Developing Excellence in Indigenously-Informed Research: Collaboration between African Communities and the Academy

Abstract

This article outlines a community-based participatory research strategy called Community Driven Development (CDD). This approach strives for excellence in bridging the gap between academic departments and rural communities by shifting the culture of the academy toward greater community engagement. Taking rural Tanzania as a case study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Tumaini University, as well as residents of Leguruki and Chekereni, work together to define and conduct research to improve wellbeing and promote sustainability of indigenous communities while employing methodologies that recognize communities as equal partners. In this collaboration, scholars entered into a dialogue with rural community residents to exchange ideas about pertinent local beliefs and values, traditional practices, and folk knowledge, and to better understand how residents apply their knowledge systems to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and policies affecting their wellbeing.