Returning knowledge back to Bellavista Nanay: a researcher's perspective

A previous study found that drinking water was becoming contaminated in households and there was a general lack of understanding surrounding household water contamination. It was felt that if this information was returned to the community it could be used to build capacity, so people can make informed choices regarding their drinking water practices. Participatory methods were explored and Ketso® a pre-packaged tool was thought to be the most appropriate for this community. Ketso was used to develop workshops with the focus being household drinking water contamination, which were delivered to 35 participants. The workshops provided an enjoyable forum for participants to exchange ideas on household water contamination. It was felt that capacity was built during the process through the participants’ exchange of ideas, and it gave participants a space to question their own practices. The aim of this paper is to describe, discuss and evaluate the process used.