Laetitia is Challenge Coordinator and treasurer of the SevenSenses Foundation. She did excellent work conducting Participatory Action Research with her team for the Father Involvement Challenge, moving an entire community in Hammanskraal, South Africa to improve fathers’ involvement in their children’s upbringing.
Laetitia:
“Being a coordinator for the SevenSenses Challenge has probably been the greatest personal challenge I have taken on so far in my life. Every time I make a new ‘to do’-list, I am amazed by how many things I can add, and how they all seem equally important! Obviously, one of the things you really learn being a Challenge-coordinator, is prioritizing. Other things I have learned so far? Starting (and completing!) my own crowdfunding campaign, finding and hiring local team-members, giving workshops, being put in front of a crowd and giving spontaneous ‘presentations’, coordinating an international team of researchers, budgeting (and budgeting, and budgeting…) and taking breaks when needed!
It has been my dream to return to South Africa to conduct another research in the communities. The last time I was there, I became really passionate about the topic of father-involvement, and I decided that if I would get the chance, I would return to do a more elaborate research. Having the opportunity to not only go back, but to go back with an entire team of motivated researchers and a huge dose of acquired knowledge on how to actually carry out action research, is more than I could have ever imagined. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and for my team, and really excited to see the outcomes of the Father-Involvement Challenge!”