Storytelling as Transformative Power
Transform Education (TE) is a youth-led coalition hosted by the United Nations Girl Education Initiative, focused on ensuring young feminist voices drive the transformation of education. Wona Collective partnered with young feminists and girl activists at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi for the Storytelling as Transformative Power Project
The Problem
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for accessible, quality, and equitable education for all by 2030.
However, refugee youth and children continue to face substantial barriers to accessing education at all levels. According to the UNHCR, only 61% of refugee children have access to primary education, compared to a global average of 91%. The gap only widens with age, with only 1% of refugee youth attending university, compared to 34% globally.
For refugee girls, the situation is even worse, as intersecting gender-based barriers and displacement-related risks further limit their access to this fundamental human right. Education is essential in providing opportunities for socio-economic mobility, not just for individuals, but also for their wider families and communities. It continues to be a major protective factor against gender-based violence and exploitation, making it imperative to improve education access for this population.
Our mission at Wona is that of storytelling, so this project was particularly personal to us. It is imperative to center the voices and experiences of adolescent girls and young feminists in issues that matter to them. We must also pay particular attention to young feminist refugees who have been experiencing issues of multiple inequalities due to inaccessibility, limited mobility, and limited access to inclusive education during times of crises.
These experiences are not always represented at a global level nor evident solely through quantitative research. One of the proven and effective ways to ensure visibility and ownership of experiences is through digital storytelling. Digital storytelling encourages peer led co-creation, mutual and active listening, intentional sharing, and shifting power. Storytelling has always been a powerful tool to address power dynamics by accentuating the importance of the storyteller themselves. Utilizing this approach provides insight into nuances of various issues, whilst contributing evidence-based policy advocacy, sparking cultural change and fostering transnational solidarity.
The Project
Transform Education (TE) is “a youth-led coalition hosted by the United Nations Girl Education Initiative” with the goal of ensuring young feminist voices are at the centre of transforming education. TE brings together young feminist networks, individuals and organisations together to ensure a quality gender transformative education for all regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, mental and physical abilities.
As a member of this network, Wona Collective collaborated with young feminists and girl activists at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi on the Storytelling as Transformative Power project. While this program was being run in Malawi, another youth partner of ours was running the same with girls in Afghanistan. So in addition to these workshops helping the girls document their own stories, the whole process also connected two communities of girls living in separate parts of the world – Malawi and Afghanistan.
The Process
- Partnership and Workshops – In collaboration with young feminists and girl activists from Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Wona Collective organize and facilitate workshops on storytelling and its role in activism and healing.
- Story Development – The girls documented stories of their choosing in their preferred creative formats, supported by Wona Collective’s creative and technical guidance.
- Design and Compilation – Wona compiled the stories and designed and illustrated the storybook, ensuring that the visuals reflected the voices and themes of the stories.
- Production and Distribution – The final product, Across Borders: A Girl-Led Storybook, was produced and made available in both digital and print formats for wide accessibility.
The Product
Across Borders: A Girl-Led Storybook features personal stories from young girls in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, highlighting their experiences and perspectives. It includes interactive activities designed to encourage other young girls to explore and share their own stories. The storybook stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in fostering healing and empowerment.
Services
Workshop facilitation, Creative Support, Design and Illustration, Production and Distribution