Chance training a young researcher on Fatima
Hi, I’m Mukamusoni Chance, a passionate researcher and the Fatima Support Manager at Here I Am, based in Kigali, Rwanda.
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of working on a Youth Engagement Study for One Acre Fund. The objective of the study was to understand the agricultural experience of young farmers, especially women, and to identify barriers and opportunities for them to access and adopt profitable, sustainable, climate resilient agricultural practices. This study was also conducted in Nigeria and Tanzania, but my role in the field research was in my home country, Rwanda.
In this blog I share my experience of conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in the field, and how Fatima, the ethical research platform, made it all possible.
Why Fatima is special for me as a Qualitative Researcher
Fatima is an ethical research platform developed by Here I Am in partnership with CARE International. It is designed for safe, secure, and inclusive data collection with a mission to ensure every voice is heard.
Fatima is close to my heart because I've seen it develop from the seed of an idea - to create the first truly ethical research platform - into a ground breaking tool being used across 19 countries.
Fatima makes my job easier, the data I collect more meaningful and it gives me peace of mind knowing that the data is secure and reaches the analysis team quickly, with no need for manual data entry.
In the past Fatima has been mainly used for one-on-one interviews, both remote and in-person. However for the Youth Engagement Study, we went further, using Fatima to conduct 14 focus groups across 8 districts in Rwanda.
Fatima helped me a great deal in accomplishing my research work because she was my guide.
Young researcher, Tanzania
How Fatima elevated the data collected in Focus Group Discussions
We conducted 14 focus group discussions across all 4 provinces of Rwanda. Each had 6–8 participants, carefully grouped based on gender, age, their relationship with farming. We ran sessions in comfortable, secure and familiar settings like local community spaces, and a church, to help participants feel relaxed and more willing to speak.
Focus Group Discussions are notoriously challenging to document. Paper notes are hard to keep track of, but digital note taking can make participants feel like they are being scrutinised. Through this project we were able to leverage Fatima’s tools to accurately document the sessions in a way that never compromised participant experience or comfort.
How we used Fatima:
- Fatima captured demographic data of the participants as a collective, to aid analysis
- Fatima’s photo capture features documented worksheets and captured participants’ drawings: One activity was a projective exercise to describe a struggling and then a thriving young farmer. The activity was deeply insightful as teams collaborated on the barriers and opportunities for young farmers - and to have their drawings captured with Fatima really brought their ideas and personalities to life for analysis.
- Fatima’s audio recording captured presentations from groups summarising key ideas and conclusions: For presentations each group chose one representative to present on behalf of the team. This way, we could hear the group’s perspective through a single spokesperson. During the presentations, we asked additional probing questions to gather more detailed data for further analysis. This audio file was then transcribed and translated for analysis, providing insights in the words of the participant.
- We captured the results of interactive activities within Fatima. One of my favorite activities was 'Body Voting': participants moved to one side if they agreed with a statement, or to the other if they disagreed. This simple activity sparked rich discussions and gave everyone a voice.
- Data collection concluded with facilitator notes to capture anything additional that was discussed: This enabled facilitators to be present within the sessions, to engage with the group and help them feel at ease, but also allowed them to document any key takeaways that they had observed once the session had concluded.
When I married my husband, we didn’t have a house and had to rent. But after we started farming, we were able to build our own beautiful and spacious home.
Female farmer, FGD, Rwanda
A game changer for future Focus Group Discussions
Using Fatima for focus groups was a game-changer. It allowed us to collect richer data by ensuring everyone’s voice was captured through recordings and worksheets. I learned that research isn’t just about asking questions—it’s about creating a safe space with the right tools so people feel heard and valued. Fatima made that possible.
One of the best things about focus group discussions is how people interact. When one person answers a question, it encourages others to share their thoughts too, creating a sense of teamwork and collaboration. What stood out to me was the honesty of the participants. We made sure everyone felt comfortable and open up to share their experience in farming. These moments reminded me why I love research—it’s about hearing stories that matter.
The Youth Engagement Study was more than just a project for me, it was a journey across Rwanda, listening to the voices of young farmers, their experiences, dreams, and hopes. With Fatima’s tools, I was able to amplify those voices, and I’m proud to have been part of that mission.
