Tekst: Tessa Louwerens
PhD candidates are required to append a few propositions to their thesis. In this feature they explain their most provocative proposition. This time, Anneloes Groenenboom, who graduated on 21 June with her study on bacteria in fermented milk.
‘I stayed in a remote village with a local woman farmer. It was a fantastic experience; I was welcomed like a daughter of the family. Everyone was very interested in my study and took notes all the time. Maybe that’s why they were eager to share some knowledge in return. There was a farewell party on my last day. A couple of my friends had flown in because we were going to travel together afterwards. The morning after the party we were invited to join all the other women in a little hut. We had no idea what was going to happen. It turned out to be sex education, to prepare young women for marriage.
‘It was all about the positive side: how do you give each other a good time in bed?’
It was a bit different to what I was taught at school. That was mainly about avoiding diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Important topics of course, which they could certainly do with in Zambia. But this was all about the positive side: how do you give each other a good time in bed? It was explained pretty explicitly, and the older, experienced women demonstrated things. It was informative, loving and realistic: sometimes things can be a bit awkward. My friends and I found it hard not to laugh at times, but I found it inspiring. I think we in the Netherlands should pay more attention to those aspects of sex. Except I wouldn’t fancy seeing my mother and aunt acting out those kinds of things.’