The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 29 September at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Tetelo Maakamedi, Khabo Masanabo & Chelsea Coakley.

About the Seminar:

Bloom & Thrive: a transdisciplinary research partnership shaping adolescent-responsive, digitally-enabled health services

BLOOM & THRIVE is a mixed-methods study (2025–2028) and transdisciplinary research partnership with South African non-profit Shout-it-Now. It explores how South African young women express and experience relational and digital wellbeing, how they perceive and engage with AI-enabled health platforms, and what factors shape these experiences. Embedded in real-world implementation of AI-enabled and in-person services, this study partners with clinicians and a cohort of young co-researchers to generate empirical and methodological evidence to improve the responsiveness of youth-centred health services and the safety and equity of AI-enabled health platforms.

This seminar will explore the story of our research partnership, findings from the first year of research, and preliminary insights from the second year of research in the BLOOM & THRIVE study.

Speakers

Tetelo Maakamedi is a Junior Research Fellow in the CSSR

Khabo Masanabo is a Researcher at Shout-it-Now, Youth Co-Investigator of BLOOM & THRIVE, youth advocate, and Masters Candidate in International Affairs.

Chelsea Coakley is a Research Officer in the CSSR, co-PI of BLOOM & THRIVE, and a final-year PhD Candidate in Behavioural Medicine. She works with young people and civil society to strengthen the responsiveness of health systems.

  29 September 2026
  12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29, Robert Leslie Social Sciences Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa