In Introductory Meetings with community members, Research Teams play a specially created video to communicate the PPA's purpose and process in an engaging (and entertaining) way.  As you can see, it draws a big crowd!   

Community Members discuss Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), as illustrated in "Tanzania Bila Umaskini."  This document can be found online at: http://www.hakikazi.org/twp 

Three small teams - one composed of women, one of men and another of youth - separately assessed the "vulnerability" of different social groups...

Once this was done, the teams reconvened to share their various perspectives and the reasons behind them.  Points of divergence were then identified, debated and reassessed in light of greater understanding.    

Hadzabe youth from two settlements worked together for nearly six hours (they didn't want to stop!) drawing a resource map for their ward.  The map was then used to discuss the changing availability of foodstuffs and how young people perceive the sustainability of their "hunter-gatherer" livelihood. 

After Hadzabe youth completed their Ward Resource Map, it was crossed-checked for accuracy and referenced in subsequent activities.  For example, it was used as a starting-point for analysis of  changing land-use patterns, environmental degradation and increasing vulnerability to drought-triggered periods of hunger.

During a meeting with PPA Researchers, a Barabaig Village Chairman took notes for later use by his community...

Women and men worked in two teams to: (a.)  consider seasonal variations in food security, health, etc. and (b.) assess the impact of formal and informal institutions on their wellbeing.  The groups then reassembled to identify and debate differences of opinion. 

The participatory research process requires a great deal of planning and generates a tremendous amount of information.  As a result, Researchers frequently work late into the night.