[This is the third in a series of posts by UNC undergraduate Steven Norton (’12), who is working on a film project about clean water in Tanzania with other UNC students]
The UNC team filming in Tanzania. Photo by Gladys Manzur ('13)
We spent our last few days in Tanzania tying up loose ends, going over footage, and getting some last-minute interviews. It’s hard to believe the month went by so quickly! Goodbyes were hard, especially since everyone we met was so kind and helpful throughout our stay. I know the trip had a significant impact on all of us, and I will carry the things I learned there with me for the rest of my life. Check out the UNC team’s Students of the World blog for reflections from each team member about what Tanzania and its people taught us.
Now we’re back in the U.S., working on post-production in Austin, Tex. We’ll be spending the next five weeks here developing media for Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) and our partners on the ground in Tanzania. This is the first time Students of the World has had teams work on post-production tasks for the entire summer, as well as the first time students have come to Austin (SOW headquarters) to work. The internship process is great for us, because we are now able to see our work through from start to finish, and we will have a direct impact on how our final projects look. Our first true day of work began Monday, and we’ve realized that there is never a shortage of things to be done. But we’re excited to dive into the creative process and to tell the compelling stories we brought home with us. On a side note, Austin is an amazing place to be for the summer. From residents lining the bridge to see the Fourth of July fireworks to the never-ending array of live music events, I can tell we’re in for a great summer.
For CSDW and our partners on the ground in Tanzania, the UNC team will be responsible for a variety of media, including a full portfolio that we will deliver to the partners at the end of August. These portfolios will include a series of films about the PUR water purification packet and how clean water and sanitation plays a role in myriad health issues, such as diarrheal diseases and HIV/AIDS. We’ll be looking at how women and children are serving as ambassadors of the clean water movement in Tanzania, how clean water and hygiene factors into a holistic health education system, and how social media and marketing are revolutionizing health communication in Tanzania. We’ll also be producing photo, radio and Soundslides stories, video profiles of our partner organizations, interactive Web graphics and more. We’ll also be developing a plan for bringing our work to UNC in the fall, researching outlets for our work so we can educate the Chapel Hill community.
Here in Austin, we are working with two other Students of the World teams. The first, from the University of Texas at Austin, traveled to Kosovo to document nation-building and financial access, specifically dealing with Rêv and its interaction with the community through the use of the IPKO card, which allows people to access and transfer funds through a mobile phone. They also worked with the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation, which focuses on youth development and ethnic cooperation between Albanian and Serbian populations. The national team, made up of students from Duke University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and Harvard University, worked in New Orleans with the Make it Right, to rebuild green, storm resistant and affordable homes for displaced residents of the Lower Ninth Ward. They also worked with the Broadmoor Improvement Association, which has been a catalyst for community organizing and rebuilding infrastructure lost after Hurricane Katrina.
All the teams are excited to get started on their projects, and it’s great to hear stories from everyone’s trips. Additionally, all of us working together means that we have a supportive creative community where we can go to one another with questions about our projects or engage in critique sessions. We’ll be there for each other to provide support and make our time in Austin a great one, where we can work hard and play hard, build relationships and create some incredible media.
Working with a partner organization has given us a valuable perspective about the balance between telling compelling stories while also meeting the specifications of a partner. I think that’s what makes Students of the World such a unique program: It not only allows students to expand their creative horizons through international travel and media production, but it also fosters professional development by teaching through experience the ways to build positive relationships and communicate ideas with partner organizations. It’s challenging at times, as any job is, but the skills we will walk away with will serve us far into the future.
I’ll keep updating throughout the next few weeks, letting you know about the progress of our individual projects and how we spend our downtime in Austin. And keep checking sowunc2010.wordpress.com for more updates from our team journalist, Anita Rao (UNC ’11).
- Steven
