Camilla Jones
Family for Every Child
Camilla has worked in child care and protection in humanitarian and development settings in Asia, Africa and the Middle East for over a decade. She initially worked for large NGOs delivering and advising on child protection and care programmes at national level, and then as a consultant developing national and global guidelines and training resources. During her time at Family for Every Child she has focussed on four major research projects: researching the links between social protection and children’s care in three African countries; the links between education and children’s care from a global perspective; using digital storytelling to explore the nature of families from children’s perspectives around the world; and a review of what ‘effective’ family care is and what can be done to better support it.
In 2014 Family for Every Child conducted a digital storytelling (DST) project to explore the meaning of family through the voices of children from Brazil, India, Guyana, South Africa, Egypt, Mexico, Russia and Kenya. DST uses... [ view full abstract ]
In 2014 Family for Every Child conducted a digital storytelling (DST) project to explore the meaning of family through the voices of children from Brazil, India, Guyana, South Africa, Egypt, Mexico, Russia and Kenya. DST uses storytelling to gain deep insights into feelings and experiences. Participants then create stories about aspects of their lives using images and sound. The stories highlighted the importance of listening to children to inform policy, practice and individual support. Eighteen months on, an impact evaluation has taken place. While not an objective of the project, this paper highlights the value of DST as a therapeutic intervention with children and families, using results from interviews with staff involved.
Organisations already using therapeutic approaches with families liked the structured approach DST provides, and felt that children were more motivated by DST than other approaches due to the skills learnt and tangible result. The process evoked strong emotions, but the group dynamic provided networks of support between participants, their peers and staff. DST helped staff appreciate what makes families function, how much children absorb from their surroundings and experiences, and the importance of giving children's voices space to be heard within the family setting.
DST helped children come to terms with their feelings about certain events and, by discussing them with professionals and peers, build confidence in their families. Families were often surprised by the impact situations had on children. These realisations sometimes helped to resolve issues that had threatened family functioning, and improved communication for the future.
DST requires budget for basic digital film making equipment, time for extended sessions with children and the effective management of ethical considerations. Nevertheless, respondents felt that DST is worth the investment. If managed well DST can be a transformative therapeutic intervention that ensures children’s voices inform resolutions to family difficulties.
