ABSTRACT

Aluu village is about 25 kilometres from Port Harcourt and is one of the oldest peasant communities in Ikwerre. This community of about 6,000 people has not lost any of the communal land to the projects, as have the two project villages of Ubima and Elele. The name Aluu means "to fight", a reflection of the warlike attitude of the community. At the end of the planting season, some members of the community engage in hunting and petty commerce to supplement family income while waiting for their crops to be ready for harvesting. At the main village market, women set up sheds to sell surplus food they produce, and also sell game that is brought home by their menfolk. The village market is not only the place where the exchange of commodities takes place, it is also the arena where social interaction and networking among women are effected.