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The Spectator
Davis Projects for Peace: Sophomores Receive Grant to Pursue Additional Research in Tanzania
by Hadley Keller '12Features Writer
The goal of the Davis Projects for Peace, according to founder Kathryn Wasserman Davis, is to "help young people launch some immediate initiatives…that will bring new thinking to the prospects of peace in the world." Davis founded the program in 2007 with the purpose of encouraging college students across the country to create grassroots projects committed to creating and preserving peace. After the great success of the programs established in 2007, she agreed to continue funding projects in the summers since then. As the Hamilton recipients of the Davis grant of $10,000, Laura Gault '11 and Caroline Davis '11 hope to perpetuate peace in their own creative way.
Davis and Gault went through a long application process to receive the Davis grant, which included an in-depth written proposal and an interview. The entire process lasted nearly four months, and the girls are certainly ready to get started on their project.
Both students are currently enrolled in a Tanzania field study class here at Hamilton and will travel with their class and Professor Marla Jaksch to Tanzania at the end of May for a five-week field study period. After the rest of the class departs, Davis and Gault will stay in Tanzania to take on their Davis project. They hope to be able to use their initial time in Tanzania with their class to become accustomed to the lifestyles of the native people, so that they may be successful in working alongside them.
Davis and Gault want to work with the Hadzabe people. Native to Western Tanzania, the Hadzabe are sometimes nomadic, but Davis and Gault will be working in a sedentary community. They chose to work with the Hadzabe because this group has been trying to initiate a project for themselves but did not have the funding necessary to make it a success. Since they are hunter-gatherers, and obtain anything else they need through trade with neighboring indigenous groups such as the Barabaig, the Hadzabe have no cash currency. This becomes a problem when the issue of healthcare arises, as hospitals in modern Tanzania have begun to require cash.
Davis and Gault aim to team up with the Hadzabe people to attack this problem through artwork. Their goal is to "develop a sustainable beadwork project with the Hadzabe in order to cover necessary healthcare expenses," as the two clarify in their project proposal. As an initial investment, Davis and Gault will use their grant money to purchase a large quantity of plastic beads for jewelry making and will also incorporate handmade beads from materials native to the region.
One obstacle the project has encountered thus far is the current draught in Tanzania, which makes the original plan of creating clay beads much more difficult. Gault and Davis would not be deterred, however, and they have modified their original plan to use porcupine quills and tuber plants to create beads which will, no doubt, be equally attractive and effective.
The duo has also been successful in raising additional funds with their Tanzania field study class for other organizations in Tanzania with whom they may be working this summer. The class organized "Karibu," a night of East African food, music and artwork. The name for the fundraiser means "welcome" in Kiswahili, and it was certainly a great success – nearly 100 guests showed up to support the class' endeavors.
It looks like Davis, Gault and the rest of their class will certainly be making a difference in Tanzania. To learn more about the Tanzania field study class and their trip, visit Gault's blog at wmst332tanzania.wordpress.com. To learn more about the Davis Project for Peace, visit www.kwd100projectsforpeace.org/projects.php?type=PFP.