Health-related problems and proposed solutions identified by women in Ivory Park, Midrand. A participatory research...

People living in informal settlements do not realise that they could make a significant change in their circumstances by first engaging in introspection and secondly identifying their intellectual resources. In this study, participatory research was done, whereby emphasis was placed on the importance of active participation by all concerned in the project. The participants were women from the community who were able to identify the problems they encountered in their daily living that threatened their health and that of their families. After reflecting on their intellectual resources, an awareness of the power they had over their current situation surfaced. This awareness enabled them to find solutions to their problems. Participatory research is a means of community participation that ultimately leads to empowerment of the community as a whole.