Tag Archives: charity

BBC Documentary: The Boy On The Bicycle

With Ola (bottom right), one of the stars of the BBC documentary, and her friends at a UNICEF Makani centre in Za’atari

Well, since my last post, the BBC film I went to Jordan to work on for Unicef has aired in the UK – and the response has been nothing short of amazing! We filmed The Boy On The Bicycle in Za’atari in the northeast of the country, about 7 miles from the Syrian border. The simple aim was to show a “child’s eye view” of life in a refugee camp – told entirely using children’s voices. The families we spent time with there certainly left a lasting impression on me, as I wrote in my behind-the-scenes blog for Unicef UK: http://blogs.unicef.org.uk/2015/12/08/cbbc-documentary-the-boy-on-the-bicycle/

I’ve been really touched by the feedback I’ve received about the film, both from my Unicef colleagues and the public. Grown men Tweeted that they were “moved to tears” by the film and many parents wrote that they’d watched the documentary with their kids and finally had a way to talk to them about Syria and refugees. Others gratifyingly said that the film was more insightful than any “quick-fix” news reportage they’d seen. Perhaps the most moving Tweet came from a Mum who’d watched with her seven year-old daughter and been “moved to do something!”

TV director Stef Buonajuti films with Ola, who also wears a GoPro on her head to capture the footie action!

Such has been the response, that I’ve started calling The Boy On The Bicycle “the little film that could”. It was made on a relatively small budget and the team involved was tiny – but using a combination of creative filming techniques (including giving the kids themselves cameras to film with when a curfew in Za’atari camp meant we had to leave) and gaining the absolute trust of the participants, especially Ahmed, Ali and Ola (the wonderfully articulate and characterful kids featured in the film), it seems the documentary has conveyed their stories in a way that has resonated with many people who have, till now, struggled to truly understand their plight.

When I joined Unicef UK as their TV Manager earlier this year, I was hoping above all else to give kids a voice – and this wonderful little film has been a chance to fulfil that in a relatively short space of time. Looking ahead to 2016, I’m already cooking up new TV projects which I hope, in many different ways, will tell the stories of other children around the world who need to be heard.

The Boy On The Bicycle is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only, I’m afraid!): http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/cbbc/episode/b06s65rj/my-life-series-7-4-the-boy-on-the-bicycle

Detail of a wall at the edge of Za’atari refugee camp.

Stories That Must Be Told

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Preparing for a UNICEF field trip

After a busy first few months at UNICEF UK as their Television Manager, I’m happy to say that there are now some exciting TV projects in the pipeline. Right now, I’m gearing up for an imminent overseas trip with a small BBC crew to film an ambitious documentary with Syrian refugee children. It will be an opportunity to hear first-hand the stories of some of the real people involved in the so-called “migrant crisis”, and to show their extraordinary resilience and humanity in the face of circumstances many of us would, I’m sure, find completely unbearable.

Since starting my UNICEF job back in May, I’ve frequently been called to mind of one of my favourite ever movie scenes. In The Constant Gardener, Rachel Weisz’s character Tessa, a human rights campaigner, is trying to persuade her conservative diplomat husband Justin (played by Ralph Fiennes) to pull over their 4×4 as they drive through a poor African village, to give a lift to a mother and her young sons who are walking miles along the dusty road to fetch water. Justin: “We can’t involve ourselves in their lives, Tessa.” Tessa: “Why?” Justin: “Be reasonable. There are millions of people, they all need help…” Tessa: “Yeah, but these are three people WE can help.”

Filming with kids at a UNICEF project in Morocco

Working at UNICEF has opened my eyes to the sheer numbers of people in the world – millions – who need assistance, whether because of disease, natural disasters, or as victims of conflict. While UNICEF and many organisations like it are doing some incredible work, I’ve more than once questioned whether it’s possible to really “make a difference” – especially when thinking about my own tiny contribution as someone helping to get international development stories out there to the general public.

Where I’ve got to is Tessa’s approach: to think in “micro” rather than “macro” terms, to humanise the issue, if you will. It’s not about helping the masses, the millions, but simply doing what you can in your own life – whether it’s putting a coin in a collecting tin, working or volunteering for a charity, or simply keeping an eye out for your neighbour, it all counts in the “humanity stakes”. For me, storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do – this is my way of showing I give a damn about what’s happening in the world around me, a small but meaningful way that I can help.

So, as I get ready for my next field trip with UNICEF and the documentary crew, my focus is very much on the people I will be meeting on the ground and how we might tell their stories with integrity and sensitivity. We’ll be filming in some challenging environments and will undoubtedly see some confronting scenes. It’s going to be an adventure of a very different kind for me, and I’m both excited and trepidatious. I hope to share the fruits of it with you all later in the year. 🙂

Meantime, here are some of our UNICEF Ambassadors including Ewan McGregor, Michael Sheen and Tom Hiddleston making a powerful plea on behalf of Syrian children:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un4cZOKFK3M

There’s No Place Like Home.

