International Media Support 239d ago

For the past six years, IMS’ media partner FAMA Films has been training internally displaced youth in Burkina Faso to tell the stories of the local communities where they live now. Burkina Faso is struggling with terrorist attacks and armed conflict, which have resulted in many Burkinabe being internally displaced. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) states on their website that up to 2.1 million people have been internally displaced and/or are returning from forced displacement within the country at the end of 2024. All IDPs have an important story to tell. That’s why FAMA Films has been training young women and men in mobile journalism (mojo), teaching both technical aspects – using equipment such as mobile phones, tripods, microphones – and journalistic aspects – such as what makes a good story, how to spot erroneous rumours and fake news, and how to conduct good interviews. Since the youth are part of the internally displaced community, they are able to tell stories that promote social cohesion and reduce disputes, especially between the IDPs and the communities which are hosting them. With host villages and towns having very limited resources, tensions can arise. But the mojo stories help host communities and IDPs better communicate about problems and good local solutions. Furthermore, the mojo videos are shared with humanitarian actors to provide them with insights into IDP and host communities’ needs and perspectives. After their training, the youth get to keep the equipment, thereby increasing their chances of earning an income as mobile journalists. FAMA Films also connects the youth with other youth they have trained previously and their networks, so that the youth can continue to give their community a voice and collaborate across rural and urban settings. For the past six years, IMS’ media partner FAMA Films has been training internally displaced youth in Burkina Faso to tell the stories of the local communities where they live now. Burkina Faso is struggling with terrorist attacks and armed conflict, which have resulted in many Burkinabe being internally displaced. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) states on their website that up to 2.1 million people have been internally displaced and/or are returning from forced displacement within the country at the end of 2024. All IDPs have an important story to tell. That’s why FAMA Films has been training young women and men in mobile journalism (mojo), teaching both technical aspects – using equipment such as mobile phones, tripods, microphones – and journalistic aspects – such as what makes a good story, how to spot erroneous rumours and fake news, and how to conduct good interviews. Since the youth are part of the internally displaced community, they are able to tell stories that promote social cohesion and reduce disputes, especially between the IDPs and the communities which are hosting them. With host villages and towns having very limited resources, tensions can arise. But the mojo stories help host communities and IDPs better communicate about problems and good local solutions. Furthermore, the mojo videos are shared with humanitarian actors to provide them with insights into IDP and host communities’ needs and perspectives. After their training, the youth get to keep the equipment, thereby increasing their chances of earning an income as mobile journalists. FAMA Films also connects the youth with other youth they have trained previously and their networks, so that the youth can continue to give their community a voice and collaborate across rural and urban settings.