I’ve had some incredible guides and fixers on my storytelling trips but the work of our Addis Ababa based team was really something special.
Yikuno and Abel brought the consciousness of locals and the skills and experience of professionals. They helped translate and record interviews, simultaneously making every subject feel comfortable and aware of the value of their story while making sure they were facilitating the conversation with the finished product in mind.
This collab went so well I basically decided to make it a priority to do everything I can to work with locally based creatives. I learned how to recruit them across a variety of settings, and it’s a good way to make sure your presence brings some benefit to the local creative community, beyond just raising awareness.