Document(s) 3 of 15

This book is dedicated to the women of Maragoli, whose power, generosity, and humanity have moved me countless times.

Also, in memory of Patrick Sikana, whose genuine and sincere dedication to local farmers has been an inspiration.

No book is ever written alone and no research endeavour is ever carried out in solitude. I owe my deep gratitude to a great number of people. I would like to begin by saying that without the dedication and commitment of the research assistants involved, this research would not have been possible. Wycliff Ngoda was more akin to a colleague, cultural guide, and friend, than a research assistant. His invaluable field interpretations and knowledge of Avalogoli culture, history, people, and society enhanced the research immeasurably and provided a compassionate insider's view. Patricia Lugalia, the primary transcriber, carried out outstanding work, shared important reflections on the research process and added doses of laughter. Leah Mukaya patiently taught me Kiswahili and later joined in the transcribing, along with Nicholas Ndolo and Janet Ojango — all of whom gave up valuable time from farming and family activities to ensure that the work was completed on time. Knight Olesia kept my life in order and provided a caring environment for me in which to live and work. In November 2000 — two-and-a-half years after the main research was completed — I returned to Maragoli for feedback and dissemination of the research findings. Once again, Leach, Janet, Patricia, and Knight together with Eunitor Ngoda, Benson Chunguli, and Joan Adenya, assisted me in obtaining feedback and conducting interviewing sessions. Eunitor Ngoda, Benson Chunguli, and Joan Adenya. George, Mary, Edward, Henry, Rose, Paul, Neha, and Mercy inspired me with their friendship, hospitality, and warmth, thereby enriching my research experience immeasurably.

This book is a revision of the dissertation, "Walking Where Men Walk": The Gendered Politics of Land, Labour and Soils in Maragoli, Western Kenya, my M.A. thesis for the Department of International Affairs, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), Carleton University (1999). The case study presented is based on fieldwork carried out between October 1997 and April 1998, in Maragoli, Western Kenya, mostly in the town of Mbale and the villages of Luduguyiu, Chambiti, Luyaduyia, Kegoye, and Viyalo. This book is also the result of research that was funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Ottawa, Canada, and supported by the People, Land and Water (PLAW) Program Initiative and the Gender and Sustainable Development Unit (GSD). IDRC provided invaluable institutional support in both Canada and Kenya. Joachim Voss, Kathleen Clancy, David Brooks, Guy Bessette, Ola Smith, Eva Rathgeber, Wardi Leppen, Susan Joekes, and, in particular, Don Peden and Luis Navarro, continuously engaged me in stimulating intellectual discussion and provided a valuable and compassionate space for critical explorations of development, research, and gender. The manuscript of this book was reviewed and discussed with the following people at IDRC: Don Peden, Luis Navarro, Eva Rathgeber, Fiona Mackenzie, and Simon Carter. Their valuable comments provided me with thoughtful and insightful feedback, and have helped me both to sharpen and nuance my arguments and to avoid countless errors and several omissions. This research was also made possible through the support of Norma E. Walmsley Award For International Understanding (a MATCH International Centre award for work that furthers international understanding between Canadian women and women of the South), as well as by NPSIA graduate scholarships and teaching assistantships.

In Kenya, the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme (TSBF-UNESCO), provided invaluable institutional and logistical support, and played a key role in supporting the research. Simon Carter shared his home, family, and research experiences, and continuously engaged and challenged me with thought-provoking debates about research. Cheryl Palm, Patrick Sikana, and Mike Swift provided much support, encouragement, enthusiasm, and interest in the research. They, along with Michael Misiko, Katry Okusi, Andrew Khabeleli, Paul Otuma, Meshack Shikanga, and Evelyn Wasia, generously shared their work, field experiences, insights, and knowledge on soil management in Kenya and East Africa, gained through sustained and continual research over many years. Bashir Jama and Amadou Niang at ICRAF provided valuable administrative support from the Maseno Research Station in Western Kenya. Government officials at the Ministry of Culture and Social Services and the Ministry of Agriculture in Western Province also provided valuable information towards this research. However, the conclusions, opinions, and other statements in this book, unless otherwise stated and referenced, are those of the author and not necessarily those of the above people or organizations.

In Canada, I am deeply grateful to a group of academics at Carleton University who have profoundly and systematically affected the way I conceptualize 'development.' In particular, my thesis supervisor, Fiona Mackenzie, my thesis advisor, Villia Jefremovas, and Simon Dalby perpetually challenged me and continuously 'scrambled my categories,' which were rooted in the physical sciences, illustrating that knowledge is a powerful process which requires a great deal of learning, as well as unlearning. They took on a student with no prior social sciences background — who continuously showed up during office hours with persistent (and sometimes existential) questions — and provided the possibilities for thinking about fieldwork and 'development' in a thought-provoking and critical manner. The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs provided an invaluable opportunity for changing fields drastically. The Women's Caucus at NPSIA provided an important space within which to discuss critical theoretical ideas, share fieldwork experiences, and translate ideas into action. Colleagues at Carleton University, including Sam Landon, Alice Hovorka, Cory Huntington, Rob Opp, and Eileen Stewart, engaged me in challenging and critical academic discussions on 'development' and made my intellectual journey a richer experience. Abra Adamo shared thesis-writing and fieldwork dilemmas and assisted in pulling me out of seemingly large conceptual and methodological 'craters' when I first begun to write. Susan Lenon provided volumes of support and encouragement, reading the manuscript of the thesis with critical eye, and offering invaluable advice and comments.

I am grateful to James Ferguson for providing much appreciated input, interest, and encouragement in this research, as well as invaluable guidance and advice on certain theoretical questions and dilemmas. His writings on 'development' have resonated in powerful ways, and have encouraged me to think critically about 'development' processes.

On a personal note, I am indebted to Laura Brian for instilling in me the power to believe that the world can, and should be, a different place. Larysa Voss-Jefremovas, Joachim Voss, and Villia Jefremovas shared their home, generosity, and support at critical times in the writing of the book and in my personal journey. Fiona Mackenzie and Villa Jefremovas showed me how the personal is also political, by sharing stories of profound strength, compassion, understanding and solidarity at a time when it was most needed. François Nadeau Albert provided space in which to explore professional boundaries through his belief in me. My friends, Hiedi, Cathy, Cyril, Alain, Joseé, Santo, Greg, Karen, Jane, Kristin, Dianne, and Jen, have provided much encouragement, support, and laughter over the years. I am also grateful to a circle of women in San Diego, the "pink helmets," who showed me just how powerful the individual and collective action of women can be: Cathy, Stacey, Yvonne, Rebecca, Shariz, and, most of all, Trish, thank you! Finally I would like to thank my parents: Raj Verma, for providing me with rich, cross-cultural life experiences, including a first-hand lived understanding of rural life in the South — which proved invaluable in Maragoli — as well as a love for cross-cultural experiences; and Savita Verma Puri, for her boundless love and affection ... but most of all for her encouragement to read, photograph, paint, dream, and explore the interfaces.

Ritu Verma
March 2001

Document(s) 3 of 15