The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Louder Together Children

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Louder Together Kenya, an initiative by Xchange Perspectives (XCP) and its partners, works to share knowledge and skills with street children in Kenya, as well as create awareness of the problem of street children in the country. Through video production, art production, creative writing, and photography, Louder Together teaches the children to be problem solvers and solution developers by promoting skill development.

Communication Strategies

The goal of Louder Together Kenya is to raise awareness of the Kenya's street children by giving them their own voices through different social mediums. The project focuses on teaching children to use media channels as a means of communication and expression. The main tools are video production, art production, creative writing, and photography:

  • The initiative puts children in leading production roles, where they participate fully not only in brainstorming and contributing ideas for the projects, but also engaging and actively participating in the production from the first stages of filming to the final stages of editing.
  • Through the art productions, the children are encouraged to express themselves and communicate their feelings and concerns through their paintings.
  • The creative writing that the children participate in is designed to help them to learn to connect with their words, broaden their vocabularies, and use their written pieces as a means to voice their concerns regarding their experiences as street children and a neglected part of a society.
  • The photography section of the initiative allows the children to actively participate in the photography process from taking pictures to editing them and finally framing them.
  • In the music production section, as with the other productions, children learn about the art of making music from scratch - making sounds, putting them together, and the other technical aspects of the music-making process.

    • A key event is the International Day of Street Children celebrated on April 12, where the productions of the children are exhibited. The day usually starts with an hour-long procession, with prominent and concerned members of the Kenyan society, along with the many children that would have contributed to the day’s events. Music, dance, and drama form the festivities of the day, where the children address social, political, and economic issues.

    The finished products and productions are also featured on the Louder Children Kenya website.

    Development Issues

    Children

    Key Points

    The street children of Kenya are a great concern for Xchange Perspectives (XCP)and its partners, and giving them a voice and a platform through social media is the main objective. With issues such as poverty, homelessness, and a lack of education, XCP and its 13 partners are working to initiate change, to create a space that encourages open dialogue and work towards social development.

    Partners

    Xchange Perspectives, FIDA International, Maisha Poa Centre ( Full Gospel Churches of Kenya), KARDS, Society Undugu, Mainstream Sports Academy, KITO International, EARYN-Transforming Livelihoods

    Sources

    Louder Children Kenya website on May 8 2012.