcome to all the new attendees, we began the sermon. “No matter the language you speak or part of the world you come from, we are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and in the house of Christ.” I’ve never been a big spiritual person, but embracing my faith is something I want to strengthen while in Uganda. This sermon absolutely hit home, and started my journey in faith, and for my fellowship on the right foot.

Combine all those positive aspects of my trip with the passion for agriculture I get to share with others, and I really am living out my purpose. The other day, Nicholas, an FOH staff member and new friend, asked me what my dream job is. I said, “something that lets me travel, be in and out of the classroom, attend conferences, and do a variety of things all while sharing agriculture.” As I said that, I found that I was getting to do exactly that right now. Between gender and nutrition trainings for villages, working on various handbooks and programs, and observing in agricultural classrooms, I believe my purpose is to serve in this very moment each day.

I cannot wait to share with you my journey of faith, agriculture, and more. What on Earth are you here for?

By: Sarah McCord, Fellow ’22

Our visit to Midland High School started the same way most do–the guards meet the car at the front gate, ask who you have come to visit, then welcome you inside to park. A teacher or school staff member brings you to the school office where you either meet with administration or wait until the class you are visiting is settled and ready for instruction to begin.

When we drove through the front gate, I was intrigued by the view in front of me. Vegetables fill a garden bed in front of the main building. Tall trees stand in a wide-open field, creating a yard that feels natural yet organized. A path between buildings offers a quick glimpse into an area that is assumed to be filled with additional buildings where class can take place. The school was nice, but nothing so far from the ordinary that I would have assumed what was to come.

We followed the path into the school courtyard and were seated on a bench outside the main office building. Soon, we were met by a teacher named Julius who invited us to take a quick tour of the school. Julius is part of a four-teacher team working to provide agriculture education at Midland High School.

Our tour started back in the main yard, where he showed us the drip irrigation system used to water the trees. A plastic soda or water bottle with a small hole in the cap hangs on a stick at the base of each tree. After school, the students fill each bottle so the trees receive water during the night but do not loose excess moisture to evaporation during the day. We would later learn that they called this yard “paradise”, a name rather fitting for the lush, majestic yard.

Working our way back toward the school, we stopped to look at the garden beds in front of the first building. Some gardens are filled with plentiful rows of cabbage, squash, broccoli, and more, however, across the path, sits a garden bed of tomatoes and eggplant that do not appear as healthy. Julius explained that when the plants in the one garden bed started to wilt, the students became curious about what the difference between the garden beds may be. Driven by their curiosity, they tested the soil and determined that the wilt is due to improper soil pH.

Back inside the main school courtyard, Julius noted that most of the landscaping includes agricultural products—apple, banana, and passionfruit trees provide shade, gourds grow along the fences and sides of buildings, and leafy greens grow among the ornamental bushes. Toward the back of the school, large plots of cabbage allow each class to gain experience growing their own crops. A few goats and a cow provide students with hands on experience in dairy production and rows of banana trees allow students from all regions to learn about the staple foods in different parts of Uganda. Each agricultural plant is accompanied by a marker that identifies its local name, English name, and primary use or benefit. This allows students to observe different crops at all stages of growth and consider how the crops aid people both in their communities and around the world.

In the back corner of the school compound, one final plot reveals the depth of student curiosity supported by teacher commitment. Students had observed the rising prices of grain on a global scale and had taken special note of the cost some countries are paying to import wheat and sorghum. They asked why these crops were not grown in Uganda and what the financial benefits would be if they could produce their own wheat and sorghum. So, the teachers identified a small plot at the back of the school, gathered some wheat and sorghum seeds, and helped students plant some small crops to observe. They also planted maize right beside the exploratory crops, so students could observe the growth rate, yield, and resource use of their traditional crops right beside the new crops. Here, students are not simply waiting to receive knowledge at their teachers’ pace but are watching as the answers to their questions unfold right before their own eyes.

