Visiting scholar contributes here and abroad

Despite the fact that Dr Grace Khwaya Puja had less than 24 hours to complete her application to attend Carleton University as a visiting scholar in the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies, she did it with success.

A colleague of Puja’s forwarded her an e-mail with a notification of the opening- just a day before submissions were due. Puja completed her application that evening with little expectation, but just three short days later she was awarded the position.

“I was really excited,” says Puja. “Fortunately I was in Toronto at the time; otherwise I may not have been able to apply.”

She explains that electricity in Tanzania, her home country, can sometimes be down for hours and the internet is not always reliable. The eight hour time difference would have also been an obstacle.

Puja is a senior lecturer from the Ruaha University College (RUCO), a Constituent College of the St Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). She is also the Acting Head of Department of Education of the recently established Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of RUCO. Prior to this appointment Dr Puja taught at the University of Dar es Salaam for many years.

Puja arrived at Carleton on Nov. 1 and began work with no delay. She is continuing work on a research project which involves individuals in Singida, one of Tanzania’s poorest regions. Puja intends to examine how single women and men experience poverty differently.

Along with conducting research, Puja will also visit classrooms and present public talks. She has already visited one of Virginia Caputo’s, director of the PJIWGS, classes to discuss the plight of school children dealing with HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and the underrepresentation of women in university – especially in science and technology programs.

Next week Puja is off to visit an orphanage in Tanzania along with colleagues from the University of Windsor where she taught a research course from Jan. – April, 2007, while on a six month sabbatical leave from the University of Dar es Salaam. Puja is working in partnership with U of Windsor to provide funding and resources for the children, such as books and other reading materials while improving the orphanage’s infrastructure. Many of theas already helped cover the cost of repairing water damage cracks in the orphanage walls and paid for new furniture.

Puja will return to Tanzania to teach in the Highlands when she completes her appointment at Carleton at the end of April 2009.

Please contact Dr Puja at changamod@yahoo.com if you would like more information about her research or to find out how you can help contribute to the orphanage.