Young UKZN academic shares knowledge to empower communities
"Education is forever growing and evolving, and I believe it involves sharing of knowledge, teaching and learning."
MZWANDILE Makhanya, a Media and Cultural studies lecturer at UKZN’s School of Arts is the youngest academic involved in community participatory projects. He is also involved in community hands-on projects, where together with communities he explores film as a communication tool in facilitating empowerment and sustainable development.
“I love being informed and to positively explore and use that information. Education is forever growing and evolving and I believe it involves the sharing of knowledge, teaching and learning. Academia provides such an environment for me. When this project started I was working with 20 women, however, as the project progressed more community members, including men, became part of the project. We contributed tremendously in bridging the gap between government initiatives and the needs of the community,” said Makhanya.
During his Masters research, Makhanya worked with a crop gardening community in Willowfontein, a peri-urban community in Pietermaritzburg. Makhanya chose a study that focused on empowering and developing typically disempowered communities and groups within communities, particularly with rural, semi-rural and peri-urban women.
“As part of my PhD project, I have started to engage in a participatory project with a community living in the Isimangaliso Wetland Park. The project looks at issues of social injustice and food insecurity. I mention these two projects because they are part of my academia.However, I get invited and contribute in a number of different community and youth development projects, women empowerment and development programmes and food security projects. Among the community outreach organisations I have worked with are UKZN’s Famer Support Group, Jive Media Africa (science-communication Company) Thandanani Children’s Foundation and more,” he said.
Makhanya says he believes it is important for stakeholders and professions to contribute positively to a cause that enables sustainability and promotes community involvement.
“I am interested in projects that teach the community how to fish instead of promoting the community to beg for fish. I also believe that the younger generation or future leaders play in important role in achieving sustainable progress of the community. That is why I always encourage participation of the youth,” he said.
