1. Ngudo Nga Zwinepe (Learning through Photos): A Photovoice Assessment of Water and Health Perceptions in Rural Limpopo Province, South Africa.

2. Background Over a decade long-partnership between UVA and University of Venda (Univen) Sustainable water initiative: Limpopo Water Project Goal: To develop a sustainable water system for a village in the Limpopo province through international, interdisciplinary efforts. Need: To better understand the village’s priorities regarding water access, use and meaning.

3. Setting Village in the Venda Region Population: 1855 Households: 265 Households w/o Sanitation: 189 Governance: Chiefdom/consensus decision making High unemployment Extreme poverty

4. Research Questions What are the water perceptions of the members of this community? How do they value water and what do they understand as current needs regarding water?

5. Methods Modified Photovoice Methodology Grounded Theory Content Analysis Individual Interview Group Interview/Debrief Photography Training

6. Results Qualitative Infrastructure/Storage 80% Community61% Money53% Nourishment40% Health/Hygiene38% Pain23% Quantitative Participants13 Gender 7M, 6F Photos Taken317 Photos enlarged13 Interviews23 Avg. length of 1 st interviews18:04 Avg. length of group stories3:21 Age range26-77 Median38 Avg. Age43.5

7. Service Collaborative Planning with Univen Faculty/Students Provided Photovoice Training at Univen Capacity building within Univen Sustainability Club

8. Discussion Need to build curricula to address the village’s water perceptions to enhance sustainability of project. Possibly lack of understanding regarding direct effects of clean water to health. Usefulness of Photovoice as a means to build community buy- in for further research General sustainability of student-initiated international research: How can it be improved?

9. Contact Tim Cunningham, BA RN CNL/MSN Candidate ’09 University of Virginia tdc8h@virginia.edu Many Thanks to: UVA CGH, Rebecca Dillingham, Nisha Botchwey and Vhonani Netshandama