As part of the 2022 CanWaCH Collaborative for Global Health, CAGH, the University of Calgary, Common Language Digital Storytelling, and Mbarara University of Science and Technology have partnered on a project, entitled "Digital Story Telling for Global Health Research and Action," which will investigate and incubate effective and ethical use of Digital Story Telling in a global health context.
Through this first phase, the project will investigate experiences of up to 50 storytellers in rural southwest Uganda to inform potential GH-DST packaging. It will also incubate the DST approach with CAGH members through a needs assessment survey and follow up discussions to assess interest, potential uptake, and needed adaptations for scale-up.
What is Digital Story Telling?
Video storytelling has never been easier, or more important in a global health setting. It can be a meaningful way to share health messages, speak about the benefits of a specific program, or help cultivate a deeper understanding of specific needs, among many other things. One promising new methodology to create videos in low-resource settings is called Digital storytelling (DST). It is a participatory visual media creation methodology that guides participants in the creation of their own short films, and has been used by health researchers across many disciplines as a tool for knowledge generation, education, advocacy, and as a therapeutic intervention.