Project Report: Using ‘Magnet Theatre’ to engage public audiences with health research in coastal Kenya
by Joy Kiptim, irenemjao, Gladys SangaThis project reflection from KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya explains how they used Magnet Theatre to engage communities and what they learnt from the process
Project Report: Women in STEM: A science mentorship program to inspire young women and girls in Malawi
by Halima Twabi, Mesh Editorial TeamIn this project in Malawi, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, young women and girls were mentored by successful female scientists to encourage, support and inspire them to take careers in science.
Project Report: PowerPack of SuperScientists: Reframing gendered narratives to empower female scientists in South Africa
by Maphe Mthembu, Mesh Editorial TeamIn this project from South Africa, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, SANTHE researchers were transformed into SuperScientists to empower female scientists and challenge gender narratives that block women’s career progression in science.
Project Report: Creative Arts and Social Inclusion: Engaging communities with substance misuse and HIV in Zimbabwe
by Clement Nhunzvi, Mesh Editorial TeamSubstance abuse and HIV are highly prevalent, complex and often misunderstood conditions among young people in Zimbabwe. Supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, Clement Nhunzvi and his team in Zimbabwe used a creative arts competition to engage school children (13-20 years) in social inclusion and stigma reduction when confronting substance abuse and HIV in the community.
Project Report: Science-2-Society: Raising future leaders in high schools in South Africa
by Lerato Ndlovu, Mesh Editorial TeamImmunologist Lerato Ndlovu shares her experience of using a play and career talks in a project, supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, to engage high school pupils in rural South African communities with research and increase their scientific understanding of TB and its treatment.
Project Report: Gown and Town: Increasing retention of high school students to improve adolescent health in Nigeria
by Adesola Olumide, Mesh Editorial TeamIn this project, from the Institute of Child Health, University of Ibadan and funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, viewpoints were shared by adolescents and teachers through a photo exhibition to understand reasons behind high school dropout rates. A stakeholder forum was held to give students an opportunity to voice their experiences and to catalyse better support for high school enrolment and retention, enabling adolescents to make better decisions to improve their health.
Project Report: The Sickle Cell Heroes Comic Book: the patient’s perspective in Kenya
by Sophie Uyoga, Mesh Editorial TeamPatients with sickle cell disease and their families often face challenges due to a lack of understanding and stigma related to the disease in their communities. In this project, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, a comic book of stories inspired by the experiences of children with SCD was made to raise awareness of SCD and the importance of research.
Project Report: The Silent Plague: raising awareness of antibiotic-induced hearing loss in Nigeria
by Adebolajo Adeyemo, Mesh Editorial TeamIn this article, Dr Adebolajo Adeyemo describes his community and public engagement project, supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, in which he aimed to raise awareness of aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss through the creation of a Nollywood movie, in Nigeria.
Project Report: The Genomics of Schizophrenia in South African Xhosa people (SAX) study
by Megan Campbell, Adele PretoriusThe Genomics of Schizophrenia in South African Xhosa People (SAX) study sought to identify genes or mutations underlying predisposition to schizophrenia in the South African Xhosa population. Engagement activities included a Community Advisory Board and a Mental Health Literacy Day.
Project Report: Bate Papo Vacina! (Let’s get vaccinated!)
by Emily Lawrence, Jenny Payne, Bvudzai MagadzireThis blog style project reflection from Village Reach gives an introduction to the different aspects of their research project exploring barriers to vaccination in Mozambique.
Project Report: Right to Food Project - In their Voices
by Elizabeth Kimani-Murage, David Osogo, Hilda Owii, Michelle Mbuthia, Florence Sipalla, Teresia Njoki, Melaneia Warwick, Community Organized Groups, Nairobi“Right to Food Project” was implemented by the African Population and Health Research Center from 2018 to 2019 in urban Kenya. Different participatory visual methodologies were used to engage with the community members on the right to food. These included graffiti and wall murals, digital stories, photovoice, radio shows, human libraries, participatory educative theaters, open air events and community dialogue.
I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! is an online, student-led STEM engagement activity that has is run in the UK and internationally. Students log in, read six scientist’s profiles, ask them questions, take part in text based live chats and vote for the one they to win a cash prize. The project in Kenya is in partnership with the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.
Lab_13 is an in-school space dedicated entirely to investigation, innovation and creativity; a space managed by young people; a space where children learn to be scientists as well as learning science. The project has developed a family of laboratories based within primary and secondary schools, in both rural and urban environments, across the UK, London, Europe and Africa.
