10 Years Later
Translating Long-Term Impact into Generational Change
Between 2002 and 2010, Save the Children invested $22.5 million in Woliso, Ethiopia through its child sponsorship model - supporting education, early childhood development, health, nutrition, and adolescent programs designed to create sustained, system-level change.
A decade later, the organization commissioned a Retrospective Impact Evaluation to assess long-term outcomes.
The data was strong, but supporters needed more than charts and findings. They needed proof that their monthly contributions created lasting, generational change.
The Problem
How do you translate ten years of quantitative research into emotionally resonant storytelling without diluting the rigor of the evaluation?
The Challenge
Data can validate progress.
But data alone cannot convey legacy.
The most powerful evidence of long-term impact isn’t statistical - it’s relational. It lives in the lives of people who carry change forward.
Instead of presenting findings as a report summary, we identified individuals whose personal trajectories embodied the ripple effects of systemic investment.
If donors could see one life transformed, and how that life transformed others, the numbers would become real.
The Insight
We designed a multimedia storytelling package anchored in three community members whose lives reflected the evaluation’s findings.
The strategy combined:
First-person narrative storytelling
Documentary photography
Short-form video optimized for multi-channel distribution
A centralized digital micro-site for donor engagement
Repurposed content for email, social, YouTube, and internal communications
The objective was not only to humanize the evaluation — but to create a cohesive narrative ecosystem that allowed donors to explore impact across platforms.
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The Strategy
I led the end-to-end translation of a technical evaluation into a multi-platform storytelling package — partnering directly with researchers to align narrative arcs with quantitative findings.
Pre-Production
Identified participants whose lived experiences embodied measurable outcomes
Conducted pre-screen interviews and shaped story architecture
Managed international production planning across three impact communities
Scoped budget, logistics, and local crew coordination
Field Production
Traveled to Woliso, Ethiopia to direct interviews and document daily life
Photographed and filmed multiple community members
Managed local videography (A-roll / B-roll)
Collaborated with translators to ensure accuracy and dignity-first storytelling
Post-Production & Distribution
Edited three documentary-style stories for YouTube, social, email, and web
Sourced local Ethiopian voice-over talent
Oversaw transcription across regional dialects
Designed and wireframed a centralized micro-site
Built an Adobe Express distribution hub for donor and internal rollout
The Execution
The final multimedia package transformed a technical evaluation into a compelling narrative proof point for donors by:
Reinforced trust among 175,000+ recurring supporters
Demonstrated measurable, decade-long return on investment
Provided cross-channel assets for fundraising, stewardship, and internal alignment
Elevated the organization’s ability to communicate long-term systemic impact
Most importantly, it bridged the gap between evidence and empathy — ensuring that quantitative success translated into human connection.
The Impact
Meet the Woliso Community
Research insights with field-based narratives to create a holistic, evidence-based stories - showing proof of lasting, systemic change.