Using Photovoice as a Community Based Participatory Research Tool for Changing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Behaviours in Usoma, Kenya

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an increase in the use of community based participatory research (CBPR) tools for understanding environment and health issues and facilitating social action. This paper explores the application and utility of photovoice for understanding water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behaviours and catalysing community led solutions to change behaviours. Between June and August 2013, photovoice was conducted with eight (8) women in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya with a follow-up community meeting (baraza) in May 2014 to discuss findings with the community members and government officials. In the first part of the study, photovoice one-on-one interviews were used to explore local perceptions and practices around water-health linkages and how the ecological and socio-political environment shapes these perceptions and practices. This paper, which is the second component of the study, uses photovoice group discussions to explore participants' experiences with and (re)action to the photographs and the photovoice project. The findings illustrate that photovoice was an effective CBPR methodology for understanding behaviours, creating awareness, facilitating collective action, and engaging with local government and local health officials at the water-health nexus.

Picturing waters: a review of Photovoice and similar participatory visual research on water governance

“…Articles have been grouped according to: (1) water governance themes and concerns addressed, identified under the category ‘specific objective of the study,’ and (2) geographical focus, identified under the categories ‘participants (place)’ and ‘urban/rural.’ The four groups thus identified are:Projects identifying issues and concerns in water and health, sanitation, hygiene (six articles27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and five projects): these studies have been undertaken in Sub‐Saharan Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania) by researchers based in Canada and the United States with local African partners.Projects promoting participation in water resources management (eight articles19, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and eight projects), in Australia and New Zeeland undertaken by national research groups, and in India by an international consortium of Australian and Indian researchers.Projects aiming at understanding experiences and perceptions of landscapes and water spaces (five articles40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and four projects): these projects have been undertaken in Canada (2) and Japan (1) by national research groups and in Sierra Leone (1) by a researcher based in Canada.Projects aiming to explore the link between domestic water and urban water management (four articles20, 45, 46, 47 and three projects) undertaken in Australia (2) and New Zeeland (1) by national research groups. …”

“…Projects identifying issues and concerns in water and health, sanitation, hygiene (six articles27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and five projects): these studies have been undertaken in Sub‐Saharan Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania) by researchers based in Canada and the United States with local African partners.…”

“…Beside these cases—and a quick mention in Maeshwari36—gender does not emerge as focus of any of the other studies. Empowering local or indigenous groups—and also researchers—in gathering information and presenting their knowledge is a purpose shared by several studies on water, sanitation and health, as well as on participation in water resource management 29, 30, 34, 37, 38…”

“…This is the case in nearly half of the projects (9), involving indigenous groups, women, girls, youth, or urban dwellers living in low income suburbs. Photovoice is described as ‘culturally appropriate’ and ‘engaging visual methodology tool’ especially when working with indigenous populations37 or vulnerable groups 29. Similar considerations apply to groups like farmers or students targeted by other projects, whose voices are equally considered not to be sufficiently heard in public debates and by policy makers.…”

“…In this respect, Photovoice facilitated to highlight the complexity of water issues, by revealing the consequences of power relations linked to socioeconomic factors27, 29 or gender 43. Participatory visual research also elicited reflections and awareness about the need for a holistic approach in water‐health interventions to address political, ecological and social (micro and macro) factors,27, 28 as well as the need for transdisciplinary work to address such complexity 36…”