Ntokozo Yingwana, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)

The main research question is: what does it take to care for sex workers’ children in Gauteng, from a caregiver’s perspective? “Implementation research” is a type of research that focuses on the practical application and integration of evidence-based interventions, policies, or programs into real-world settings (Peters et al 2013). The primary goal of implementation research is to bridge the gap between the development of innovative solutions and their successful implementation in everyday practice. 

This study is an example of implementation (or intervention) research, as it builds upon findings from the previous baseline needs assessment conducted by Mothers for the Future (M4F) and the African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS), under the 2021-2022 Open Society University Network (OSUN) Engaged Research Fund. That study found that while there are a some homebased crèches (kindergartens) in Gauteng that are friendly enough for sex working mothers to leave their children when they go to work, these places and the caregivers that run them are not well equipped or officially registered to do so (i.e., with the Department of Social Development).