A typical image of poverty in the UK and other developing countries.
This warped view was highlighted last week when Jill and I
began researching development documentaries. For one aspect of ‘Students For
Schooling’ (S4S) we wish to promote the project through a documentary. We had
the idea that this documentary should give a voice to all the people we hope
the project reaches, as well as understanding what education and local
community meant to these people.
Communities are important in Ghana. Something that our
project desires to lock into, we wish for S4S to be owned by the school
communities and strengthen these. In
doing this we wanted to document the key stakeholders and their thoughts at
this early stage of S4S.
We found many videos showing the warped version of aid,
almost suggesting that those who receive aid are nothing without it. The
emphasis in these videos is often on the people who have donated the money. In my mind the prominent idea to be taken from
these videos is that people may live in poverty, but they are valuable members
of society; not just helpless people in need of financial aid.
An advert, typical to be seen on TV in UK, which I feel makes communities sound hopeless without aid.
In the African continent, peoples’ opinion of international
aid is split. Although there are benefits, people can also see the disadvantages
if it is used incorrectly. In a growing city such as Tamale, the present of
NGOs is predominant. In the same way I feel about the videos, it must be made
sure that the emphasis of the NGOs is on sustainable projects which will
ultimately lead to independent livelihoods for those who need it. After all,
people who live in poverty have skills, knowledge and dreams. The platform on which
they can show these should belong to them, not those giving aid. Documentaries
on the internet have the potential to be watched all over the world. These
videos should aim to breakdown the barriers of poverty and aid, not to reaffirm
them.
It must be said that there are some amazing documentaries
that do just that. In an awareness campaign our good friends at the Resource
Centre have been playing a film documentary called ‘Emmanuel’s Gift’. The team
at RAINS were invited to go and see the premiere showing of this inspirational
film.
Trailer for Emmanuel's Gift - one documentary showing the achievements which can be made.
‘Emmanuel’s Gift’ shows the impact that individuals with
dreams, strength and beliefs can achieve, rather than financial aid and those
that have given it. When you focus past the funding and on the people, it is
then you see the moving lives of people whose dreams and skills can
dramatically change their lives for the better. We just need more documentaries
like this, which shows peoples and communities’ potential, no matter what their
background. Through this we can move forwards and see development for what it
can be.
Lou
