I can’t believe I am halfway through my time here in Mexico City! This week in CDMX has involved hard work, fun and good food.
Over the past week, my team of scholars and I have worked very hard on our prototype of the chatbot, and have made lots of tangible progress. We have constructed a first model of our chatbot, and have a clear plan of action for the next week. Whilst this week involved lots of time with tedious flow charts and effort in understanding software out of my comfort zone, it has been extremely rewarding. My team and I really pulled together, clearly devising tasks and communicating well. We supported each other and recognised our hard work as a group. It’s great to see material advances towards our goal of empowering rural women in Mexico and helping them through a curriculum to recognise and organise their resources, both financial and otherwise.
This week has also involved visits to other organisations in partnership with MakeSense. The entire group of Laidlaw Scholars visited the office of Las Sabinas, a feminist organisation supporting young girls and survivors of sexual violence. We also visited Xonacatlán, to visit the site of Hagamos Composta, another partner organisation, and learned all about the process and importance of composting. It was great to visit these organisations, and see all of the meaningful work my Laidlaw friends here in Mexico are working on. A highlight for me during these visits was getting out of the city to Hagamos Composta, and planting a tree at their compost site, as shown in the picture at the bottom of this post.
Of course, this week involved lots of fun outside of work as well. We watched Spain win the World Cup at the historic centre of CDMX, and experienced the vibrant atmosphere around the city with parades and celebrations in the aftermath. I also explored the historic centre this week without the chaos of the football, visiting the cathedral, archaeological ruins, and Barrio China.
I am excited for my next week in Mexico City, hoping to make further progress with the chatbot project, but also visit surrounding areas of Mexico City. This next week should be fun-packed!
The team visiting Las Sabinas last weekend.
Planting a tree at Hagamos Composta.
Laidlaw scholars vs compost pile!
Hello! My name is Annie, and I am a second year undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge, studying Geography.
My research project is titled ‘Scroll, Share, Speak: Examining Generational Engagement with Feminist Content on Social Media’. My project investigated the engagement patterns of self-identified women in the UK with feminist-related content on social media. The investigation examined how often different generations engage with digital feminist content, and the type of content and platforms they find most appealing. I explored how social media has influenced the way feminism is expressed and perceived, particularly in terms of its effectiveness in driving real-world change and shaping more inclusive forms of engagement.
In my spare time, I love to spend time with my friends and family, go on walks, and play netball.
If you’re interested in learning more about my research, or simply starting a conversation, I’d love to connect.
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