Closing the loop on ethical storytelling in Zanzibar

Last Christmas, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we surpassed our  Big Give appeal target, raising an incredible £100,236.  

These funds will soon help deliver a new treatment formulation to 20,000 preschoolaged children in Zanzibar who are at risk of schistosomiasis—children who have historically been difficult to reach due to the lack of a suitable medicine. 

In late January, we were delighted that the communities in Zanzibar who took part in our Christmas appeal video were able to watch the film created with—and about—them. 

Our partner, Shaali Ame, from the Zanzibar Ministry of Health, joined the community event, which included an awareness session on schistosomiasis and a full screening of the appeal film. We were especially honoured that Mariam, the central voice in the story, was present to see the film with her community.

At Unlimit Health, we are committed to producing ethical, dignifying communications. This means: 

• Working with talented local photographers and videographers who speak the language and deeply understand cultural context.
• Ensuring participants give fully informed consent, with clear explanations of how and where their stories will be shared.
• Returning the final content back to the communities themselves—an important step in respecting their ownership and agency.

The screening in Zanzibar is part of our efforts to close the loop in our content gathering process. We know there is always more to learn and improve, and we remain committed to representing the communities we work with in a way that is accurate, respectful, and empowering.