Health Professions student researches community-driven solutions for food insecurity in South Africa

College of Health Professions student Allyson Elrod-Bloom is currently in Cape Town, South Africa as part of her doctoral capstone experience through a Center for Global Health Student and Trainee Travel Grant.

Following along as she shares her experience:

These images are from the Zeekoevlei Primary School where occupational therapy students from the University of Cape Town complete their Community Development Practice block. A block is similar to fieldwork except for the Occupational Therapy faculty from the University of Cape Town oversee the students in this setting. ZeekoevleI Primary School resides in Lotus River, which was declared a Colored Group Area in 1965. People were forcibly removed from their homes and assigned by racial groups to live in areas away from the city center.

Occupational therapy students utilize the Occupation-based Community Development Framework to guide their practice during a 7-week placement at this school. They conduct a context-related assessment and design a campaign to address findings that result in barriers to occupational engagement. The Innovation Hub is just one of the campaigns students have implemented while working with the school. At the Innovation Hub this block, grade 7 students are working on career development, goal setting, and motivation. It is their space and the OT students facilitate what the students hope to accomplish during their time together. I’ve observed just how valuable OTs may be in community development practice.

  

My doctoral capstone project aim was to gain an understanding of the Occupation-Based Community Development framework to empower Lowcountry Food Bank with strategies to empower community-driven solutions to food insecurity. My mentors at the University of Cape Town schedule a visit to a community garden called Love In a Bowl. Only 2 years old, the community garden produced 40 tons of organic vegetables for Group Areas in Houts Bay. They have about 30 staff members between 6 locations, providing jobs to individuals who became unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was an incredibly powerful experience to be in this garden which serves as a vital resource for the local community. It provides food to insecure children and the elderly for free. Locals purchase remaining crops and sometimes utilize the ingredients to make spreads that are sold on-site. I am looking forward to returning and sharing this experience with the food bank, which also has a community garden project.