A selection of our collective works since 2010
Below are examples of over 35 projects undertaken since our inception. Learn more about these projects and access associated resources and research outputs on this page.
Current projects
An Introduction and Practical Guide to Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) in Health Research – An Online Learning Resource
An online, interactive course on the topic of community engagement and involvement (CEI) in global health research.
Cities Support Programme, Township Economic Development Project
The Cities Support Programme (CSP) of National Treasury is implementing a Township Economic Development (TED) Project with SLF as the leading technical partner.
Dilemmas of health equity in global health research: A study of research on climate-sensitive infectious disease
An academic research project that aims to challenge the boundaries of research ethics and creatively explore new opportunities for researchers, in partnership with communities, to respond meaningfully and sustainably to causes of health inequity.
Past projects
The Practice and Ethics of Participatory Visual Methods for Community Engagement in Public Health and Health Science
This online course provides guidelines on the practice and ethics of participatory visual methods (PVM) with emphasis on their use in low and middle-income countries for community and public engagement in health and health science.
Frontiers in Public Health
Public and community engagement in health science research: Openings and obstacles for listening and responding in the majority world.
Township Development Strategy for Uitenhage / Kariega
SLF was commissioned by the Volkswagen Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Trust to advise the Trust on an economic development strategy for the townships surrounding Uitenhage (Kariega).
Safe Shebeens
SLF collaborated with 23 shebeen owners in the informal settlement of Sweet Home Farm, Cape Town, to co-produce strategies for making shebeens safer social spaces.
Identifying Skills for Sustainable Livelihoods in Local Communities
This research project was undertaken to deepen understanding about the skills required for building sustainable livelihoods in marginalised communities.
Formalising Informal Micro-Enterprises (FIME)
The FIME project pioneered new research methodology on South Africa’s informal township economy. The SLF project team developed and applied the small-area census method to document all economic activities in 9 townships.
Making All Voices Count
Making All Voices Count. Translating complex realities through technologies: lessons about participatory accountability from South Africa.
Bucket Loads of Health
Bucket Loads of Health (BLH) was a community engagement in health science research project that responded to health challenges induced by a severe drought in the Western Cape (WC) province (2017 – 2018).
Water and Fire
UKRI GCRF Water and Fire: 15 ‘Best Bets’ to enhance capacity and reduce risk for transformative adaptation with vulnerable residents on the Cape Flats.
The Heart of the Matter
The Heart of the Matter (HOTM) was a community engagement in health science research project that acted on the growing challenge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in South Africa.
Unlocking Land for Micro-Enterprise Growth (ULMEG)
The ULMEG project sought to investigate and highlight the multiple ways that land use systems impact on economic growth and business in marginalised urban communities.