As Disney releases the much-anticipated Queen of Katwe, based on the inspiring story of a young Ugandan woman, a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) PhD graduate reveals her own research experience in the slums where the film is based.
The story of chess star Phiona Mutesi, from one of Kampala’s poorest slums, told in the film, highlights the poverty faced by many who live in this community and, in particular, the often unrecognised potential of young women.
The research by Dr Addy Adelaine, who completed her doctorate in 2016, took place in the heart of these slums in the Katwe area of Ugandan city Kampala, as well as in other slums, and an area where other researchers have rarely gained access.
Now Director of not-for-profit organisation Ladders 4 Action, Dr Adelaine spent a year and a half working with 20 young women whose experiences of life were similar to that of Phiona, studying how effective youth-led research is in empowering young people and increasing the accountability of charities.
Working with local charity Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) and two local facilitators in 2013, Dr Adelaine began supporting young people in exploring issues important to them, unemployment and urban crime. Prior research had not been previously undertaken on urban crime in the area, one of the issues highlighted in the Queen of Katwe.
Her PhD, in international social work and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), reveals that research carried out by young people can improve how organisations demonstrate and ensure they are working responsibly.
Recognising that understanding the extreme poverty in large cities can be challenging, Dr Adelaine said: “Very few researchers manage to capture data from the slum areas, which can be very difficult for outsiders to gain access to and which have highly mobile and unrecorded populations.”
After more than 10 months securing access, she became one of the few outsiders to become familiar with the streets which feature in the Queen of Katwe, and said: “By training and supporting young people from the area, it was possible to overcome many of the barriers that other researchers face.”
Her research details how the young women, some of whom had never attended school, were able to design, conduct and analyse surveys from more than 500 community members on the subjects they chose.
One of the studies, carried out by the women, exposed the fact that 97 per cent of those surveyed had experienced crime in the past year, a much higher percentage than the city-wide average. Their research, supported by Dr Adelaine, found that the reporting of rape, for example, was much more likely to be reported to local leaders than to the police.
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Negotiating permission, with the help of Makerere University, Dr Adelaine describes the relationships she had to build: “Stereotypes were challenged and trust was established between the young people, local leaders, the charity and researchers. It is, perhaps, these relationships that will have the longest lasting impact.”
Facing poverty, inequality and crime as part of daily life, Dr Adelaine observed how the talents of young people are often masked by their circumstances. She said: “Young women, like Phiona who is portrayed in the film, experience stereotyping which can limit their potential.
“The process of empowerment is a personal journey and takes time, especially when you have been told by others, from day one, that you are not worthy or capable.”
Dr Adelaine demonstrated that, with the right approach, young people can positively contribute to international development, adding: “Because these women were community insiders, they were able to offer insights and acquire access that outsiders just can’t achieve.”
Dedicated to adopting an innovative approach to her research methodology, Dr Adelaine who also completed Youth Work and Community Development PG Dip at DMU, said: “The university allowed me to be creative in my design and approach.
“Very few people have the opportunity to carry out international research and work with young people in the way I have been able to. My PhD was designed to inform practice.”
The European Premiere of the Queen of Katwe is being shown on Sunday 9 October at the Odeon Leicester Square.
Posted on Thursday 6 October 2016