During the months of August, September, and October, we experienced a deeply inspiring journey together with our partner organizations in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Through the workshop “Audiovisual Production of Life Stories with a Gender Perspective”, we embarked on a learning process filled with creativity and collective storytelling — narratives that emerge from the communities themselves and seek to elevate their voices.
This initiative, developed within the framework of horizont3000’s Knowledge Management Program, was facilitated by an interdisciplinary team coordinated by Social Media and Web Technical Advisor, Guisselle Dávila. The goal was clear: to strengthen the capacities of technical staff to tell stories that connect, inspire, and contribute to social change, always placing people’s dignity and equality at the center.
Learning by Doing: Communicating with Purpose
The training process combined theory, practice, and continuous guidance through a participatory and progressive methodology. Two preparatory virtual sessions were held (August 19 and September 2), followed by in-person workshops in each country:
• Estelí, Nicaragua — September 25–26
• Suchitoto, El Salvador — October 1–2
Eight partner organizations — three from Nicaragua and five from El Salvador, all beneficiaries of the ADA 2023–2026 Framework Program — took part in the workshop, along with one guest organization from Nicaragua. Together, they embraced the challenge of planning, filming, and editing their own life-story videos. Four partner organizations from Guatemala also joined the virtual sessions, strengthening regional exchange.
Each participant engaged in the audiovisual production process from start to finish: script development, interview facilitation, filming, informed-consent management, and editing with accessible digital tools.
Giving Voice, Making Experiences Visible, Inspiring Change
Throughout the workshop, we explored audiovisual storytelling techniques and testimonial documentation to craft stories that reflect the lives, dreams, and challenges of community members. Stories rooted in everyday life, yet holding a powerful transformative potential: sparking empathy, encouraging reflection, and promoting gender equality and active participation in society.
Beyond technical learning, this experience reaffirmed the importance of communicating with intention, coherence, and respect — honoring the lived experiences of the people who share their stories.
Capacities That Amplify Voices
This training encourages our partner organizations to continue creating their own content, strengthening their communication autonomy and showcasing the valuable work they carry out alongside communities.
At horizont3000, we reaffirm our commitment to capacity building and knowledge management in Central America. We firmly believe that communicating is also a way of transforming.
“We invite you to continue discovering and sharing these stories that build equality.”
