Community 2.0: A collaborative university-community network to inform and educate caregivers in home-based healthcare in South Africa

Caregivers providing a care service to under-resourced communities do not have sufficient access to information and training. A mobile application was developed to enable caregivers to become active producers of their own information, which is in turn translated into mobile edutainment content. This facilitates informal, on-demand learning. Said mobile application is part of a larger collaborative project between universities and communities. An ethnographic study was conducted to determine caregivers´ information needs, and participatory design methods were used to develop a prototype solution. The collaboration between the respective university and community members resulted in an active network. This relationship is marked by mutually beneficial partnerships, and distinct stakeholder roles. The experiences and insights gained during this project have framed the proposed collaborative university-community network.