barefootworkshops.org | A River Blue

Made in Africa

The Power of Media

Barefoot Workshops is pioneering unique formats, or “media templates”, to assist governments, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and medical institutions, among others, to tap the power of low-cost digital video technology to deliver solutions into communities in which they work.

We customize programs to help those directly affected by issues such as HIV/AIDS, war/conflict, displacement, poverty, and illiteracy, to message more effectively to their own people, and to bridge them together with stake-holders—locally and internationally—who can assist their goals.

The long-term role of Barefoot Workshops in Africa is to facilitate a hub of media-interested organizations to collaborate in the creation of MADE IN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Media Library, a video library that serves as a resource for all organizations engaged in HIV/AIDS education, training, treatment and care.

Barefoot also aims to catalyze broader distribution of media at a grassroots level, in the communities that need it most, through mobile devices and community screenings as well as through mainstream media. To this end, we offer continuous workshops and training to NGO caregivers, counselors and staff to produce ongoing content that can be distributed to a growing network of local and international members. Subscribe to receive news and updates for Made In Africa DVD Club here.

We are presently seeking funding to role out the first 18 months of training, and to create a local steering committee to advise the project in South Africa.

Barefoot Media Templates

Video Policy Letters—See example from our Cape Town '06 workshop
Peer Counseling Videos—True Life Stories, Girls Speak Out (gallery coming soon)
Behavior Change Drama or “Soapies”—See example from our DTHF workshop
Fundraising Video—See example from our Cape Town '06 workshop
Public Service Announcement (PSA)—MEPI (gallery coming soon)
Documentary—UNESCO Burundi page (gallery coming soon)

History

The President’s Digital Freedom Initiative

“Video Policy Letters”

In November of 2006, Barefoot Workshops partnered with the President’s Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) to train students and NGO workers to leverage digital video technology to highlight effective solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. Students were paired with local organizations to shoot, produce, and edit three-minute Video Policy Letters that focused on a program or best practice that deserves increased funding and support.

True Life Stories: Girls Speak Out!

“Peer Counseling Videos”

In April, 2007, Barefoot Workshops ran a second workshop in South Africa, “True Life Stories: Girls Speak Out”, continuing to train our former students, and leading a ten-day workshop, that put video cameras into the hands of eight girls, ages 13-17, in the township of Soweto, who are orphaned by AIDS.

Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation

“Behavior Change Drama Videos”

In May, 2007, we trained staff members of The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation to produce short videos covering such topics as, ARV treatment, the importance of disclosure, and maintaining negative status. The videos screened at the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine at the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of Cape Town, and won a commitment on the part of Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation to initiate and host a film library produced by the DTHF Film Team, who will continue to write and produce video submissions.

Barefoot Projects