Partners: Charlotte Lemanski (University of Cambridge)
Climate resilience and sustainability research in Africa is growing across disciplines, from technological innovations to community-based adaptation strategies. However, most climate studies rely on traditional research methods like data modelling, surveys and interviews. While valuable, these methods often fail to capture the complex emotions and lived experiences of those most affected by climate change. Our team has been exploring more interactive research methods, such as storytelling, PhotoVoice and WhatsApp diaries, which allow marginalised communities to share their perspectives in ways that are familiar to them (e.g., social media, photos, phones, drama, podcasts). Despite the value of these approaches, African universities rarely offer training in them, making it hard for early-career researchers (ECRs) to use them in their work.
We received funding from the Mastercard Foundation and University of Cambridge Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Fund to help address this lack of training for ECRs in Africa. We will host a five-day workshop at the University of the Western Cape to train 15 African ECRs in participatory research methods. The workshop will be hands-on and practical, including a site visit where participants can apply what they learn in a real-world setting. The workshop is designed around a mentorship structure where participants will be grouped with a mentor who will meet with them before, during and after the workshop to help participants set research goals, build connections and apply the training to their own research.
The workshop took place in March 2026, bringing together 13 early-career researchers from across Africa, representing nine nationalities. The programme combined participant presentations, interactive training sessions, and applied learning. As part of this, participants attended the Photovoice Stories of Water and Energy Exhibition at Isivivana Centre, providing an opportunity to engage with participatory visual research in practice. The workshop also featured sessions led by invited speakers, including Zarina Patel, Suraya Scheba, Mercy Brown-Luthango, and Vanessa Masterson, who contributed insights from their work in participatory and community-engaged research.
+27 (0) 21 959 2957
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University of the Western Cape
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Bellville 7530
