Water is Life: Participatory Video in Teshie, Ghana‬‬‬

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• published: 05 Dec 2015
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This Participatory Video is the product of a Community-based Research (CBR) project with members of local government, civil society organizations and residents of LEKMA, in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The project is a partnership between the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) in Accra, and the Program on Water Governance at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. Following a training workshop that focused on video production, techniques, and interviewing, participants used video to interview other community members in LEKMA, including the community of Teshie, in March and April 2015. A key goal was to use video to document community stories and raise awareness on issues related to water and sanitation. For the workshop participants, other goals included learning more about participatory video as a research, outreach and awareness-raising technique. Community-based Research (CBR) is an approach that recognizes the value of linking community-based knowledge with academic, scientific knowledge in the creation and pursuit of knowledge democracy. This means, among other things, recognizing communities as a source of knowledge about complex issues. CBR refers to a diverse set of methods of partnership research between higher education institutions and civil society actors that facilitate co-creation of knowledge and promote social and community change. PV is a creative tool used in CBR that can enhance and stimulate new and inclusive forms of communication. The images can be revealing and eye-opening – they can provide new ways of seeing, challenge existing perceptions and giving spaces and opportunities for creative engagement. PV seeks to equitably involve community members and researchers as partners in all aspects of the research process. The participatory video production workshop for this project included 13 participants from the LEKMA government General Assembly, local civil society organizations and community members from Teshie and the surrounding areas. Six days of technical training in video production, co-editing and storyboard development led to the production of a series of community-driven videos documenting local water and sanitation challenges. A number of concerns were highlighted during the process (and are noted in the final video), including: broken pipes and failing infrastructure causing wastage of treated water and contributing to limited household access; water affordability and limited access to water at certain times of the day, and on certain days during the week; and the taste and hardness of the water linked to the new saltwater desalination plant that was recently brought online to serve these communities. Residents also voiced their concerns about the lack of drains and gutters, causing floods during rainy season and impacting businesses and households. Sanitation and domestic waste were also highlighted as serious concerns in Teshie. Waste collection services are not adequately serving the population and causing harmful social and environmental impacts including odour, pollution of streams and public spaces, and harmful toxins resulting from the burning of waste. A lack of toilets in public spaces including schools and many homes also was mentioned, linked to the ongoing practice of open defecation, pollution of waterways, and public health concerns in the area. The video has been used in focus groups with local government, civil society organizations and other communities as a tool to explore opportunities for enhancing dialogue, community engagement, and participatory public policy processes in water governance and sanitation. This is an ongoing project of the Program on Water Governance, based at UBC. For more information please visit www.watergovernance.ca or contact Dr. Crystal Tremblay at crystal.tremblay@ubc.ca. Further reports and articles related to this effort will be posted to this website. Special thanks to the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice and the EDGES Research collaborative (www.edges.ubc.ca) at the University of British Columbia. Support for this project is from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. For more information on Community-based Research and methods such as PV please visit the UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education website at ‪http://unescochair-cbrsr.org. Co-facilitation: Ilja Herb (www.iljaherb.com) Project supervisor: Dr. Leila Harris (‪http://ires.ubc.ca/leila-harris-page/). For more information about ISODEC and their work on activism and human right to water campaigns in Ghana please contact isodec@isodec.org.gh or visit their website ‪http://www.isodec.org.gh/water.php. Music: Wulomei "Walantu Walansa" and "Kaafo"