Doing qualitative research on dementia with family caregivers in Kenya: A reflection on fieldwork experiences

In this paper, I present reflections on a self-funded study that explored the experiences of caring for people with dementia (PWD) in Kenya. I use an autoethnographic approach to examine and discuss some key issues that emerged during the planning and fieldwork phases of the study. This approach entails auto- reflection and the analysis of each part of the research experience. This paper does not report on the study's findings but provides an understanding of the difficulties encountered while researching in Kenya on a topic which is little understood. The paper begins with a background to the study, followed by the motivation of conducting the research. I then discuss the critical issues encountered during the various phases of the project. These included i) difficulties securing funding for the project, ii) challenges recruiting participants and iii) the lack of emotional support for the researcher during this process. The paper also offers suggestions on strategies that could benefit researchers seeking to study a similar problem in this context.