The beauty of Midland High can be found in so many places. Whether walking through paradise, viewing a garden plot, or observing a lesson, the entire agriculture program sings not only of student-centered learning, but of student-driven learning. Equally as enticing as the curiosity of students is the commitment of four teachers working to bring agriculture to life. A day in the program beckons a new anthem for Midland High agriculture—Driven by Curiosity, Supported by Commitment.

By: Bekah McCarty, Fellow ’22

The Field of Hope family continues to grow, as we welcome Olivia Murphy-Sweet to the staff as our Program Manager. In this entirely new position, Olivia will collaborate with our Ugandan staff to implement programs, steward new and existing strategic partnerships, and explore program development opportunities with value-aligned people and organizations to expand the scope and impact of Field of Hope’s work. She will begin her position on June 15, 2022.

Olivia is an Agriculture Extension and Education Bachelor’s graduate of Penn State, and an Agriculture Education Master’s graduate of The University of Idaho. Between her degrees, Olivia gained years of boots-on-the-ground experience in Senegal, where she worked as a PeaceCorps Volunteer, specifically working as a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist. She stayed past her initial commitment to continue working for PeaceCorps as a Gender and Development Volunteer Leader. Most recently, Olivia has been a high school-level agriculture educator.

Olivia is not only extremely experienced in international agricultural development, but her heart and passion power her to this field of work. Olivia said she believes everyone has a right to food. “I truly believe that it is a necessity that every man, woman, and child have access to nutritious and safe food throughout their lifetime,” Olivia said.

This belief is what align Olivia with Field of Hope’s Mission and Values. She furthered this, stating, “It is the mission of Field of Hope to equip people with the right skills to ensure that their communities can grow, be food secure and empowered through agricultural pursuits and leadership development. If I can have a small part in that pursuit, I will be happy knowing that I have done what I can to advance communities further.”

For Olivia, agriculture brings people together and yields hard working people. “International agriculture has allowed me the opportunity to work beside some of the hardest working individuals as we work together to solve crop yield problems, sustainability issues, and create successful harvests for them and their communities. It is the “togetherness” that I feel when working in international agriculture that motivates me to keep working in this field,” Olivia stated.

Field of Hope implements programs in Uganda and India aimed at empowering partners through projects in youth agricultural education, smallholder farmer advancement, and leadership development. Visit www.fieldofhope.org to learn more.

We are thrilled to announce Jacqueline J. Acaa, better known to us as Jackie, is the second recipient of our Field of Hope Scholarship. Jackie has been working with Field of Hope since 2015, when she met our co-founder Mike Hafner. “We become friends at first sight,” Jackie said, when Mike told her about FOH and our efforts to support women through agricultural training. FOH asked Jackie to help us with our women’s group trainings, and she has been an integral part of our success.

Jackie has build a career toward, “strengthening the capacity of farmers to improve food security, nutrition and income,” she said. She has done so after receiving her previous degrees: a BSc. in Agriculture, and a post graduate diploma in project planning and management. Currently, she is working on attaining her MSc. Applied Human Nutrition from Makerere University.

Field of Hope has awarded her a scholarship to help aid in gaining her Master’s degree in Applied Human Nutrition.

My name is Gloria Namuyombya an intern with Field of Hope. I have been working with FOH since 7^th February, 2022 and I have had an opportunity to work in all its three pillars. I must say every pillar is unique, but what is common in all pillars is the passion for empowering the community and improving the livelihoods of those involved through agriculture.

In the Smallholder Farmer Advancement pillar, I have the privilege to work with seven women farmer groups consisting of over 330 farmers, training them on various aspects like nutrition, agriscience, VSLA and, group dynamics. The joy the women always have when they see us go train keeps me looking forward to the next days’ training to see these beautiful smiles again. They are always eager to learn and embrace new methods of farming to improve the quality of their yields and their levels of income. They have a dream to earn better from their farming activities and FOH, through these trainings, is enabling them to realize their dreams.

While with the women farmers, you will have several highlights, but what stands out is their love for Christ and their strong praise sessions. You can never fail to dance listening to their melodious voices lifting the name of Jesus high and am always anxiously waiting for these interlude sessions to praise God together. This sets FOH’s model of training way apart as Jesus is always at the center of every training. The women have a lot of impactful stories to share since they started working with FOH ranging from improved agricultural productivity to better livelihoods that has enabled them to support their families better.

