By Alina Esprit
The process of obtaining information, be it from the internet, books or humans, requires both discipline and patience. This was one of the first things that I learned while collecting data for this project. My partner and I conducted a series of interviews to help us to gather information relating to our topic. While putting together the interview questions, we tried our best to ask relevant questions without getting too personal. Collecting information from humans can be very tricky because we are emotional beings and we do not appreciate when strangers pry in our business. My partner and I also thought that it was also really important to not only interview highly influential persons and well established farmers but also agriculture majors at our own institution because they too have an opinion about the topic and ideas on how we can resolve the issues that seem to be recurring.
My partner and I also took several trips to the Statistics Center and the Ministry of Agriculture. Each time looking for more information on things we found out about the last time. Spending time reading, dissecting and interpreting information from books usually take a while and requires a lot of patience. When one question gets answered there are immediately a series of follow up questions that need to be answered as well. However, getting these answers are usually more difficult than the initial question.
Filming the videos for our projects are a lot more exciting. Recording them can sometimes be nerve wrecking for Gael and I as well as the interviewees but it works out really well in the end. Writing the scripts and recording the voice overs are both interesting and challenging. It’s a lot more difficult after the passing of Hurricane Maria because of the lack of a space, utilities and equipment. However, my partner and I find a way to utilize any 5 minutes of quiet that we get during the day to write and record. Seeing the end product warms my heart and helps me understand how serious what we’re doing here at Create Caribbean really is.
We learned that on average, people don’t usually sit and think about where their food comes from and whether or not their food is secure. I have not given it too much thought either and I’m pretty sure that my parents have not. A rather unfortunate fact is that world is changing every second and, with the effects of global warming this change is not necessarily for the better. We need to start thinking about ways in which we can ensure our food and water security, not only for us and our future children but for our children’s children and those after them. We can all help to heal the world or at least make it better.
These projects are a lot bigger than us and making sure that it goes in the direction that it is supposed to is a huge responsibility. I am humbled and honoured to be a part of such an important group.