ngudo nga zwinepe (learning through photos): a photovoice assessment of water and health perceptions...
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Ngudo Nga Zwinepe (Learning through Photos):A Photovoice Assessment of Water and Health Perceptions in Rural Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Background
Over a decade long-partnership between UVA and University of Venda (Univen)
Sustainable water initiative: Limpopo Water Project
Goal: To develop a sustainable water system for a village in the Limpopo province through international, interdisciplinary efforts.
Need: To better understand the village’s priorities regarding water access, use and meaning.
Setting
Village in the Venda RegionPopulation: 1855
Households: 265
Households w/o Sanitation: 189
Governance: Chiefdom/consensus decision making
High unemployment
Extreme poverty
Research Questions
What are the water perceptions of the members of this community? How do they value water and what do they understand as current needs regarding water?
Methods
Modified Photovoice Methodology
Grounded Theory Content AnalysisIndividual Interview
Group Interview/Debrief
Photography Training
ResultsQualitative
Infrastructure/Storage 80%
Community 61%
Money 53%
Nourishment 40%
Health/Hygiene 38%
Pain 23%
QuantitativeParticipants13
Gender 7M, 6F
Photos Taken317
Photos enlarged13
Interviews23
Avg. length of 1st interviews 18:04
Avg. length of group stories 3:21
Age range26-77
Median38
Avg. Age43.5
Service
Collaborative Planning with Univen Faculty/Students
Provided Photovoice Training at Univen
Capacity building within Univen Sustainability Club
DiscussionNeed to build curricula to address the village’s water perceptions to enhance sustainability of project.
Possibly lack of understanding regarding direct effects of clean water to health.
Usefulness of Photovoice as a means to build community buy-in for further research
General sustainability of student-initiated international research: How can it be improved?
Contact
Tim Cunningham, BA RN CNL/MSN Candidate ’09 University of Virginia
Many Thanks to: UVA CGH, Rebecca Dillingham, Nisha Botchwey and Vhonani Netshandama