Collaborative synergy: Community-based research as a catalyst for enhancing community wellbeing in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This article explores how community-based research (CBR) can serve as a transformative and collaborative method for addressing community challenges, poverty, and exclusion in KwaZulu-Natal. Over 30 years have passed since South Africa achieved freedom, during which the government has funded numerous CBR projects to understand community needs and address power disparities to enhance community well-being. Despite these efforts, living conditions in many communities have deteriorated because of rising poverty, unemployment and exclusion. Consequently, we adopted a social justice and emancipation approach, guided by critical theory, to empower marginalised groups and improve their well-being. The study employed qualitative research methods, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with five senior government officials who fund CBR, 10 senior researchers specialising in CBR, and two focus group discussions with community members and leaders. Additionally, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to gain significant insights from researchers, community members and government officials. The findings reveal that whilst CBR holds substantial potential for addressing complex social issues in KwaZulu-Natal, its effectiveness is hindered by challenges related to power dynamics, resource limitations and community exclusion.
Contribution: This article proposes a framework to address challenges associated with interventions, project implementation, discrimination and community capacity-building. This framework aims to enhance community knowledge and equip them to tackle their challenges and improve their well-being. Furthermore, we advocate for a shift from a top-down approach to participatory strategies that enable communities to articulate their needs and co-create knowledge for sustainable solutions.