Research and Career Interests

Multi and Transdisciplinary research interests on: Indigenous Knowledge Systems; African Traditional Religious studies; and Spirituality; Gender Based violence, children, youth, LGBTI and adults; LGBTI care and services; Indigenous Knowledge systems management and care; Community health care and development HIV prevention interventions. Action Research and trans-disciplinary; HIV care interventions • International research and interventions with academic scholars and communities• stigma • qualitative methods • mixed methods • youth development • community-based participatory research • Youth development. Traditional healing, integrative medicine and integrative psychotherapeutic strategies. Trans-disciplinary research: food security, agriculture and rangeland management.  Trans and multi-disciplinary research and Associate Professorship Mentoring of junior researchers; Post –Doctorates and External examiner on post graduate level

                                                      Research Experience

2025 :                Member of International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (Japan Commission),Kyoto, Japan. 

2023- 2027        Action research through community development funded by Department of Social Development for   

                            Social Behavior Change and Environmental structural change with six schools in Sakhisizwe Local municipality, 

                            Chris Hani district, Cala. The main purpose is improving behaviors for the reduction of risky life behaviors.                                             

                             There is a strong possibility for a 3-year cycle term (may be up to 2027).  Grant amount, R750 000 on annual 

                             basis. 

2018 – to date- continuous Project: Project coordinator: Traditional healers and Analytic Jungian Analysts interactive dialogue on possibilities             

                             of integrative psychotherapies, currently known as Rainbow Therapy in Cape Town, South Africa. South Africa and   

                             Zurich collaboration. Sponsored fund:  

2018 – 2019          Project leader: initiating first interactive dialogue between the Traditional healers and Jungian Analysts at   

                             Hosgback Collaboration between myself and Professor Peter Ammann in Zurich. 

2017-2017             Project Manager: Community home based care health care service and house-hold inventory at ward 6 Sakhisizwe 

                              Chris Hani district Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. US. PEPFAR fund

2016 -2016            Principal recipient of the National Research Fund-KIC in a Promoting International Sustainable Global Knowledge 

                              Transfer Networks on Population Health, Community Resilience and Education” project to host a Senior Research 

                              Fellow from The MS University of Baroda in Gurataj, India

2016- 2016                       Hosted Western Michigan University Professor with group of Students from Public Health Department for review   

                                         on HIV AIDS management in South Africa and Traditional Health Practitioners role in managing HIV AIDS in South 

                                         Africa. Sponsored by Western Michigan University and University of Fort Hare

2016 -2016                       Grant recipient of University of Fort Hare, Govan Mbeki Research and Education Centre to organize a Panel group

                                         Research on Dwelling in Africa: African Religions as part of an integral African Landscape for a conference to be   

                                         hosted at Ife Ife University in Nigeria.

2016- 2016                       Recipient of Zurich funding sponsor to coordinate a workshop in South Africa for an interactive dialogue between   

                                         the Jungian Analysts and Traditional Health Practitioners at Hogsback, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

2016 – 2017                     Principal Investigator community based project on baseline house-hold inventory investigation health related matters 

                                         needing prior health care intervention at the Tsengiwe Village, Cala in Chris Hani District, EC, SA. University of 

                                         Fort Hare MRDC Fund       

2016 – 2016                     Recipient of research grant to host international academic exchange collaborations with diverse senior researchers 

                                         funded by University of Fort Hare, DMRDC

2015 – 2015                     Hosted Hosted Western Michigan University Professor with group of Students from Public Health Department, for                                                        

                                         review on  HIV AIDS management in South Africa and Traditional Health Practitioners role in managing HIV AIDS in                    

                                         South Africa. Sponsored by Western Michigan University and University of Fort Hare

2014 2017                        Independent Researcher on Literature review study on secrets that kill: reflections on violation of cultural rights 

                                         enshrined in the constitution and human rights through traditional circumcision.

2014 -2017                       Project Manager, First Things First HIV AIDS program strengthening institutions of Higher Learning in South 

                                         Africa. National Department of Education-Higher Education AIDS Program fund (HEAIDS).

2014- 2017                       Principal Investigator on Traditional Healers in transition, an international research project on IKS practices with 

                                         Universities of MS of Baroda and Mt Abu World Spiritual, in India and University of Fort Hare:  N Research Fund

2013 – 2019                     Project Manager: Indigenous Knowledge Systems National Recordal system in the Eastern Cape Province, South  

                                         Africa. Department of Science and Technology, National Indigenous Knowledge System Office

2013 – 2016                     Co-Investigator in a research collaboration on bio-prospecting, innovative and commercialization processes of 

                                         Traditional medicinal plants, with Walter Sisulu University and Tsengiwe Community,Cala. N R Foundation Fund

2011 – 2016                     Recipient of Honorary Research Associate position at Rhodes University, anthropology department, in South  

                                         Africa

2010 – 2010                     Principal Investigator, baseline research on Data base creation and identifying best practices that could be 

                                         implemented to integrate or complement traditional healing and allopathic medicine.  University of Fort Hare,    

                                         GMRDC 

2009 2010                        Co-Investigator in partnership research between University of Fort Hare, UMVOTO company, Cape Town and    

                                         Department of Science and Technology on conducting a baseline research report on the status of women in STI in    

                                         SADEC REGION. Department of Science and Technology Fund

2005-2005                        Independent Researchers, training of traditional healers in the Eastern Cape Province, National Research  

                                         Foundation Fund

2005 – 2008                     PI projects: Tenacity Against the odds- challenges experienced by Traditional Healers in managing their community 

                                         assets and healing practices, Tsengiwe village, Tsolo and Ugie, Eastern Cape Province, SA,  N R F fund 

2004 – 2007                     Co-investigator in research project, Directional trends in selected aspects of rural poverty in the Eastern Cape 

                                         Province: changes during the first ten years of South African democracy. Mellon Foundation Fund 

2004 – 2004                     Research Associate Fellowship at the Department of Anthropology, Iowa University, USA

2003 – 2004                     Research Grant to participate in South African Netherlands Research Programme on Alternative in Research, 

                                         Quantitative Research, Participative Research, Evaluation Research, Feminist Analysis and Discourse Analysis 

                                         Developments

2003 – 2003                     Grant from National Social Development for Ilitha Project for Victim Empowerment and Survivor protection 

2002 – 2005                     Recipient of National Research Fund grant in Thuthuka grant program Researchers in Training that led to me 

                                         Obtaining my doctorate degree

2001 – 2002                     Grant recipient of Tertiary Education Institutional Linkages Programme on Mentoring and Student Development                                              

                                         Workshop implementation programmes, Department of Higher Education fund.

1999- 1999                       Grant recipient from National Research Fund – conference attendance and paper presentation in Norway

1997- 1999                       Co-Investigator research on adolescent risk behaviors at high schools in the Eastern and Western Cape, a 

                                         collaboration between three universities, University of Fort Hare, Western Cape and University of Transkei in South Africa. NRF fund