My Wife Lesley, is working on her doctorate in Cultural/Physical Anthropology at Purdue University. Her research project takes place in The Central African Republic in a small village called Bayanga.
She will be studying the women in the village market to gain insights to their role in the Bushmeat trade. Previous studies have mostly focused on the role of men. As a result most policy decisions and research has focused men. Women, however, play a major role in the Bushmeat market. They are the principal sellers and traders.
Through a pilot study Lesley did in the area she has been able to make many relationships that allow her unprecedented access to these women. She speaks 3 indigenous Languages and this would be her third trip to the region.
I believe that this is important research that can give us a more complete picture of the very complex Bushmeat problem. Without a comprehensive understanding how can we come up with a comprehensive solution?
The problem is that despite going through all of the usual channels the funding is coming up short. Lesley has received some grant money for the project but it is an expensive undertaking to basically move to Africa for a year. That's where you will come in. I'm asking for donations to help fill the funding gap so that this important project can be realized. You can get much more detailed information on Lesley, the project, and the Bushmeat crisis at a special website I've created: wifetoafrica.org Ultimately I hope that you will click the donate button. A special PayPal account has been set up to accept donations. Just a little from many people will go a long way to making this dream a reality.