Aggrey Gisiora Mokaya

This project explores how the act of participation in long-term health research is experienced and interpreted as a gift by community members in rural South Africa. In a health demographic surveillance system where individuals have participated in multiple studies over many years, this study investigates what participants believe they have given—time, trust, stories, biological samples—and how these contributions carry moral significance. It also examines how institutions receiving these gifts understand their responsibilities and how the dynamics of recognition, reciprocity, or neglect unfold over time. Using a focused ethnographic approach, the study will draw on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and document analysis. Particular attention will be given to the language, silences, and gestures through which moral expectations are expressed and negotiated. Long-serving community members and research institute staff will be included to illuminate both personal and institutional memories of participation. The study seeks to understand how relationships between communities and research institutions are initiated, sustained, and morally evaluated in a context of longitudinal engagement. Conceptualizing participation through Mauss’s theory of the gift, the project contributes to anthropological debates on moral economy, reciprocity, and ethics in global health and offers practical insights into the relational foundations of ethical research practice.