An Exciting New Chapter

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Filming with kids at a UNICEF project in Morocco

Well, after seeing in the New Year in Bali and then travelling variously to Perth, Sydney and then Zambia, I’m excited to announce a new chapter in my life, which starts in just a few days! UNICEF UK have just appointed me their new Television Manager, a full-time role in which I’ll be looking after their broadcast TV output, working with their celebrity Ambassadors and supporters and international projects to generate documentaries, formats, telethons and other fundraising programmes that will air on TV. I’ll be building on their stable of very successful programmes, including Soccer Aid and Ewan McGregor’s Cold Chain. I’ll be based in the London office but will undoubtedly travel as required to UNICEF projects.

At the finish of the 2010 Sahara Trek with Russ Malkin and the UNICEF team

As you can imagine, I’m more than a little excited about this job. I’ve been a supporter of UNICEF since 2010 when I did a fundraising trek with Goodwill Ambassador and fellow TV producer Russ Malkin. Having seen with my own eyes where some of the money donated goes to help kids and their families around the world, I’m thrilled at the opportunity to be a meaningful part of the UNICEF UK team and bring my TV experience and expertise to an organisation whose aims and activities I wholeheartedly believe in.

It also means that after two years of a fairly nomadic existence, I will be “of fixed abode” again, living in London for the first time in over 10 years. Happily, I’ve just found a lovely little place in Wandsworth Common – my old haunt and a beautiful part of the city, with lots of trees and green open spaces – and it will be good to get settled again, after living life out of a suitcase!

I can’t wait to get started with my new colleagues at UNICEF and will do my best to share my new adventures there with you whenever I can. Meantime, as you’ll all be aware, there are many aid agencies working in Nepal right now to bring help to the millions of people who’ve been affected by the devastating earthquake. UNICEF are particularly well-placed to deliver help as they are already permanently based there. I’ll leave it to Ewan McGregor to tell you more about what they’re doing – and if it inspires you to donate a little something to help, that would be wonderful!

http://blogs.unicef.org.uk/2015/04/28/ewan-mcgregor-help-children-nepal/

News: Presenting at Overland Expo 2014

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Commandeering a boda boda in Southwest Uganda

I’m excited to announce that I’m going to be a Presenter at this year’s Overland Expo in Flagstaff, Arizona, 16th-18th May 2014.

As many of you know, I was there last year manning the Charley Boorman stand with my friend Billy Ward. I had a great time meeting lots of fellow overlanders, adventure motorcyclists and 4×4 enthusiasts, and really loved the adventurous spirit and camaraderie that filled the air over those three days at Mormon Lake, about 2 hours’ ride from Phoenix.

This time round, I’ll be doing a one-hour session about my recent three-month African Film Adventure in southwest Uganda, down by the border with the Congo and Rwanda. I’ll be showing some clips and photos from the trip, talking about some of the challenges of travelling and filming in this remote part of Africa, and fielding questions about how to combine overlanding adventures with volunteering.

I’m a big advocate of doing good while travelling and have done a number of trips now which have combined adventure with “giving something back”, including my big Sahara trek with UNICEF Ambassador Russ Malkin in 2010. This year I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Africa (most recently Ghana) as a Journalist with Comic Relief to film and report on the many charity projects that are being funded by them there.

Exploring the Grand Canyon after the 2013 Overland Expo

I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences with the OX14 audience, not to mention hearing about everyone else’s adventures. It will be great to be back at the Expo, which is now one of the biggest overlanding/adventure events of the year. I can’t wait to be back in Arizona – last time, I borrowed a motorbike and toured Route 66 and the Grand Canyon; this time, well, let’s just say I’m going to be having another good look around!

Details about session times and venue for my talk at OX14 are still being firmed up by the organisers, but keep an eye on the Overland Expo website: http://www.overlandexpo.com. Hope to see you there!

Three Days In Ghana

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A backstreet in a Greater Accra suburb, Ghana

A backstreet in a suburb of Accra, capital of Ghana

Barely two weeks after starting work with Comic Relief, I was last week sent on my first overseas assignment – to Ghana! As a Journalist on the Editorial desk, I was asked to go out as part of a small Comic Relief media team to help two You Tube vloggers, Lily Martin and Anna Gardner, make short films about some of our projects for International Women’s Day on 8th March.

