Voices From The Grassroots is a community news network for the poor to accelerate social change by producing videos on their unheard stories that are shown to thousands within their communities and on TV and web. It empowers the poor with an articulate voice to come up with their own solutions to their problems. It creates platforms for community discussion. It diversifies the media by training the most excluded to produce professional media
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The news, stories and other content will be segmented into 9 themes: Local Community News not covered by the mainstream news: Opinion Polls that capture community consensus and call to action on particular issues: Success Stories that are replicable: Short Documentaries making unexpressed concerns visible: Legal Tips : Local Culture and Music: Expose/video raids: Editorial and Local humour/jokes/skits
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
Future Partnerships: mainstream television companies to create revenue to
train ever more Community Producers; We will Use community video content to enable the poor to advocate directly with local and national governments, and international agencies; We will Create alliances with other media nonprofits and journalism schools to advocate with the public and the government for policies that enable the poor to be heard.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
We will initially train 10 community video producers recruited through a network of social movements and NGOs. The basic criterion is that the candidates be economically poor and also have a history of volunteerism and a strong sense of belonging to their community. This is to ensure that they'll stay committed to producing the videos of the stories their communities say need to be told.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
Helping unheard voices to be heard through:
1) trainings to articulate their issues
2) tools to make their own media
3) platforms, such as the raising voices website, to communicate with the outside world
4) platforms to communicate internally, such as screenings in villages of project films
5) platforms and tools with which to advocate directly with local authorities to demand change.
Organization
Supporting Orphans & Vulnerable for Better Health, Education and Nutrition (SOVHEN)
