A Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology training workshop was organized for the community and student animators, as part of ‘Our Health, Our Voice; Participatory research with adolescents in Gurugram’ research initiative. The workshop, held on 27th and 28th January ,2021, was conceptualized with the objective of acquainting student researchers towards using PAR methodology as well as making them proficient in conducting survey, besides acquainting participants to the aspects of ‘adolescence’ and adolescent health to be addressed through the study. Through the study, PRIA also looks forward to strengthening community-university partnership.
In early January 2021, PRIA had entered into an MoU with Gurugram University as an academic partner to provide technical and research support and mentorship. A baseline survey would provide the data required to understand the prevalence of health issues among adolescents in the five informal settlements (Nathupur, Chakkarpur, Harijan Basti, Sikanderpur and Ghata) around Gurugram. The data would be collected by the student animators, recruited from the university, and community animators drawn from the community or having experience of working with the population in urban informal settlements. A total of 19 data enumerators, comprising of student and community animators were trained over the two-day workshop. Over the course of three weeks, the field animators, through the survey , would work with the community to understand adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health needs, nutrition, patterns of drug and substance abuse and exposure to violence at home, school or surroundings.
In order to familiarize students with the topic of exploration and research, the training workshop opened with a brief session introducing objectives of the study. Further, the facilitators opened the floor for discussion on components of the study. The participants were asked to reflect on their age of adolescence and the issues that they had faced. Majority of participants opined that they lacked the medium to discuss issues surrounding sexuality and sexual practices professionally. In the absence of platforms to seek adequate professional counselling or for exploration of sexuality, the students were forced to resort to peers or videos or suppress their voice. One of the participants said” I still live with unanswered questions”. There was largely consensus among participants that adolescents lack agency and voice to influence and exercise age-appropriate health-seeking behavior. Through building an understanding of adolescent health through reflection exercises, the data enumerators were capacitated to build their perspective around the theme.
The survey would be administered to the respondents in the community through a questionnaire pre-entered into mobile phones. On the second day of the workshop, the participants were given the opportunity to explore the environment-friendly survey technique and to familiarize themselves with the questions and logistics of using mobile survey forms. Participants were also trained on completing other aspects of the study like mapping of settlements and services, maintaining survey notes, photo and video documentation and administering consent forms to the respondents or guardians. A hands-on session followed where the participants conducted mock surveys with fellow team-mates. The exercise would reduce the error of margin and discrepancy in data. Students were also briefed on the safety protocols to be followed during fieldwork, including COVID-19 safety norms.