In Vishakani, Kilifi County, a new model of doing research is taking root. It puts communities at the heart of knowledge creation. From April 8 to 11, 2025, 35 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) were trained to take on leadership roles in brain health research within their own communities. A follow up training was held on April 23 to 24, 2025, to build on this foundation. Led by the Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), this training was part of our Living Lab initiative, an approach that transforms real-world communities into dynamic spaces where innovative health solutions are co-created, tested, and refined by the people they are designed to serve.
What is a living lab?
A Living Lab is a real-life setting where researchers, community members, and other partners come together to explore and test new ideas in everyday environments. It is not a lab with white coats and microscopes. It is a shared space for learning, listening, and building practical solutions based on lived experience. In Kilifi, this means local residents are helping shape the future of brain and mental health care in ways that are ethical, relevant, and sustainable.
Training community leaders to shape research
During the four-day workshop, CHPs were equipped with essential skills in research ethics, informed consent, and digital data collection. Led by Dr Jasmit Shah, a Data Scientist, and Dr Moses Kachama, a Global Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellow at BMI, the training emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity, building trust, and clear communication in research involoving humans as study participants.
“Research doesn’t live on desktops. It lives in communities, in culture, and in conversation,” said Dr Shah. “We have to listen, adapt, and tailor the tools to how CHPs naturally communicate. That is where real impact begins.”
Rather than taking a top-down approach, the training was co-developed with the CHPs themselves. Local examples were used to explain complex topics, and the sessions encouraged open discussion. Sub-County Health Management team also joined in, signaling strong support from local health authorities.
From field workers to research ambassadors
Many CHPs had little experience with formal research or technology before this training. Yet by the end of the sessions, they had gained confidence in using digital tools and a deeper understanding of why ethical principles like confidentiality and voluntary participation matter. They also helped tailor research questions into local languages and phrasing, ensuring the questions made sense in the community context.
“We have seen a real shift not just in knowledge, but in identity,” said Dr Kachama. “CHPs will no longer just be collecting data. They will now be ambassadors of ethical research and guardians of their community’s stories.”
A new model for community-driven research
This training marks the first step in a longer journey. The Living Lab approach aims to transform how research is done by making communities full partners in every stage, from design to data collection to implementation.
As phase two of the project rolls out, the Brain and Mind Institute plans to deepen these partnerships, co-develop interventions based on community feedback, and expand the Living Lab model to other regions.
By turning communities into collaborators, not just subjects, this work is helping shape a future where brain and mental health research is truly for the people and by the people.