With just two days of prep time, I suddenly found myself skidding onto a BA flight to Accra. Within 7 hours, I’d left the cold and rain of London behind and was back in tropical sunshiney Africa.

The Comic Relief Team: (L to R) Anna (You Tuber), Jeanie, Lucy (agent), Nathan (fixer), Lucy (Media Officer), Lily (You Tuber), Abudulai (fixer)

Jeanie (second from left) with the Comic Relief team in Ghana

And so began a whirlwind trip through Ghana. First up, we jumped on a plane to Tamale, about 600kms north of Accra, then took a two-hour drive through arid, flat savannah to Bolgatanga, about an hour from the Burkina Faso border.

There, in a small dusty village, we met a wonderful group of women benefitting from a Widows and Orphans Movement project funded by Comic Relief. They’ve been given the chance to own micro-businesses making and selling shea butter – an opportunity which has taken them out of poverty and enabled them to become self-sufficient so they can support their kids. These women have lived unimaginably hard lives in rural Ghana but their new opportunities have definitely given them something to smile about! It made me smile too.

Then we headed back to Accra and drove (on one of the bumpiest roads I’ve ever travelled on!) to the outer suburbs, a beautiful region of tropical impossibly-green forests – what a contrast to the arid north! There we met women who’d been given small grants by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) to set up small businesses in dressmaking and hairdressing. In their tiny shops, crammed into the middle of noisy, bustling markets, we heard how these women are “paying forward” their opportunities, training dozens of other women and passing on their skills.

Lily and Anna, our two You Tubers, were great fun to travel with and they’ve produced some cool films about our trip. See my Twitter feed @jeanied1 for the links to their films.

Spotted this little beauty in downtown Accra

It was a tantalisingly short trip. As you all know, I love to explore under my own steam and I hope I’ll be able go back to Ghana one day, commandeer a set of wheels, and get to know the country a little better. Till then, I count myself lucky that I was able to go and witness the good things happening in the country because of Comic Relief. It’s yet another adventure that will stay in my mind for a long time to come. 🙂

Adventures With Comic Relief

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Capturing a story in Africa

After coming back to the UK for a couple of weeks to consider my next move, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse: six weeks working as a Freelance Journalist for Comic Relief. This high-profile charity supports projects in the UK and overseas, mainly in Africa, and my job in the coming weeks is to gather stories from some of those projects to show how fundraisers’ money is being spent.

With Comic Relief’s Sport Relief 2014 campaign coming up (21st-23rd March), it’s a great opportunity to get some “good news stories” out there and I’m excited at the chance to be part of it.

My regulation Comic Relief coffee mug 🙂

My first week has already been fantastically busy. I’ve interviewed a Ghanaian woman from a remote African village who pulled herself out of poverty to become President of one of the most successful Fairtrade cocoa farming co-operatives in Africa. I’ve covered a story about women being saved from the Nairobi slums by a project that promotes boxing as a way to combat social problems. And I’ve talked to a doctor in Ghana who’s at the forefront of delivering life-saving vaccines to remote village communities via the “cold chain” process. (Remember Ewan McGregor’s recent UNICEF Cold Chain Mission documentary on the BBC? It’s the same kind of thing.) Diverse work indeed – and I’m loving it!

After my 4 months in Uganda setting up Film Africa, a community film project for local people to share their stories using video, it’s fascinating seeing charity work from a different perspective and realising what’s involved, not just in the projects themselves, but in promoting awareness of their work. And as someone with a passion for Africa, I’m pleased to see so many people there benefitting from Comic Relief-funded programs.

So I’m throwing myself into the next few weeks. Apart from anything else, it’s a good opportunity to put some money in my pocket to help fund my next adventures. Because yes, as ever I’m cooking up some more overlanding exploits for 2014: more on that to come very soon… 🙂

To find out more about what Comic Relief does and see how you can get involved in this year’s Sport Relief campaign: http://www.comicrelief.com.

African Film Adventure 2013

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The magical landscape of Uganda

Well after a few weeks back in the UK, I’m now excited to reveal the details of my next adventure! It will star Africa, volcanoes and great lakes, rare mountain gorillas, a rural village tribe called the Batwa, and yes…motorbikes!

On August 15th – yes, in just over a week’s time – I’m flying into Kigali, Rwanda, then heading overland into the southwest corner of Uganda. I’m joining a small international team there to help get a new filming initiative off the ground that will tackle conservation, health, education and cultural issues.

For three months, I’ll be immersing myself in a tiny village in the Great Rift Valley near the border with the Congo and Rwanda, filming local stories and development issues, the rare mountain gorillas in the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and training the locals to get behind the camera themselves and make their own films. I’ll also be part of a pioneering project to bring mobile cinema (via “pedal power”!) to the region.

