Tales for Resilience: How digital storytelling is changing young lives in Nigeria
Tales for Resilience: How digital storytelling is changing young lives in Nigeria
Project supported by UNHCR’s Digital Innovation Fund and implemented by UNHCR Nigeria and the Co-Development Hub
From displacement to determination
In 2014, extremist militant group Boko Haram overran the town of Gwoza, northeastern Nigeria, kidnapping and killing residents and forcing thousands to flee. The region hosts around 2.5 million people internally displaced by violence, in addition to 40,000 refugees from various countries of origin. Although the Nigerian government re-took Gwoza the following year, the town still experiences violence and instability, prompting fresh waves of displacement.
Among those who were effected and found shelter in nearby Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, are Sa’adatu, now 21, and her family. Keen to study medicine, Sa’adatu worked hard to finish primary school and then in 2023, secondary school. But that same year, her mother, the sole support for the family, died.
“After that, our household was in confusion,” Sa’adatu says. “Who will manage all our affairs? Who will look after the younger ones?” Sa’adatu had to take on some of these responsibilities and has been unable to enroll in university. With few educational or livelihood opportunities in the area, many young people find themselves with very little to do, leaving them grappling with trauma and an acute sense of purposelessness.
UNHCR Officer, Abdulrahman Bukar was convinced there might be a way to address the problem. He explains: “We thought, OK, if other people can come here to meet IDPs, get stories from the young people and publish them, why not the IDPs themselves?”
An internally displaced woman looks out from a shelter at IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
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“Our situation before was different from how it is now. Before, we lived normally and comfortably.....we are now living in a very traumatic situation.”
Sa'adatu, 21, Project mentor, describing life before and during displacement.
Cascading skills, creating opportunities
Starting from the idea that young people in the region would be eager to gain greater tools for self-expression, the UNHCR team worked to design and pitch a project that would cascade digital storytelling skills to young people using a training-of-trainers model.
After an initial community meeting to ensure the project reflected local needs and priorities, participants were chosen for basic literacy skills and some experience with digital tools, 70% of the participants were local residents and the rest IDPs, all living in Maiduguri.
Initially, 36 ‘new trainers’, one being Sa’adatu, were trained in digital photography and videography, with a focus on trauma-informed approaches, social innovation and positive storytelling, with the training materials being made available in a range of languages and relevant in context. These 36 trainers then mentored five others, resulting in over 150 young people being taught new skills, 105 of them women.
“In the IDP and host communities there are quite a lot of young people who do have some basic skills, but often lack platforms to express those skills, especially digital skills, that are needed to tell their stories or ensure they have access to meaningful opportunities.”
Abdulrahman Bukar, UNHCR Nigeria
A brighter perspective
Putting their newfound digital and narrative skills into practice, the students produced a range of visual stories, 16 of which were curated and shown at a public exhibition “#MyTales4Resilience” in June. The stories provided a powerful showcase of their creators’ approach to trauma healing and peacebuilding.
The positive effects have rippled outward with several of the participants already earning, thanks to the digital competencies they’ve gained. The group’s diverse mix has strengthened social ties and all are optimistic that project will help with social cohesion in the longer term.
Perhaps the most significant result is that many of the participants acknowledge a shift in how they feel about themselves and the world, as well as a greater understanding of mental health issues. Sa’adatu notes a newfound ability to cope with daily upsets; “Yes, anything can happen, and no, it’s not the end of the world.”
Sa’adatu has built strong friendships and while she still dreams of studying medicine, she’s optimistic that her digital and narrative capabilities could unlock other opportunities for her.
Digital storytelling for resilience project participants attending a skill-building session
Check out some 'Tales for Resilience' by project participants
A young man turns personal tragedy into a message of hope and peace in a bustling marketplace.
A grandmother’s quiet determination leads her from displacement to a life she rebuilt with her own hands.
A mother finds healing and purpose in a new community after being uprooted by conflict.
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“During the sessions I was able to realize, OK, in life, things are not easy, but whatever you have hope for, if you put commitment and effort toward it, you are going to get it. So, this is pushing me toward realizing my dreams.”
Sa'adatu, 21, Project Mentor
The digital storytelling project has helped to empower and motivate the young people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, rewriting their own futures and giving themselves hope and a greater ability to cope with challenges.
Supported by UNHCR’s Digital Innovation Fund and implemented by UNHCR Nigeria and the Co-Development Hub, this ongoing pilot project is showing good results as a relatively low-resource, high-impact approach, with positive implications for mental health and livelihoods.
