(via https://www.fridgemagazine.com/practical-tips-tools-conducting-market-research/)
11/10/16
At the end of LACS20, we had the opportunity to share the work of our final projects to the class. Although it was exciting to able to share the project Michael and I worked on, it was an enjoyable experiences to learn more about the interests and topics chosen by our peers. Two groups that I really enjoyed hearing about were David, Marcus and Asha’s project on Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture in Nicaragua as well as Roshni, Morgan, and Katie’s project on the Status of Women in Nicaragua.
David, Marcus, and Asha’s presentation was an eye-opening presentation. Although the topic seems very straightforward, there were a lot facts that I never knew about. For instance, I never would have that that 17% of their diet is from sweets while 53% of their diet comes from cereals. Additionally, it was interesting to see the major problems that general regions of country were facing. For example, rural regions often have deficiencies in protein and A, which can lead to anaemias and immunity impairments. On the other end of the spectrum, citizens of urban regions experience short durations of exclusive breastfeeding that can lead to increased risk of obesity and increased risk of cognitive impairment during developing years. In the middle of the spectrum, some urban/rural regions alike have an early introduction to consumables that satisfy hunger but not actually nourish the body, leading to malnourishment. To combat some of problems while still understanding their limited power, I hope the group can further spark discussion and spread awareness in Nicaragua. Additionally, it was interesting to learn about how nutritional the sweet potato is and the potential benefits if more of it was consumed in Nicaragua. I look forward to seeing how they try to encourage the use of it during the trip.
Roshni, Morgan, and Katie had a terrific presentation! Although having the broad topic of the Status of Women in Nicaragua, they did a great job of covering the many subfields this topic entails. During the presentation, the three of them explored the regions of education, healthcare, economic opportunities, political representation, and legal rights for women in Nicaragua.
Towards the end of their presentation, Roshni, Morgan, and Katie were able to further focus into their thesis and provide statistical data on how truly “equal” women are to men. It was very interesting to note how Nicaragua attained a score that exemplifies a near perfect gender equality, especially being 6th in the world in regards to their gender-gap index score. Other findings that were eye-opening include how Nicaraguan women are more represented in their country than the women in many other “developed” countries. Evidenced proved this finding when we learned that women in the National Assembly represent almost double than representation of women in US congress! Although research unveiled several findings in favor of women, their group was able to give us a thorough understanding on how the laws of the country can still be improved. For instance, it was disheartening to learn more about the total ban on abortion while 97% of other countries declare in legal in some shape or form. Overall, the whole class produced detailed and informative projects on a variety of fields. After learning more about each other’s topics, it will be exciting to see how they can carry out their project goals when we fly to Nicaragua in December.