Porridge,+chickens+and+sewing+machines+-+Hunger+and+the+literacy+of+entrepreneurship+in+rural+Malawi

**Porridge, chickens and sewing machines:** **Hunger and the literacy of entrepreneurship in rural Malawi** Thomas Smith, Associate Professor, North Carolina A&T State University smithtg@ncat.edu] Elizabeth Barber, Associate Professor, North Carolina A&T State University eabarber@ncat.edu] Sharon Hunter, PhD., North Carolina A&T State University smhunter@ncat.edu] Mrs. Toni Bradsher, M.S., North Carolina A&T State University teebee@centurylink.net] Mrs. Renee Martin, M.S., North Carolina A&T State University martinr@ncat.edu] Mr. Kanton Reynolds, M.S, North Carolina A&T State University kanton@ymail.com] Miss Jamiese Rushing, B.Ed., North Carolina A&T State University jarushin@ncat.edu] Miss Danielle Truitt, Senior Birth-K Education major, North Carolina A&T State University dtruitt@ncat.edu] Mr. Simeon Hendricks, Senior Systems Engineering major, North Carolina A&T State University simeonhendricks@hotmail.com]

**Keywords:** Participatory action research, Malawi, development, sustainability, Indigenous knowledge

**Track:** International impact and development

**Format:** Team presentation


 * Date & time: **Friday 3:20-4:30


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Location: **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Salon 8

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Summary:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This presentation examines outcomes when service learning is understood as a form of participatory action research, and focuses on two budding entrepreneurial efforts to address hunger within a primary school in rural Malawi. The presentation interrogates the following: Service learning experiences that foster the development of cross-cultural global leader competencies; innovative forms of teaching, learning, research, and trans-global collaboration for development; and a broadened conception of the kinds of literacies that might empower diverse learners in a developing country setting.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Through a service learning study abroad experience, students and faculty from a U.S.- based university have spent a month every summer since 2006 collaborating with teachers and learners in three schools in Domasi. This paper chronicles their efforts, culminating in an entrepreneurial effort to address hunger.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This model of service work holds promise to address the possibilities and problems of a globally-distant community striving to rise above poverty and starvation. Unlike the efforts of most non-governmental organizations, the collaborations described take into account local cultures and indigenous knowledge shared by those impacted the most in given social, political, and cultural contexts. Cross-cultural collaboration requires sustained time within the cultural context, and partners from the west must strengthen their alliances to nudge at the centers of power to which they have access.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**References:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Bennell P., Swainson N., & Hyde K. (2002). //The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the// //education sector in Sub-Saharan Africa: A synthesis of the findings and recommendations of three country studies:// //Botswana, Malawi and Uganda//. Brighton, England, University of Sussex, Centre for International Education.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Englund, H., & Mapanje. (2002). //A democracy of chameleons: Politics and culture in the// //new Malawi//. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Geertz, C. (1983). //Local knowledge: Further essays in interpretive anthropology//. New York: Basic Books.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Gidron, B., & Chesler, M. (1994). Participatory action research as a strategy for studying self help groups internationally. //Prevention in Human Services, 11//(1), 45-68.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Human Development Report. (2005). //Malawi human development report 2005//. Retrieved February 15, 2009, http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/africa/malawi/name,3399,en.html

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">McIntyre, A., & Lykes, M. B. (2004). Weaving words and pictures in/through feminist participatory action research//.// In M. Brydon-Miller, P. Maguire & A. McIntyre, (Eds.), //Traveling companions: Feminism, teaching and action research//. Westport, CT: Praeger.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">McTaggart, R. (1991). Principles of participatory action research. //Adult Education Quarterly// //41//, 168-187.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Reuters News Media. (2005). // Malawi losing 10 people per hour to AIDS //. Retrieved February 15, 2009, http://www.aegis.org/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">The Chronicle (2005). //Over Half a Million Malawians Die Due to Aids//. Retrieved February 15, 2009, http://www.avert.org/aids-malawi.htm

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">UNAIDS. (2008). //UNAIDS 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic//. Retrieved on February 15, 2009, http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Wadsworth, Y. (1998). What is Participatory Action Research? //Journal of Research in// //Science// //Teaching, 38//(2), 137-158.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Whyte, W.F. (1991). //Participatory action research//. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

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