incef

I am Emily Kennedy, a graduate student at American University and an intern for INCEF. My work presently is to analyze the responses we’ve received on questionnaires that accompanied the dissemination of the films in the Great Ape and Ebola module throughout Northern Congo.

The responses I’m reviewing currently are from men 36 years of age and older. We’re still in the data entry stage so a final statistical analysis won’t be ready for several weeks. There is sufficient information, however, to give an indication already of how successful the INCEF education program has been. People definitely seem to be gaining knowledge from viewing the videos; they are more aware of the importance of Great Ape conservation and they understand the risks and causes of Ebola.

That preliminary judgment about the films’ impact is largely based on the like-minded responses to particularly straight-forward questions regarding such things as the lifespan of apes and symptoms of Ebola. Prior to viewing the films, many people expressed their belief that apes live only five years or said that they had no idea what the symptoms of Ebola are. After watching the films, they now know that apes live past forty years and they can list several symptoms of Ebola.

In addition to increasing knowledge, the responses to the questionnaires are showing possible attitude change towards the presence of apes and the consumption of bushmeat. I’ve been struck by such comments as, “I habitually ate gorillas but I have much more hesitation now after watching these films” and “because [apes] do things that are close to what we do, I couldn’t eat them any longer, no matter what.”

It was anticipated that elder men in the villages would be the most difficult group to reach. So, great expectations abound that the women and youth that we have also interviewed with the questionnaires will have gained knowledge and have changed attitudes toward apes and bushmeat consumption.