Interview: Samuel Baafi, World Vision Communications Manager
Last month, illuminAid worked with World Vision in Bamako, Mali, teaching their staff how to make videos that captured the incredible benefits of the water pump and latrines installed a few months prior. World Vision Mali, Mauritania & Niger Communications Manager Samuel Baafi, who oversaw the project and shared his feedback and experience with us:
How will video changed the way you share information with donors and stakeholders?
In the last half decade or so, we’ve seen an explosion in audio-visuals as the best way way communicate in the landscape of media and communications. As people read less and have shorter attention spans, they best way to communicate to them is to show them, not tell them, and we believe that’s the effect it will have on how we share information. It will be coming straight to the eyes and ears of our stakeholders, and it will be coming from the mouths of those who impacted by our work.
How do you think video will impact the amount of people you are able to reach?
As I said, people are just reading less these days. They are more attracted to video and a powerful video seen is a lot more likely to be shared and spread like wildfire. So we believe this will lead to more people seeing the work that we’re doing for the vulnerable children of Mali.
How effective is video compared to traditional methods of reporting?
I think in many aspects, it is more effective than traditional methods. It allows you to put an immediate face to the story and does a lot of the work for the audience. However, it is a bit of a poisoned chalice when done the wrong way as it exposes you to a lot more scrutiny, baring it all out for the audience if something is not quite right, even if done with the best intentions.
Would you recommend other organizations like yours get video and projector training to build their capacity? If so, why?
I absolutely recommend it. Not only because it is an effective way of communicating with audiences but also because it touches on other aspects of communicating. It forces you to learn how to prepare and form narratives, something that is essential in working with traditional methods also. So by improving you capability and capacity in this medium, you’re doing the same in others.
What videos do you plan to make in the future?
We plan to make videos that give a voice to those who are touched by our work. Not by our words or voice but empower them to tell their stories of durable transformation. We are working on one right now, focused on the power of clean water.
What kind of response do you expect to see from people watching the video?
We expect people to realize clean water touches every aspect of life; health, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, etc., and that World Vision is committed to ensure that children, families and communities have access to this life changing and saving commodity.
How many people do you expect to gather to watch video?
Now we average about 1,000 views on our social media platforms but we are hoping to have at least a 100% bump to about 2,000 views.