Leading Through Stories: Crafting a Movement with Uganda’s Digital Storytellers

The transformative power of digital storytelling is beautifully showcased in the latest podcast episode titled “Crafting a Movement with Uganda’s Digital Storytellers.” In this captivating episode, we step into the vibrant world of East Africa, where they are harnessing the art of digital narratives to advocate for gender equality. The episode features conversation following the North American premiere of “A Shared Dream,” a poignant documentary that illuminates the process of digital storytelling as a tool to address gender dynamics in their communities.

Our guests, Barbara Naggayi and Mutatina Robens, provide an intimate look at the cultural complexities faced by storytellers and their efforts to find and amplify their voices. Their stories, which transcend personal journeys, serve as beacons of hope and instruments of change. These narratives challenge societal norms and spark vital conversations that pave the way for empowerment and gender parity.

Listeners are treated to the inspiring tale of Nancy, whose digital story, Determined to Succeed, narrative from the demonstrates the unifying power of a single story. The episode delves into the role of digital storytelling in engaging audiences at both the community and national levels. By bridging the gap between abstract concepts and lived experiences, digital stories become powerful messengers that resonate with people from all walks of life.

Furthermore, the podcast examines the impact of storytelling on initiatives such as Healthy Adolescents and Young People. It highlights the effectiveness of digital narratives in translating the voices of youth into compelling messages that capture the attention of stakeholders. Education settings, too, benefit from the authenticity and connection fostered by shared experiences.

The conversation flows into the technical aspects of storytelling, exploring the use of metaphors, visuals, and the importance of the storyteller’s presence during screenings. A particularly moving account describes how a digital story focusing on maternal and child health became a community engagement tool in Uganda, showcasing the versatility and extensive reach of storytelling as a medium for education and transformation.

It’s evident that digital storytelling in Uganda has evolved into a collective effort, with facilitators like Robens and Barbara employing a team-based approach that leverages their unique strengths to craft and share impactful narratives. As the episode concludes, there is a call to action for listeners to engage further with the storytelling initiatives. The dedication to the craft of digital storytelling and the improvement of facilitation techniques is emphasized as a collaborative journey.

In summary, this podcast episode is not merely a collection of stories but a testament to the power of digital narratives in fostering change and advancing gender equality in Uganda. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in storytelling, gender equality, and the potential of digital media to inspire action and alter the global narrative.

About the Documentary

Beginning in 2017, Common Language DST created a strong partnership with Mbarara Institute of Science and Technology in Southwestern Uganda and the University of Calgary Department of Indigenous, Local, & Global Health in the Cummings School of Medicine. Working together they have developed a unique model of digital storytelling facilitation for use in the East African context which involves a team-based approach with each facilitator specializing in a specific phase of the  process. This documentary highlights this unique facilitation model and demonstrates how digital stories can stimulate compelling conversations about global health topics and in doing so, help encourage the women and girls of East Africa to pursue their dreams.

About Our Guests

Barbara Naggayi is a lecturer in the Interdisciplinary Studies Faculty at Mbarara University of Science and Technology focusing on Environment and Sustainability. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the same discipline and uses her extensive presentation and facilitation skills as a Digital Story sharing expert with the Ugandan DST Facilitation team. Barbara has been involved in other consulting capacities throughout the DST process and has a strong focus on developing and maintaining ethical DST practice in the many unique contexts of the Ugandan setting.

Mutatina Robens is the DST focal person at Healthy Child Uganda where he has worked for the past 6 years while pursuing his Masters degree in Business Development. As well as being a skilled DST editor, Mutatina is responsible for coordinating all the DST work with Healthy Child Uganda including contacting and vetting potential participants, introducing them to the other DST team members, and generally providing continuity throughout the DST creation and sharing process. The stories Mutatina has facilitated have been shared to thousands of community members across Uganda to advance child, maternal, and adolescent health.

About Leading Through Stories

Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.

Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?

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Digital Stories in Community-Based Research with Carolyn Brandly – Co-Created

A single well-told story can do what a stack of reports cannot: make someone feel the reality of living in a body, a system, or a diagnosis they’ve never had. We sit down with Carolyn, a newly trained Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator and PhD student, to unpack how digital storytelling becomes a practical tool for health research, quality improvement, and stigma-breaking conversations.Episode Key Messagesrecreation therapy roots and building community programs for older adultsresearch and quality improvement as tools for systems change in long-term carediscovering Common Language through MAID digital stories and stigma reductionchoosing a more personal story and learning facilitation through vulnerabilityliving with disability, wait times in Canada, and rebuilding identity after surgeryKilimanjaro as a turning point for confidence, aging, and capacityadapting digital storytelling for people living with dementia in a PhD protocolco-research, simplified materials, slower pacing, and practical accessibility tweaksmaking a first volunteer story with her mom and deepening connection through memoryrecording voiceover many times and small changes that amplify a storyteller’s voiceinformed consent, sharing implications, and the ethics of public storytellingchallenging ethics board assumptions and shifting to assumed capacityrights-based approaches to dementia in public spaces and collaboration invitationsOther Links MentionedRead this episode's blog postWatch Carolyn's StoryWatch Marg's StoryLearn more about Fostering Inclusion for People with DementiaLearn more about Carolyn's work with Dementia Connections and PhD researchOther Episodes MentionedEpisode 37 Disrupting Death: Stories of MAiD with Kathy Cortes-Miller and Keri-Lyn DurantEpisode 52 The Storyteller’s Yellow Pages with Lisa JoworskiEpisode 57 What Changes When We Treat Stories Like Data with Dr. Katharine SmartAbout Our GuestCarolyn Brandly has worked with and for older adults and people with dementia for 20+ years in care and community settings – designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs, and facilitating community development, knowledge translation and quality improvement initiatives and research. Carolyn has achieved an MA in health leadership, as well as completing graduate-level education in dementia studies, gerontology, and entrepreneurship, and is currently undertaking doctoral studies through the University of Victoria’s Social Dimensions of Health Program. Her aim is to contribute to global efforts shaping inclusive health and social systems that uphold the human rights, autonomy and dignity of people living with dementia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Digital Stories in Community-Based Research with Carolyn Brandly 30:02
2. Using Digital Stories in Clinician Training with Dr. Tricia Williams 30:41
3. Digital Stories Belong in Curriculum & Communities with Dr. Mike Lang 29:05
4. What Changes When We Treat Stories Like Data with Dr. Katharine Smart 26:36
5. Through Her Lens: Cameras For Girls with Amina Mohamed 24:36

Common Language DST facilitator trainings are open for registration.
Learn more here.