Participatory Video: communities tell their stories with a bit of help and a camera

When I began writing this blog, the intention was to focus on computing, be it mobile or static, and how, with the addition of some training and support, and (with a bit of luck) a readily available connection to the internet, it could change the lives of people and their communities in the developing world, in a sustainable, educational way.

Previous posts have looked at a range of different initiatives and innovations: The work of Computer Aid International, who supply computing hardware and expertise directly to schools, hospitals and NGO’s in the field; the power of e-Readers being harnessed for good in education thanks to the efforts of Worldreader, and the work of Frontline SMS in providing the means to organisations to be able to reach out and inform their communities through SMS text messages, accessible to anyone with a standard mobile phone.

In each of these instances, I’ve tried to approach the subject in hand in an ‘introductory’ manner, presenting the project or initiative in question as if to newcomers, and celebrating the efforts of the organisations concerned in such a way that is hopefully accessible not just to the ICT4Dev community, but to a much wider audience.

To this end, this post changes tack slightly, moving away from devices with keyboards and keypads and data, but still focussing on a tool that recent developments in technology have made more accessible and usable by just about anyone, than ever before: the (not so humble) video camera. In particular, I’m going to look at participatory video (PV), which whilst having been around as a concept for some time, has really began to emerge as a powerful tool for developing communities to use to engage and inform the outside world of the problems and issues they face, and therefore, hopefully, a tool for change.

For the uninitiated, and in basic ‘starter-kit’ terms, the concept of participatory video in action is when a group of people or community are given the means and training to produce their own video, the idea being that video as a medium is very accessible and gives rapid results that can be used to deliver and present the message a community are trying to convey.

Participatory video enables the groups involved to engage with the outside world; to present their story – their ‘version of events’ – that can be easily distributed globally and cheaply via the internet, thus empowering them to be able to communicate directly as ‘themselves’ to organisations and individuals beyond their community, in a positive and constructive way. By its nature, the process itself of producing the videos can have a powerfully collaborative effect on the people involved, bringing them together as they learn to use the equipment, apply the skills they’ve learnt through training, and produce their film, that can document, record and ultimately address the challenges they confront in everyday life.

There are many different practitioners and organisations that are utilising this simple yet powerful tool, to assist in bringing the stories of disparate and marginalised communities out into the open. InsightShare stand out as leaders in this field, and from the research I have carried out, appear to have taken it to a different level in terms of the variety of projects they have assisted with and the global reach of their expertise. Taking a consultative as well as hands-on approach and in many different countries and environments, they have advised a range of international development agencies, NGO’s and research institutions on PV methodology.

The About Us page of their website, under the heading ‘Our Work’, puts it very succinctly, explaining what their work demonstrates and what their core aims are:

“Our work…

–       Aims to go beyond developing local participation to achieve full local ownership;

–       Has a strong focus on the Participatory Video process going on behind the technology & its ability to strengthen and support other participatory development processes;

–       Shows a unique combination of technical and facilitation skills, combines media and technology with participatory approaches and community engagement;

–       Develops and improves PV tools constantly to enhance the design, set up and implementation of projects;

–       Builds power for local users, involves people, give NGOs the tools to do this…”

Two of the recent projects involving InsightShare’s practitioners and expertise are the Women’s Access to Justice workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand in August 2013, and a scoping and partnership building visit to the Isiolo and Marsabit counties of northern Kenya, with a view to further training and support to assist the local communities in PV.

Whilst these projects differ greatly in their nature or the environment in which they’re based, it would seem that the core aims of PV, in giving those involved a voice and a chance to be heard beyond the boundaries of their own communities, are strongly present in both.

For more information on the work of InsightShare, visit their website at: www.insightshare.org

Related articles

• Mobile tech making a difference: learning to read and public health awareness (benjaminsmithuk.wordpress.com)
• Internet.org, balloons and practical solutions (benjaminsmithuk.wordpress.com)

Mobile tech making a difference: learning to read and public health awareness

My last post looked at the importance of prioritising basic IT hardware provision, as much as focussing on the grander, long-term schemes being proposed to provide internet connectivity ‘to all’, such as internet.org and Loon. It goes without saying that the provision of computers and the necessary training and expertise in the schools, colleges and hospitals of developing nations is vital, if those institutions are to fully embrace the digital revolution that the global visionaries mentioned above hope to achieve.