Filming in Africa

Living conditions will be basic – no electricity or running water, everything runs on solar power – and the location couldn’t be more remote, on the edge of dense jungle in the very heart of rural East Africa. But I can’t wait to be on the ground, bonding with my new team, getting to know the locals, and tackling the challenges of setting up a filming initiative in a far-flung but fascinating part of the world.

Those who’ve followed my UNICEF adventures will know how much I enjoy projects that combine adventure, amazing locations, and the chance to give something back. This expedition, spearheaded by a fantastic grassroots organisation called Big Beyond, really caught my eye as an experience that would supply all three!

As well as bringing my TV/media skills to the project (on a completely voluntary basis), I’ll also be mucking in with many other daily tasks in the village. And I’ll be doing my best to learn the local language, Rukiga, a form of Bantu – I’ve already got my first word: Agandi! Hello! Motorbikes (or boda boda, as they locals call them – my second useful word!) are the key form of transport here and I hope to use them not just for work but also for exploring the terrain in any free time I have. By all accounts, it’s an absolutely beautiful region, so I can’t wait to get on two wheels and explore further afield as soon as I can.

It’s a daunting challenge, but one I’m definitely ready for. With barely a week to prepare, I’m now in a whirlwind of packing and planning. Once again, I’m excited to say: Africa awaits…

For more details and to show your support for the African Film Adventure 2013 expedition:

http://www.gofundme.com/3tev04

Adventures For Good

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At the start of my hike – before the weather turned!

Since announcing my new UNICEF adventure with Charley Boorman, lots of people have been asking me how they can combine their own travels with “giving something back”.

Undertaking a big trip like India is a huge commitment in terms of fundraising and planning for the event itself. But you don’t need to embark on large-scale ventures to raise money for a good cause. Even a “mini adventure” can make a difference.

Today, for instance, I’m just back from a day-long 40km hike along the Great Ocean Road. I love walking and on a whim, I decided to set myself a specific challenge with the little time I have this weekend, to raise much-needed funds for my UNICEF pot. The day before, I rallied round friends, colleagues and even my building manager (!), asking them to sponsor my walk with any spare change.

London Bridge, Great Ocean Road

The hike itself turned into a bit of an epic. As I set off at sunrise, the coastal elements decided to throw everything at me – gale-force winds, hail, and a rockfall across the walking track which resulted in a messy scramble up a cliff (it wasn’t pretty – there weren’t any style points for that particular manoeuvre, I can tell you!). But I gritted my teeth and pressed on, spurred by the thought of the $250 I was raising for my cause.

And hey, you don’t have to support a big charity. Why not think about a local charity or cause that raises money for animal welfare, health concerns, or maybe a community project of some sort? Whatever gets you passionate. Then find an adventure, great or small, get excited about it – and then get others excited about it! Not everyone will want to sponsor you, of course, but many will – some people love living vicariously through others’ adventures, so a bit of cash is a small price to pay, as they see it!

I’m already planning my next mini fundraiser. I’m not really the bake sale type so I’m sure it will end up being another outdoorsy sort of challenge. I hope this post has inspired you to start thinking up your own ideas – good luck and here’s to adventures for good!

Thanks!

Classic Indian Adventure with Charley Boorman

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Jeanie Davison, Producer
Sahara Trek, 2010

Back in 2010, Long Way Round producer Russ Malkin and I took part in a trek across the Sahara Desert on the Morocco-Algeria border to raise money for UNICEF. I filmed, photographed and blogged about the adventure for the charity and had a brilliant time doing it.

So more than a year on, I’m excited to announce my next UNICEF adventure. On 30^th November 2012, I’ll be undertaking a 1,000-km journey across Southern India. There’ll be a group of us, including the indefatigable Charley Boorman (Long Way Round, By Any Means, Extreme Frontiers) and Motor Cycle News editor Marc Potter, riding Royal Enfield motorbikes and driving classic 1950s Ambassador motor cars.

Starting in Port Kochi, we’ll head north along Kerala’s coast and then inland to Mysore on a challenging route that will see us tackling everything from dense tiger-infested jungle, hairy switchback mountain roads, chaotic villages, and incredible tropical backwaters. We’ll also be visiting a UNICEF project or two along the way, to see how the money we raise is being put to good use delivering life-saving projects for children in India.

Once again, I’ll be filming, photographing, blogging and Tweeting about the adventure for UNICEF, including plenty of updates and insights from Charley and Marc. For me, this is a huge undertaking – not just to plan the coverage and wrangle kit for the event, but also to find sponsors, both individual and corporate. This time, I’ve pledged to raise around £4,500 before we set off.

Looking forward to sharing this adventure with you all. India awaits!

Jeanie