Building Global Bridges 2013: Mentor groups

Friday, August 2, 2013

Mentor groups

For all interviews conducted during this project, each VCU student is paired with one UKZN student. For our photovoice work with the Brettonwood learners, each pair also makes up a mentoring team for 2-3 learners. On our last day of shooting in Kenneth Gardens today I photographed each mentoring pair with their learners and encouraged them to come up with a creative pose for the team picture.

Nomonde and Michelle with their learners Andile, Sukumani, and Zinhle

Carrie and Thula with their learners Mthobisi and Nduduzo

Jasmine and Sihle with their learners Bambelam, Siphesihle, and Sandiso

Lisa and Chiedza with their learners Ntokozo and Lwazi

Morgan and Yende with their learners Mncedisi, Thandeka, and Claire

Plus a little love from my one-woman team! (Photo by Thula)

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Purpose of BGB

The “Building Global Bridges through Community Engaged Research in Durban South Africa” (hereinafter referred to as the “Global Bridges” project) was created in partnership between the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond VA (US) and the University of Kwazulu Natal (Durban, SA). The Global Bridges project utilizes a multi-dimensional approach to international community engagement that simultaneously incorporates study and research abroad experiences. Through a composite of research training and cultural learning activities, students participate in building global cross-peer relationships; designing, implementing and evaluating research methods (photovoice and semi structured interviews) used to assess and address health needs and quality of life in a poor and historically marginalized community (Kenneth Gardens). Through this experience students from UKZN and VCU are prepared to function as culturally-competent professionals in an increasingly globalized environment as public and community health global ambassadors. A core component of the “Global Bridges” project is its cross-peer training in which university students mentor and help guide local high school students in photovoice—a research methodology that allows the high school students (called learners) to examine and explore their community as novice researchers. The main research methods used in the project are:

A. Photo voice with 15 Brettonwood school students

B. Semi-structured interviews and health needs assessment

a. Users of local community health clinic at Kenneth Gardens

b. Key community informants

C. Video capturing cross-cultural collaborative learning between VCU-UKZN students and project process