Young people were at the centre of HEARD’s research in Zambia and this video will explain why this was so important and what we jointly learned from this process. You will hear from Wezi, a young gay man from Zambia, who was part of our research team. Together with other peer interviewers, he conducted research on the mental health of young men who have sex with men and continues to use the skills and experience he gained in this project in new health-related studies today.

In the video, he reflects on his role as a peer interviewer and how the research participants more easily confided in him as he understood the issues they were dealing with in daily life. He also talks about the ownership and inclusion of young people in all aspects of the research, especially when the study topic is about very sensitive issues. You will also hear from Joseph, who supervised the research and who taught Wezi and the other peer interviewers how to conduct interviews, transcribe and analyse the interview data, and who mentored them throughout the research process. Joseph will also reflect on how this project deepened his own understanding of the mental health impacts on young key populations who live in a criminalized setting and within a society that disapproves of same-sex sexual relationships.

 

If you would like to know more about this research, you can download the research report