Give three compelling examples of how cultural issues affect your project.

In Sierra Leonean culture, some villages prohibit certain foods because of ancestors that had created such laws generations past. It is frowned upon to prepare foods in certain ways or eat specific foods, depending on the village in Sierra Leone. This aspect of Sierra Leonean culture may be a barrier in our team’s malnutrition project because villages may prohibit consumption of our product if it does not correspond to their belief, despite our product’s nutritional value and beneficial value to the villager’s health. Another aspect of Sierra Leonean culture is the country’s commercial activity. Sierra Leone’s economy is dependent on small markets, shops, and bakeries around the country. To allow our product to have an impact, it is important for our team to focus on making sure consumers knows the inexpensiveness, health benefits, and nutritional value of our muffins and puddings. However, it is more difficult and time-consuming to spread information among each individual market or bakery instead of a chain of market like the United States. It is important to find a way to efficiently inform consumers and parents of the value of our food products to have an impact on malnutrition nationally. Additionally, a cultural issue in Sierra Leone is the lack of attention on healthcare. Most citizens of Sierra Leone are not aware of the issue regarding malnutrition and its consequences due to the lack of access to doctors or regular doctors. Thus, it will be hard to sell and market a product that advertises to nourish children if their parents are not aware of the problem.

Have you experienced or observed any of these social situations at home? Describe at least three such situations.

I have not experienced or observed food restrictions or limitations at home. However, I can be a picky eater, so I sometimes only have a limited range of foods I will be willing to eat. Relating to our project, this issue has been solved by researching how young children initially reacted to our food products based on taste and texture. I have observed small markets back home sometimes, such as small boutiques or shops. I have seen the difficulty behind advertising a product from one shop due to the lack of a “chain-owned” business. Instead of having multiple platforms to advertise from and gain exposure, a small business only has one platform and has to be more active in publicity and marketing. I have experienced a lack of knowledge on healthy habits or concerns I should have paid more attention to regarding health. Although I have a general doctor and regular check-ups, I am sometimes not aware of habits I have not been practicing, like staying hydrated with water for example. And the lack of awareness an individual has towards a problem is dangerous, because then they will not be able to fix it because they will not even know it exists.

Give three examples of cultural practices that can be leveraged to addressed community / market problems

In Sierra Leone, many common foods consumed by citizens are rice, sweet potatoes, and a wide variety of fruits. In our malnutrition project, we have incorporated sweet potatoes in our recipes to make consumers from Sierra Leone more familiar with our product. And since sweet potatoes are a staple food in Sierra Leonean culture, they leverage with most villages because it is rarely prohibited. Thus, the conflict in prohibiting certain foods is eliminated. Most villages function on their own, separate from others, with their own homes, shops, and centers for villagers to use. Since most of people from Sierra Leone live in a rural village, it would be ideal to advertise the food product in a village center or a popular bakery that Sierra Leoneans may frequently visit. By advertising the product in a smaller area that is more personal, the product will additionally be more reliable because villagers will confide in each other to buy these nutritious food products. Regarding healthcare in Sierra Leone, using the trust between villages and families is a good tactic to spread awareness of issues around health and malnutrition. Trained volunteers who work under the medical field can educate village leaders about the malnutrition crisis, which can lead to communication between village leaders and members to spread awareness of the issue. Once villagers are aware of malnutrition and its prevalence among their community, it will ensue them to look for a solution, which our food products can provide them.