International Development Studies

Tracking Local Development in West Africa: A Holistic and Participatory Approach

by Kees van der Geest

In this video Prof Ton Dietz (University of Amsterdam) introduces the methodology of a research project that aims to improve the evaluation of development interventions in Africa. The research approach is participatory and holistic. The video contains an interview supported with images from the field (Northern Ghana and Southern Burkina Faso).

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In Search Of Teachers

by Herman Kruijer

Within the framework of Education for All, Tanzania has implemented a program for free Universal Primary Education in 2002. The results are impressive: the Nett Enrollment Rate increased to more than 97% in 2007. However, this quantitative success created an urgent lack of teachers. ‘There are many schools, but very little education.’ This situation evoked the question: ‘What makes young people decide to join the teaching profession, what are their experiences in the profession and how do they see their future as a teacher? Will they stay, or will they leave?’. In the impressive documentary ‘In Search of Teachers’ by Herman Kruijer, Tanzanian teachers tell about their work and life.

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Forestgarden

by Koen Kusters

Forestgarden is a short documentary about Mister Atori, a ‘forest farmer’ in Indonesia. He derives his income from trees, without having to cut them. His farm looks and functions like a tropical forest. But, can his environmentally friendly farm stand the test of time and pressures of modernity – what happens when Mister Atori needs more money?

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Shit and Chicks

by Kees van der Geest

Shit and Chicks is a peaceful portrait of a farmer in the remote savannah of Northwest Ghana. He uses an age-old technique to feed his small chickens. Detached, and seemingly unnoticed by the farmer, the camera registers the man's activities. Initially, it is hard to tell what exactly he is doing, but in the end, the pieces fall together in a thrilling close-up.

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Fighting Together: An Ethnography of a Cancer Ward in Kenya

by Benson Mulemi

This short documentary tells about the cancer crisis in Kenya and how the patients and their families are struggling to restore wellbeing despite protracted treatment.

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Bittersweet

by Anna Laven

In the complex and global cocoa industry, there are vast numbers of cocoa farmers, yet they represent the weakest link in the economic chain. As we listen to the stories told by the farmers, chocolate, which once tasted so sweet, starts to take on a bitter taste...

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If You Do Good

by Marloes Kraan

This ten-minute film portrays a fishing expedition as it currently is done in Ghana by Anlo-Ewe beach seine fishermen.

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