i Parkia biglobosa - School of Forest Resources & Environmental ...

living among them. The longer I lived there, the more I became a member of the
community. I would visit homes and neighbors, but many of my observations came from
market days. African market days are not only for commerce, but largely for social
interactions. The compound farms and widespread community limits communication and
social interactions between neighbors and friends. Market days can be considered large
social events that allow all members of the community to gather and exchange greetings,
local gossip, information, and news. I took advantage of the scheduled social
convergence of market days for collecting data.
Market days in Kandiga rotated every third day. Generally, I would spend my
mornings working at the nursery and walk or ride my bicycle 500 meters to the market.
Market days were an opportunity for me to observe and conduct informal interviews with
many members of the community. I would often take my meals at my village mother’s
chop bar, where she would sell tuo zaafi (millet porridge), rice balls, and vegetable soup.
While sitting at her chop bar, I would greet and meet other villagers and we would sit and
carry on casual conversations and I conducted informal interviews. My observations
often took place here, as her chop bar was situated at one of the paths leading into the
market. I could see what products were being brought to market, which members of the
community were selling goods, and ask my village mother for further information on
unusual and interesting items that I was unfamiliar with. I also shopped for my own
needs, and became a well-known face in the market.
I carried out a market survey for one year, noting the prices of the P. biglobosa
products and soybeans. Being a woman researcher aided my acceptance in the market
since women are the brokers and buyers for soybeans, dawadawa, and products of P.
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