This article has been translated with DeepL.
Social innovation | How the “Mentormamma” program fared in Sweden
- Published: 26 Aug 2024,
- 7:57 AM
- Updated: 26 Aug 2024,
- 8:07 AM
How can social innovations be transferred between contexts? Researchers at Uppsala University have studied a method for working with maternal and child health in socially vulnerable situations.
In 2002, the Mentor Mothers Program was developed in Cape Town, South Africa, where pregnant women and new mothers are supported by so-called “mentor mothers”. These are women who, despite socially difficult circumstances, have experience of raising healthy children. The mentor mothers are trained in the structure and organization of the welfare system, in maternal and child health, and in conversation methodology. In 2021, the method was transferred to a Swedish context in Malmö and Gothenburg, via the women’s cooperative Yallatrappan and the association Tidigt föräldrastöd, respectively.
The doctoral thesis Contextualizing a South African social innovation for maternal and child health to mothers with experiences of migration in Sweden examines how the successful South African social innovation has been adapted to a Swedish context.
Among other things, the researchers have studied how the process of adapting the social innovation to a different context worked in practice. An evaluation of the implementation was also carried out. The study shows, for example, that implementation was facilitated by the good reputation of the Yalla staircase. Obstacles to transfer included mistrust of social services and norms around gender roles and parenting, which made it difficult for women to leave home.
The thesis also highlights how the social innovation was further developed to empower the target group, and build trust in welfare services and authorities. The results show how a social innovation for health, developed in a low-income context, could be transferred to a high-income context.
More about the thesis
The thesis Contextualizing a South African social innovation for maternal and child health to mothers with experiences of migration in Sweden was presented by Per Kåks at Uppsala University, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, in May 2024.
