Building Global Bridges 2013: First Visit to Kenneth Gardens

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

First Visit to Kenneth Gardens

Today we toured Kenneth Gardens, our future work/research site and home to many remarkable individuals. I was moved by a local student, Andy (pictured to my right), who works in the community. His work involves nutrition and food security. His initial work in Kenneth Gardens sparked his passion for helping others. He said – it’s so easy to make a difference in someone’s life and that he never wakes up with that feeling of dreading going to work. Very inspiring…

The Kenneth Gardens housing development is a unique space. The residents enhance the space with a sense of warmth and community. I felt welcome, comfortable and secure. Some residents have planted gardens outside their homes.

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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