Gardens Can Grow Here, Humanitarian Placemaking

2019-2020

Research Associate, University of Glasgow

As a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, I led a critical research initiative in Malawi, focusing on sustainability and resilience in environmentally sensitive and economically marginalized regions, such as the Dzaleka refugee camp. This project involved comprehensive fieldwork, engaging diverse stakeholders from refugees to local agrarian and fishing communities.

My key responsibilities included leading a team of research assistants in Malawi, fostering a culture of innovation and community engagement. I mentored graduate students at the University of Glasgow, enhancing their research skills in sustainability. My work involved rigorous environmental assessments, mobile interviews, and organizing participatory workshops to reinforce stakeholder investment in sustainable environmental management.

Significantly, I worked under the guidance of Dr. Lazaros Karaliotas, coordinating data collection activities at the Dzaleka camp. These activities revolved around reimagining citizen science environmental data collection methods, including practices like hacking, data exploration workshops, participatory video making, and spatialised video geonarratives.

This project, a collaboration with the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow and the Department of Environmental Sciences at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi, explored sustainable livelihoods for refugees in challenging environments. My achievements included innovating 'Creative Geovisualisation' as a methodology and developing impactful research data that significantly influenced sustainability-focused research outputs and policy formation.