By now, hopefully many of you are familiar with the WeOwnTV media education and advocacy project. Since I first posted about the program last June, WeOwnTV’s co-creators (Banker White and Zach Niles) have been very busy finalizing the curriculum for the inaugural workshop, fundraising, more fundraising, and traveling to Sierra Leone with their team. They have been hunkered down just outside of Freetown for nearly two weeks, instructing a group of young Sierra Leonean ex-combatants in film production, storytelling and social media – arming them with the skills and tools to share their powerful stories with the world.

I just received the following note from Zach and felt inspired to share it with the Bateman Banter readers:

Rainy. It’s stunningly, constantly, mildewingly, paralyzingly… rainy. And even so – still – amazing. Daily awe at the creativity and inspiration of the students. They are sharing in ways I know they’ve never done before. And almost every day one of them will say this is the best experience they’ve ever had. It’s heartening and humbling, but also heavy in its own way. Trying to figure out how to spin this top fast enough that it can keep itself going after we’re gone. Currently at this very moment… as the rain drains and drones outside – I’m watching a group of students huddle around a laptop. Eyes wide. And they’re … editing!  Editing stories that they wrote and story boarded and filmed yesterday. Most of them had never set hands to computer before this workshop and now they’re setting ins n’ outs..talking about establishing shots and transitions. It’s just a beautiful thing.

Tonight we will start the cranky generator. We will hang our white UNICEF tarpauline under a tin roof and drag out row after row of bright plastic chairs. We will twist some rusty speaker cables together and attach them to a battered amplifier. The power cord pulled and affixed at a slightly upward right angle, the magic spot for the inner wires to fire. We will crank the amp loud enough to outblast the sound of the pelting rain on the metal roof. We’ll make some popcorn over an open fire in a smokey kitchen hut. And… insh’allah … the projector will work and we’ll watch Slumdog Millionaire. Doesn’t sound too shabby does it? Just a lil’ check in from the rainy season of sweet Salone.

Once Banker, Zach and the team return to the states later this month, the next phase of the program will be focused on post-production and lining up distribution. Students’ stories and a short documentary based on the inaugural workshop will also be available on the WeOwnTV website along with YouTube and Vimeo, so stay tuned!

Please spread the word about this amazing project and you can make a pledge of support here.