This time around it’s all about mobile technology in developing countries, where the advances and developments that have been made over a relatively short period have been very impressive. Again, referencing my last post, the provision of hardware with these mobile solutions is just as important, and in the two examples I’ve featured here, either the hardware is provided, or the technology involved harnesses the power of the device that’s already in many people’s pockets – the standard mobile phone.

I’ve deliberately picked two very different examples in terms of their aims and approach, and there have been many other varied initiatives in this area, all with their own merits, successes and inevitable issues and challenges in terms of what they hoped to achieve, and how they’ve faired over time.

The two initiatives I’ve focussed on have had a huge impact on the communities they’ve helped and in very different ways, but there is a common theme of connecting disparate, hard-to-reach communities that without the resources these initiatives provide, would be less connected and less able to tackle the basic challenges of life, through greater access to healthcare information, and real, practical educational resources.

Worldreader – ‘Books for all’

Worldreader, a US-based global non-profit organisation, aim to provide widespread access to digital books to children, their families and communities with the aim of improving the lives of potentially millions of people. According to their website, (http://www.worldreader.org/what-we-do/) as of June 2013 they have:

‘…put over 662,008 e-books – and the life-changing, power-creating ideas contained within them – into the hands of 4,300 children in sub-Saharan Africa. Those children now read more, read better, and are improving their communities…’.

There are numerous stories and articles on the web about the successes of Worldreaders’ projects, and how they have had a major, positive impact on education and improved literacy for many people through the provision of reading material via e-readers. What made them stand out for me was in a reference to their Africa programs, where it was noted that Worldreader have made a point of ensuring that many of the books they provide are from African publishers and authors. This clearly has obvious benefits, in that students can engage more easily with content that is familiar to them, and schools are able to use local textbooks that are more relevant and accessible to students and teachers alike. It also seems to be a sensible, ethical approach, to be promoting the work of local authors and publishers, as well as providing access to international books when needed.

For an interesting local insight into one of WorldReader’s recent projects, see a recent blog post from Worldreader’s own blog, on their work at the Dwankhozi Primary School in Zambia: http://www.worldreader.org/blog/new-country-new-project-empowering-zambian-children-with-books/

For more general information on Worldreader, visit their main website at: http://www.worldreader.org/

Frontline SMS

Frontline SMS has been around for a while now, with its first prototype product being launched in 2005, but it’s still worth highlighting as one of the great innovations in truly global mobile communications that has been used so effectively in the developing world, to make a positive difference to people’s lives and the communities in which they live.

The Frontline SMS software is freely available and was developed to give communities and organisations the ability to have two-way connectivity and group text-messaging services in locations without reliable internet access, via standard mobile phone networks. Whilst the service has developed over the years to harness further developments, such as web portals and most recently cloud technology, the principles behind the initiative remain the same.

One example of Frontline SMS in action is with a current project in Kenya, where a combined effort between local communities and Kenyan journalists through the International Media Support organisation (www.i-m-s.dk) is aiming to utilise Frontline SMS services to raise awareness and build up a knowledge base on diabetes in Kenya. In an article on the initiative, Laura Walker Hudson, CEO of Social Impact Lab Foundation who developed Frontline SMS, puts it simply:

“…New technology makes life saving information available for patients and next of kin with limited access to media. Social media and crowd-sourced media are moving the standards and Frontline SMS has been instrumental in using their 2.0 platform to bring a voice to thousands of diabetes affected Kenyans…”

The whole article can be viewed here:
http://www.frontlinesms.com/2013/09/19/a-mobile-phone-text-messaging-service-and-a-new-webportal-are-bridging-the-information-gap-on-diabetes-in-kenya-where-the-disease-annually-kills-more-people-than-hivaids/

The Frontline SMS software is free to download and use. The text messages themselves are the only cost, so the system provides an extremely affordable way of reaching a wider audience when other means of digital connectivity are not readily available. The service has proved invaluable, particularly in communicating messages on public health issues and gathering information from patients and their communities, as can be seen above.

For more information on Frontline SMS, visit their website at: http://www.frontlinesms.com/