“Experience Tanzania” lecture to include Lourdes Dean’s work with African women | Arts & Culture

The Great Lakes Consortium (GLC) for International Training and Development will present "Expereince Tanzania" in the Franciscan Center of Lourdes University on Saturday, November 5. The event will celebrate 10 years of the GLC and Tanzania working together and features a presentation from Lourdes University Dean of Students & Retention Kim Grieve.

Last summer, Dr. Grieve traveled to Tanzania as part of the U.S. Visual Arts Initiative. As one of 25 arts and education professionals, she utilized and expanded upon her previous experience working with Tanzanian delegations of women artists visiting the US and her doctoral research on education and gender issues. The GLC along with the Tanzania US State Alumni Association, Tanzania Women Artist Network and the Arts Council Lake Erie West of NW Ohio collaborated with the Public Affairs Office of the United States Embassy in Tanzania to make the project a reality.

In Tanzania, Dr. Grieve explored the primary, secondary and higher education experiences of African women. “My research when it is completed will include a qualitative study of the lived educational experiences of these women,” notes Dr. Grieve.

“Overall the trip was a great learning experience – when I embarked on this journey, I sought insight into the social, cultural and economic factors that hinder gender equity with the goal of determining how some African women have been able to successfully continue their education,” she shares. “Education is improving for African women but there are still many changes needed. Families do not allow their daughters to get an education because they expect them to marry young and raise their children. If a family has very little money, which many of them do, they choose to pay for the son to attend school rather than the daughter.”

“Experience Tanzania” begins at 2:30 p.m. with a social hour and Tanzanian arts & crafts showcase and follows with the program at 3:15 p.m. Free & open to the public. To learn more about the GLC, visit http://gl-consortium.org.