Opportunities, challenges, and sustainability of lay co-research teams in low resource community settings in Sri Lanka.

backgroundCommunity-led research (CLR) positions community members as active partners in generating knowledge about issues affecting their wellbeing. This approach is grounded in the principle that those closest to a problem are best placed to identify meaningful and sustainable solutions. In Sri Lanka's plantation sector, families face persistent socio-economic and health inequities, including limited access to education, nutrition, and healthcare. The Women in Community Research (WinCR) group was established to address these challenges by enabling community members to lead research, document local realities, and translate evidence into advocacy to inform policy and practice.

methodsIn 2019, two community health and development practitioners established a voluntary lay co-researcher group, WinCR, consisting of 12 women from plantation communities with an interest in research. Participants were recruited through an open invitation. A structured capacity-building programme was implemented, covering qualitative research methods, advocacy, and skills such as communication and leadership. Learning was participatory and supported through peer mentoring and continuous feedback. The group applied these skills in a community-led study on maternal and child nutrition and later expanded their work to areas including school attendance, early literacy, and early childhood development. This paper outlines the establishment and sustainability of WinCR, as well as the key opportunities and challenges encountered from February 2019 to November 2025.

resultsCLR created several opportunities. The co-researchers' lived experiences improved the cultural relevance of research tools, strengthened rapport with participants, and increased acceptance of findings. Capacity-building enhanced confidence, leadership, and recognition, leading to collaborations with government, non-governmental, and academic institutions. Key challenges included the intensive facilitation required for adult learning, low digital literacy, limited access to research materials in local languages, and initial skepticism from some professionals. Maintaining objectivity was occasionally difficult due to personal connections to the research topics. Research engagement remained focused on health, nutrition, education, and child development.

conclusionEstablishing and sustaining a lay co-researcher team in a deprived community is both feasible and valuable. CLR enhances research relevance, community ownership, and advocacy while empowering participants with new skills. Despite challenges related to training, recognition, and technological limitations, the WinCR initiative demonstrates the potential of community-led research and offers a practical model for inclusive research in underserved settings.