Challenge:
The TY Danjuma Foundation aims to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria by strengthening maternal health care centers, training hospital personnel, donating medical equipment, and providing technical support to rural health centers. Despite their significant contributions, the foundation faced challenges in effectively communicating their impact to a broader audience. The foundation needed a modern, engaging medium to document and showcase their work, highlighting the real-life stories and experiences of beneficiaries.
Our Intervention:
To address this challenge, we remotely produced a six-part documentary series that vividly captures the foundation's impact and the positive effects of their grants on beneficiaries' daily lives. The documentary was designed to focus on lived experiences rather than statistics, bringing the humanity behind the numbers to the forefront. Key steps included:
Documentary Conceptualization
- Defined the documentary's goal: to showcase the TY Danjuma Foundation as a leading NGO in Nigeria tackling maternal and child health.
- Developed a compelling synopsis that highlighted personal stories from pregnant women, nursing mothers, midwives, doctors, and families affected by maternal and child health issues.
Interviews and Storytelling
- Conducted interviews with key individuals, including pregnant women, nursing mothers, midwives, doctors, and families who had lost a wife or child.
- Captured stories addressing the standard of care in hospitals, misconceptions about childbirth (e.g., C-sections vs. vaginal births), facial reconstruction surgeries, and personal childbirth experiences.
- Interviewed 1-2 grantees from the foundation to illustrate how the grants had impacted their work and community.
Production and Editing
- Shot and edited the documentary into a concise 3–5-minute video format.
- Ensured the video was suitable for multiple platforms, including portfolios, TV, impact reports, funder presentations, conferences, and social media campaigns around maternal and child health.
Impact:
The documentary series successfully highlighted the TY Danjuma Foundation's pivotal role in improving maternal and child health in Nigeria. Key impacts included:
- Increased Awareness: The documentary raised awareness about the challenges and successes in maternal and child health care in Nigeria, reaching a wider audience through engaging video content.
- Enhanced Visibility: By showcasing personal stories and real-life experiences, the documentary positioned the TY Danjuma Foundation as a leader in maternal and child health initiatives in Nigeria.
- Fundraising and Support: The compelling video content helped the foundation attract more support and funding from donors and stakeholders, furthering their mission to improve healthcare services.
- Strategic Communication: The documentary provided a valuable tool for the foundation's communication strategy, enhancing their ability to present their impact effectively at conferences, in impact reports, and on social media.
