Young women voice out issues through digital stories

Starting last night, the girls will take part in a three day digital storytelling workshop which will combine writing and presenting narratives, telling stories through photography and creating musical soundscapes.

Digital storytelling is a new media form which combines the ancient art of storytelling with music and photography or visual art.

The stories will be screened to the local community at the end of the project, as well as published to a global audience on the internet, where the audience will be able to see the stories embedded on a map of the Solomon Islands.

Regional Director of the CYP SP Centre, Afu Billy says, “It is great to see young girls from Solomon Islands participating in these kinds of new initiatives.

“Because not only are they learning a new technology that will provide them with new skills to effectively communicate among themselves and to their communities, but they will be able to identify issues and concerns that girls and young women constantly encounter.”

 “Digital storytelling is dynamic. The training will empower the young women to be confident to raise the issues that affect them through real life examples and experiences using pictures and music which people in their communities will identify with.

“The girls will be learning about a modern advocacy tool that they will be able to use to bring about positive changes in their lives and those of other young women in their communities,”
President of Girls4Change (G4C) Mary Jionisi says, “It is a good opportunity and privilege for G4C to partner with CYP for this pilot. The 12 girls will learn something new, for the majority it will be the first time to be exposed to digital media.

 “After the pilot we would like to carry on the project with other young people as part of our programme to be an independent voice for young women.”

This project is an initiative of the Commonwealth Youth Programme South Pacific Centre, in partnership with Girls4Change a Honiara based young women and leadership group.

Supporters of the project include the YWCA, Vois Blong Mere Solomon, Honiara City Council, Wantok FM, Save the Children, Medialink Studios, Non State Actors and the Feral Arts Collective from Brisbane, Australia. 

Girls4Change is a group of young women between the ages of 15 and 29 who are making positive changes in their own lives and in their communities.

They want a future where young Solomon Islands women are participating equally and contributing meaningfully as respected leaders in their communities.

Story via The Solomon Star News