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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
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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 Region • Population: 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 Analysis • Individual Interview • Group Interview/Debrief • Photography Training
Results Qualitative Quantitative Participants 13 Gender 7M, 6F Photos Taken 317 Photos enlarged 13 Interviews 23 Avg. length of 1st interviews 18:04 Avg. length of group stories 3:21 Age range 26-77 Median 38 Avg. Age 43.5 • Infrastructure/Storage 80% • Community 61% • Money 53% • Nourishment 40% • Health/Hygiene 38% • Pain 23%
Service • Collaborative Planning with Univen Faculty/Students • Provided Photovoice Training at Univen • Capacity building within Univen Sustainability Club
Discussion • Need 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 • tdc8h@virginia.edu Many Thanks to: UVA CGH, Rebecca Dillingham, Nisha Botchwey and Vhonani Netshandama