About

Digital storytelling is a creative, potentially transformative, participatory process which can help us gain deeper understanding into the multiple and complex ways that people’s lives are affected by the family experience.

Storytellers from India, Kenya, Mexico, Egypt, Guyana, Russia, South Africa and Brazil made and shared heartfelt experiences that illustrate the importance of family. While most of the storytellers are children, some are adults; demonstrating that the need for family support does not end with childhood.

Our decision to use digital storytelling is part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring decision-makers acknowledge the importance and complexity of ‘family’ in policy making at the global and national level.

This report explores what the family means to children and adults in eight countries using the digital storytelling technique.

Digital storytelling uses storytelling methods to gain deep insights into feelings and experiences. Participants create individual stories about aspects of their own lives using still images and sound. Stories range from the positive aspects of family life to physical abuse neglect or exploitation, which led in some cases to children running away from home to a life on the streets. The stories contained in these films highlight the importance of listening to children to both inform policy change and inform individual support needs.

Read the report in English and Spanish.

Videos

Watch a selection of videos* from the project:

To see full descriptions of the video please click through to the playlist on YouTube.

*These videos were approved for external use by the children and adults who made them.