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All Journal Global Health Management Journal Indonesian Journal of Educational Development (IJED)
Gasa, Velisiwe
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Education Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health

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Journal : Global Health Management Journal

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Rethinking Educational Research Involving Students with Disabilities Muzite, Precious; Gasa, Velisiwe
GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025)
Publisher : Yayasan Aliansi Cendekiawan Indonesia Thailand (Indonesian Scholars' Alliance)

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35898/ghmj-821212

Abstract

Background: This paper investigates the decolonisation of educational research concerning students with disabilities. Aims: The primary aim was to validate and interpret these students' lived experiences, challenging established dominant epistemologies in disability studies. Methods: A radical near-experience methodology, which emphasises participant-driven storytelling within their contextual realities, was employed as a qualitative research design. Twenty youths, aged 16 to 24, with either physical or learning disabilities, enrolled at five TVET Colleges, or Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges, in Gauteng, South Africa, engaged in storytelling exercises tailored to their abilities. Results: The storytelling exercises revealed key themes, including identity affirmation, systemic challenges, and agency. Findings indicate that conventional disability research often marginalises students' voices, perpetuating stereotypes and failing to enact meaningful policy changes. For instance, participants expressed feelings of empowerment and recognition through their narratives. Conclusion: This research holds significant implications for policymakers, highlighting the need for inclusive education studies that genuinely reflect the experiences of students with disabilities. Disability advocates can utilise these narratives to promote redefined identities and rights. Scholars can incorporate decolonial methodologies into their work, fostering a nuanced understanding of disability relevant to the global South. Additionally, practitioners in human services can leverage these insights to design supportive programs that encourage self-advocacy and positive identity formation. By prioritising the voices and experiences of individuals with disabilities, this study underscores the transformative potential of inclusive educational practices.
For the Love of Sisi: Peer Support and Friendship in Navigating Health Adversity Gasa, Velisiwe; Madikizela-Madiya, Nomanesi; Gumbo, Mishack Thiza; Magano, Meahabo Dinah; Pitsoane, Enid Manyaku; Mahlangu, Vimbi Petrus; Shava, Soul; Nkumane, Khabonina Grace; Machaisa, Pertunia Rebotile; Phala, Thembi; Luvalo, Loyiso; Motlhabane, Abraham; Ntshangase, Sibusiso D.
GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) Vol. 8 No. 3 (2025)
Publisher : Yayasan Aliansi Cendekiawan Indonesia Thailand (Indonesian Scholars' Alliance)

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35898/ghmj-831250

Abstract

Health adversity, whether due to chronic illness, disability, or severe medical conditions, often leads to emotional, social, and psychological challenges. While much research has focused on clinical care, growing attention is paid to peer support and friendship as crucial non-clinical resources. The experience of Sisi, a person living through health adversity, offers an illustrative case of how love and social connection can play a transformative role in coping and resilience, even if it is for a short while. This paper explores the importance of peer support and friendship in enhancing empowerment, maintaining personal identity, and encouraging meaning-making during health-related adversity. It seeks to contribute knowledge on how social relationships function as sources of emotional comfort and as mechanisms that enable individuals to reframe their experience and maintain a strong sense of self in times of illness. The narratives show that peer support and friendship are essential facilitators of psychological empowerment, assisting individuals in feeling more in control and competent even in the face of adversity. Relationships with peers protect identity by affirming personal narratives beyond the illness. Furthermore, they act as informal support systems that augment medical interventions, frequently improving quality of life and psychological resilience. Peer connection can assist individuals in viewing illness not merely as a medical experience but as a collective human experience characterized by connection and meaning. The insights underscore the necessity for more comprehensive, person-centered strategies in health care that acknowledge love, friendship, and social connection as vital elements of recovery and resilience.
Rethinking Youth Resilience in Africa: The Untapped Role of Intergenerational Care and Indigenous Support Systems in Community Health Gasa, Velisiwe; Kpum, Moses Mhide
GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) Vol. 9 No. 1 (2026)
Publisher : Yayasan Aliansi Cendekiawan Indonesia Thailand (Indonesian Scholars' Alliance)

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35898/ghmj-911271

Abstract

Background: Global health narratives on youth resilience predominantly reflect Western-centric models emphasizing individual agency and nuclear family structures, marginalizing the intergenerational care networks and indigenous knowledge systems central to African societies. Objective: This conceptual paper critically examines the limitations of Western resilience frameworks in African contexts and proposes a reconceptualization grounding youth resilience in indigenous epistemologies, particularly Ubuntu philosophy and intergenerational care practices. Methods: Drawing on decolonial theory, African-centered psychology, and community resilience literature, we synthesize evidence from ethnographic studies, program evaluations, and regional health data across sub-Saharan Africa to demonstrate the efficacy of culturally grounded approaches. Results: Indigenous support systems, including grandparent-headed households, traditional healing practices, and community-based care networks, constitute tested resilience mechanisms that have sustained African youth through adversity yet remain systematically undervalued. Successful integration models from South Africa, Senegal, and Uganda demonstrate superior outcomes when indigenous wisdom informs youth development programming. Conclusion: Repositioning intergenerational care and indigenous knowledge from peripheral supplements to foundational pillars requires substantial policy reform, culturally appropriate research methodologies, and deliberate decolonization of health and social service systems across Africa.
Co-Authors Gumbo, Mishack Thiza Kpum, Moses Mhide Luvalo, Loyiso Machaisa, Pertunia Rebotile Madikizela-Madiya, Nomanesi Madzore, Rosemary Magano, Meahabo Dinah Mahlangu, Vimbi Petrus Motlhabane, Abraham Muzite, Precious Nkumane, Khabonina Grace Ntshangase, Sibusiso D. Phala, Thembi Pitsoane, Enid Manyaku Shava, Soul