Exploring the challenges of facilitating participatory action research with people living with HIV
This study describes a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project that was conducted in Masiphumelele (an informal settlement near Cape Town) in 2003/2004 with a group of 5 black, HIV positive people. The original aim of the study was to facilitate an empowerment process aimed at helping the participants find some solutions to their problems. PAR is, however, an unpredictable process that is shaped by the participants and thus often reaches entirely different outcomes from the original goals of the process. This study encountered a number of challenges which necessitated a change in the aims and of the study. The most serious challenge was the withdrawal of the participants halfway through the study due to financial reasons. Because of this, it was not possible to reach the original goal of seeking solutions to the participants problems. The research aims were therefore adjusted to the following: • To create an opportunity for a group of people living with HIV/AIDS to engage in a participatory process aimed at self-awareness and empowerment. • To record and analyse this process with the intention of producing insight into the use of PAR in the context of poverty and HIV/AIDS and to identify the challenges involved. At the stage the participants withdrew, the researcher had conducted 5 focus group discussions, which had been recorded and transcribed. In the focus groups, the participants had described their circumstances and their needs and had started to discuss what problems they would like to address. The researcher achieved closure by negotiating with the participants that she would analyse the data and return to give feedback. Two further focus groups were conducted some time later, at which this feedback was given and the participants were asked to comment on their experience of the process. The participants were also consulted on the utilisation of the findings and they decided that they would like to participate in distributing the findings to their community. A number of recommendations for future PAR studies are drawn from this research.
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