The Youth Storyteller (YST) program is a Groundswell International initiative designed to give young people in rural areas a platform to share stories about agriculture and smallholder farmers in their communities. Through this program, selected young individuals receive training in agroecology and sustainable agricultural principles, as well as in photography and videography skills. With this knowledge, they serve as ambassadors in their communities, promoting agroecology and capturing activities related to agroecological practices.
For the past four years, the YST program has aimed to help young people reimagine farming and agriculture in general, as well as increase their interest in the sector. When the topic of farming or agriculture is raised, the young person is not seen in the picture. The YST program aims to change this narrative.
To commence the Youth Storyteller program in its communities of operations, URBANET selected and trained four youth storytellers from three of its operating districts: Kumbungu, Tolon, and the Central Gonja districts. These young people were taken through a week-long intensive training in videography, photography and agroecological principles. The training components included;
- Introduction to agroecology and sustainable agricultural practices.
- How to identify and generate story ideas.
- Designing a storyboard.
- Planning a production (filming schedule).
- Video production process (pre-production, production and post-production).
- Practical sessions in the field (production).
- Editing skills.
To facilitate an effective learning processes, the participants were provided with mobile phones, tripods, microphones, and other filming accessories. These start-up kits were not just for the purpose of the training but to aid in their production work after the training. With these kits, they will be able to produce videos and tell the stories of the farming communities.
As part of the YST components, these storytellers will participate in annual film festivals involving different Groundswell partners across the globe. During this festival, they are given the opportunity to produce and showcase a video reflecting agroecology practice in their communities.