Unlimit Health and Ivorian visual artist Nuits Balnéaires win Inspiring Communicator Award

On 28 February at a ceremony organised by Charity Comms in central London, Unlimit Health and Nuits Balnéaires were awarded the Inspiring Communicator Award in the ‘Best collaboration (freelancer and charity)’ category. 

The award recognises the power of the freelance and charity combination. Unlimit Health’s entry was for its annual Big Give Christmas Appeal.  For this campaign, the organisation collaborated with Nuits Balnéaires, a visual artist in Côte d’Ivoire, to gather content to document its work with the Ivorian Ministry of Health on female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), a neglected sexual and reproductive health issue.

Unable to join the awards ceremony, Nuits said: 

“Through this enlightening experience, it was important for us to treat this sensitive subject with a great deal of respect, dignity, and kindness. The various trips I have made to the west of Côte d’Ivoire have enabled me to see the reality of this health condition and the importance of the actions carried out by Unlimit Health. I’m honoured to see this collaboration rewarded, and I hope it will inspire more institutions to choose the continent’s talents to inform the world about their context.“

Anna Georgeson, Associate Communications Advisor commissioned Nuits Balnéaires to capture the campaign story. After receiving the award, Anna said:  

“Our She is Seen campaign was committed to inspiring change through truthful storytelling, ensuring the women whose lives are affected, held the narrative. But with sensitivities around this health condition, no woman shared their account, which spoke volumes and we needed to honour that. Co-creating with the talented Nuits Balnéaires and his team meant that multiple perspectives were explored, cultural differences were absent, and shared experiences were brought together in a beautifully moving visual, reinforcing why we work with creatives across the continent.”

Paula Plaza, Head of Communications at Unlimit Health, said:

“We are extremely proud to receive this award which recognises the talent of local photographers and videographers in low income countries.  We believe that local talent is abundant. Hiring creatives in the countries where we work, is not only good for the local economy, it’s also more cost-effective for charities.   

With this way of working, we are also contributing to more ethical communications, often avoiding language and cultural barriers. A local storyteller understands the cultural nuances and can better navigate through the structures that may provide or prevent access to communities.”

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Find out more: Inspiring Communicator Awards | CharityComms