Peer support groups as a participatory development principle

Nanki Kaur, Iliso Lamakhosikazi, David Edmunds, Christopher J. Colvin, Monwa Magoqi, Mandla Majola, Madeline Curry, Jillian Randolph, Alison Swartz, Richard Handler, Noor Sharif, Lauren Taylor and Rupa S. Valdez

Development in Practice, 2025, vol. 35, issue 4, 650-668

Abstract: This paper reimagines peer support groups by centring a community’s worldviews. We engage with Iliso Lamakhosikazi, a women’s peer support group in South Africa, through an eight-week qualitative study embedded within nearly a decade of collaborative research. This study, using participatory observations, interviews, and focus groups, reveals how Iliso Lamakhosikazi reimagines peer support groups in terms of sociality, focus, and operational structure. The findings show that embedding development efforts within community worldviews can emphasise collective well-being, enhance relationality, and support broader health and wellness goals. Future efforts should apply empowered participation to reimagine other participatory development principles, such as community gardens and mutual aid groups, grounded in a community’s ways of knowing.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2025.2489567

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