The other unique aspect about FOH is the urban garden at the office in Lira, Uganda. It is a very beautiful scenery that ushers you into the FOH office. It is amazing how this small, but innovative, garden can sufficiently provide vegetables to the FOH Ugandan staff and also make it possible to share portions with other people who visit the office occasionally. It is one learning point that I am going to implement back home to cut down on the cost of feeding and provide an alternative source of income for my mother. I want to teach my mother this skill so that she may also teach other community members to boost food security in our community. I believe that to excite youths to venture into agriculture we have to present agriculture using fun and innovative ways and urban gardening is one of those innovative ways.

In the Youth Agriculture Education Pillar, I have had a chance to participate in several school and ISAG project visits within Lango-subregion. The level of enthusiasm the students have for agriculture is unmatched. This stems from the use of teacher guides and supplements FOH distributes to the teachers and various teacher trainings held which have empowered the teachers to teach agriculture more practically and in an interesting manner through use of the interest approach. FOH is doing a tremendous work in changing the perception of the students towards agriculture and the for the students I talked to, I was so excited listening to their career aspirations in the agricultural field. The students have refreshed new dreams of pursuing agriculture as a career that has been made possible through the mentoring sessions by the FOH staff at the end of each school visit conducted. I enjoyed sharing with the students about agriculture as a profession and reassuring them that their life dreams are possible and alive if they pursue agriculture with passion.

The ISAG projects impact many students’ lives. A number of them have started implementing similar projects at home and teaching their communities the skills learned from these projects. The projects initially meant for the students at school are expanding with their impact reaching community level. Listening to the students testify how they are now able to afford personal and school requirements ands school fees due to the money they are earning from implementing similar projects back home shows the extent to which the organization is breaking all boundaries to reach out to every individual out there in the community and enable them to live better lives. These projects are sustaining several students in these schools by equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills to practice agriculture as a business.

On a personal level, working with FOH is an answered prayer. I always prayed to God to put me in a workplace where I can draw closer to Him, a place where His name will be glorified and given priority in all that’s being done, and I got exactly that working with FOH. The bible says in the book of Mathew 6:33, “Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need” (NLT). At FOH, in whatever that is done, prayer is always the first step and the monthly bible studies are a great highlight for me. The family has paved way for me to draw closer to God and get a deeper meaning of His word. Prayer as one of the core values of FOH assured me that the organization was built on a solid rock and through the work done, God’s love is manifested to all mankind. To anyone seeking a family with whom together you can serve God and see His glory manifest through the works of your hand then FOH is that family.

Working with FOH has equipped me with hands on agricultural professional skills and expertise and I strongly believe that I now have all it takes to practice agriculture extension and education as a professional. It has also taught me that it’s possible to realize your dreams from any part of the world if you have passion for what you are doing. I come from the central part of Uganda but here working in Lango-subregion (Northern Uganda) fulfilling my dream of serving the community through agriculture extension and education. Despite the cultural differences, three things join us that is the love for God, mankind and Agriculture which is all that matters.

Finally, I cannot talk about FOH without talking about the wonderful Ugandan team that I have been working with for over eight weeks now. They are a team of very passionate individuals about agriculture and the community they serve, very hardworking but above all they are people who love God. They have made my internship a lot way easier by guiding me through my day-to-day tasks to see that I develop professionally and get equipped with skills essential to be an all-round agricultural professional. They are very jolly people that there is never a moment of dullness be it in office or in the field which makes work more enjoyable. I could have never prayed for any other team to work with during this stage of my career development than this great family.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the entire FOH Ugandan team, Okullu Walter, Agnes Obote, Nicholas Ssebalamu and Apea Joseph for the guidance rendered to me during this stage of my career. I also extend my sincere gratitude to the whole FOH fraternity for giving me the opportunity to serve as an intern in the mighty organization and learn from everyone. May the living God bless you all abundantly.