The SALUS project is a school engagement project exploring HIV research and treatment using animation, storytelling and online content. The pilot was conducted in the Umtata Region of Eastern Cape, South Africa
Report on the first Hamwe Festival in Rwanda - a celebration of the collaboration between the creative industries and the global health field. The festival featured speakers from across the globe who utilise the arts to make an impact in global health, as well as performances by individuals who represent the synergies between the arts and health fields
Arting Health for Impact: South Africa focused on collaborative storytelling and participatory design to engage three communities closely involved with mental health
Arting Health for Impact: Botswana engaged the public on HIV/AIDS, mental health and hypertension using street art
Arting Health for Impact: Street art engaging communities in Botswana, South Africa and India
by Abraham Mamela, Mesh Editorial TeamAn international collaborative public engagement partnership using street art to engage local communities in Botswana, India and South Africa.
Project Report: Z Factor: Using themed drama competitions to facilitate conversations on psychosis
by Denford GudyangaAn overview of a project in Zimbabwe engaging communities on mental health stigma and discrimination. It worked to help combat stigma and open up collaborative pathways between the traditional/faith based and medical models of mental health treatment
Project Report: Hip Hop Health: Research, Rhyme, and Rhythm for Healthy Communities
by Mesh Editorial TeamThe Hip Hop Health project facilitated the collaboration of young people with health researchers in South Africa to frame research questions, undertake investigations in their communities, and then write and perform hip hop music to share their findings
Project Report: Eh!woza: Intersection of Art and Science to Engage Youth around Tuberculosis
by Mesh Editorial Team;, Young, E., Masuku, B., Torresi, B., Warner, F., Koch, A. 2018Project Report UPDATE: Science, Art, Community: Building Interactive Understanding of Albinism in Tanzania
by Standing Voice, Mesh Editorial TeamStanding Voice is an organisation that works to support people with albinism in Tanzania. This article explores how one of their projects, which communicates facts about albinism through interactive performances, navigates the cultural complexity surrounding albinism in Tanzania.
Evaluation of KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme Engagement – Programme-wide Evaluation
by Mesh Editorial TeamThis case study is about a proposed programme of work on evaluation of the various engagement activities (public and community) that are undertaken at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP). The case study was based on a presentation delivered at the Mesh Evaluating Community Engagement Workshop 2017.
mGenAfrica is an internet-based platform and mobile application designed to promote engagement between research staff in genomics and other health research fields with high school learners (16-19 year olds)
Project Report: TrypanoGEN
by Mesh Editorial TeamProject Report: Science, Art, Community: Building Interactive Understanding of Albinism in Tanzania
by Alex Magaga, Mesh Editorial TeamProject Report: Confluence of the Old and New: Understanding Resistance to New Born Screening in Nigeria
by Adebolajo AdeyemoProject Report: The Lucky Specials
by Mesh Editorial TeamMwangi Chege, participant of the 2017 Wellcome Trust workshop "It’s Complicated: navigating scientific complexity in public and community engagement" reflects on learning from the workshop. In particular, the Kenyan premiere of The Lucky Specials, a feature film designed as both entertainment and engagement with audiences about Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis and the importance of drug adherence.
Project Report: Samala Moyo
by Malawi–Liverpool– Wellcome Trust Clinical Research ProgrammeSamala Moyo is an interactive exhibition with an outreach component designed to open the Malawi–Liverpool– Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW) to the local community and creatively explore crucial topics in medical research. The project was developed from a small International Engagement Award-funded pilot project and subsequently received £188,000.
Blood Sugars aims to improve understanding of patient and clinician experiences of types 1 and 2 diabetes – particularly in the context of urban South Africa; as well as to improve communication between patients, clinicians and researchers, helping to create a more detailed picture of the condition and how it might be managed more effectively.
Art is a powerful medium for communication and engagement with science. To create a collaborative project that melds art with research creative practitioners and scientists must be brought together, but these individuals may think differently, have different priorities and work in different ways. This account of Genome Adventures, gives a little insight into the process of bringing different disciplines together and the challanges and benefits that result.
Project Report: Art in Global Health: Report and Video giving Insights and Considerations for Future Artist Residencies
by Sian AggettIn 2013, Art in Global Health set up artist residencies in six Wellcome Trust-funded research centres as a way of teasing out some of the more personal, philosophical, cultural and political dimensions of health research. This exciting project was born out of Wellcome Collection's desire to engage the curious public globally with the health research that the Trust funds - in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK.
Project Report: Tackling the ‘New Beast’: Mental Health for People Living with HIV
by Nikita Simpson, SHM FoundationA blog post addressing the issue of mental illness amongst people living with HIV and the presentation of the community engagement project Project Khuluma which will be presented at the 21st annual International AIDS conference.
Project Report: co-produced exhibition on migration, health and wellbeing in Southern Africa
by Jo VeareyMigration, health and wellbeing in Southern Africa: Co-produced exhibition captures experiences of LGBTIQ migrants and asylum seekers in Johannesburg and migrant men, women and transgender persons who sell sex in South Africa
Case study of a project run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which enabled adolescents in Zimbabwe to capture their stories and the stories of others living with HIV.