For the past week the students have been working extremely hard collecting data for their research projects. Angela, Carolina, Janina, Kailie, Lauren, Robyn and Tiffany are in the Vectors Team, where they are exploring various themes surrounding malaria and mosquitoes, from the use of counterfeit drugs to the conditions that influence mosquito larvae survivability.
Janina, Carolina and Tiffany prepare their mosquito larvae experiments.
Angela measures the temperature of the water for her larvae density micro-experiment in shot glasses.
Carolina dissects the gut of a mosquito larva for her research on larval diets.
In Team Doum Palm we have Abdi, Erica, Kate and Rob, who are doing research on the sustainability of the use of doum palm nuts as a source of energy for TBI and as a nutritional resource to the Turkana community.
In the staff kitchen, Rob burns palm nuts to measure their carbon content.
Both groups have collected data not only from the mosquitoes and the palm nuts themselves, but also from the local community by conducting a series of questionnaires at the schools and the clinics nearby. Already, all the students have gathered some really interesting and novel information, so it is all really exciting!
At the local school, Abdi asks the students about Doum palms.
During the week the students also got the chance to visit a Turkana family and learn about their day-to-day activities, including how they rear their livestock. The students were absolutely delighted when they discovered they could cradle the adorable baby goats and they passed them around with big smiles and much affection.
All the cuteness as the students and the TA cuddle the baby goats.
