Prof Vhonani Netshandama, Director Community Engagement together with eight (8) students, five (5) from the University of Venda (UNIVEN) and 3 from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) visited Maviligwe village. The visit took place on Friday, 28 February 2020. Mr Hobyane who is the Chairperson of Hlayisani Traditional Health Practitioners Association highlighted that the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the existing relationship with the Maviligwe knowledge holders and to provide field learning experience for students in a multi-cultural setting.
Welcoming ceremony
During a traditional interactive session, students interacted with traditional health practitioners. Traditional healers shared that they are interested in collaborating with Primary Health Care Nurses and Medical Doctors, unfortunately, they felt there is lack of reciprocation as they are always undermined and treated with suspicion. Both Traditional Healers and students learned how data may be collected in a traditional indigenous collaborative setting.
Students and Traditional healers had informal sessions to talk about any topic they wanted, followed by a short reflection session. In a different session, students shared their reflections and observations from interactions that they had with traditional health practitioners which entailed an inherent cultural power dynamic between men and women; between traditional healers and students.
Community Engagement Directorate intend to organise a workshop aimed at empowering knowledge holders and traditional health practitioners. The UNIVEN IKS Student Chapter further intends to organise a workshop with supervision of the respective mentors in IKS.
Issued by:
Department of Communications & Marketing
University of Venda,
Tel: (015) 962 8525
Date: 22 May 2020
