But what if, instead of focusing only on problems, we looked for the solution already thriving within communities?
That’s exactly what the HOPE4NCDs project, short for Harnessing Opportunities for Equity in Non-communicable Diseases, is about. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, this project is turning the spotlight on the everyday people, behaviours, practices and cultural strengths that are helping communities stay healthy against the odds.
What is HOPE4NCDs?
Rather than seeing communities as passive recipients of health advice, HOPE4NCDs views them as sources of innovation and strength. HOPE4NCDs is all about promoting healthier lifestyles among African and Caribbean people living in the UK, but with a fresh perspective. Instead of focusing only on the barriers to good health, we are shining a light on success stories.
We are using the Positive Deviance Approach, a strengths-based framework that identifies individuals who, despite facing similar challenges as others, have discovered their own effective ways to eat well, stay physically active, and look after their health.
Across African and Caribbean groups in the UK, there are countless stories of individuals who, despite facing the same barriers as others, have found creative ways to eat well, stay active, and look after their health. These “positive deviants” are the quiet role models within their communities who show that change is possible within the community.
These are the stories at the heart of the project that challenge stereotypes, highlight resilience, and hold the key to more inclusive, effective health promotion.
By learning from everyday strategies of positive deviants, we are co-creating knowledge and generating evidence to shape culturally relevant and sustainable lifestyle interventions, while sharing practical tips and insights that can inspire others to live healthier lives.
Significance of the project to health promotion
HOPE4NCDs is more than research, it is a movement toward health equity, empowerment and hope drawn from solutions within the community. It is about celebrating the strengths within African and Caribbean communities and reimagining how we promote health and prevent NCDs.
Here’s why this work truly matters:
- Community-centred solutions: too often, health interventions don’t work because they overlook the realities and cultural context of people’s lives. HOPE4NCDs flips the script by learning directly from real-life success stories of positive deviants.
- Empowerment through representation: the project shines a light on positive deviants, the people who manage to stay healthy even under challenging circumstances. Their stories inspire others to believe, “If they can do it, so can I.”
- Reducing health inequalities: by tailoring our strategies to lived experiences, we can close persistent gaps in health outcomes, making prevention programmes more inclusive, relevant and effective.
- Sustainable behaviour change: instead of imposing external solutions, we amplify practices that already work within communities. This approach fosters ownership, pride and long-term sustainable change.
Ultimately, HOPE4NCDs shifts the focus from problems to possibilities, building a healthier, fairer future through community driven, culturally rooted action.
To join us on this journey as we celebrate community strengths, share success stories and work together toward a healthier, more equitable future, contact Charity by email C.A.Aienobe-Asekharen@lboro.ac.uk or phone: +44 (0)1509 226231.
Research Associate