Immersive storytelling: an inspiring way to communicate about development

Created in 2015, USAID Stories brings together human and local stories from around the world to show US and international citizens how development programmes help reduce world poverty, diseases or hunger.

The stories in this “immersive storytelling hub” are highly personal and inspiring, showing how individual lives can be transformed by development programmes. Stories cover issues like gender equality or global stability. For an example, check out this story of two Moroccan sisters working as mechanics.

Each story is supported with high-quality visuals, including videos, documentaries and high-resolution images with captions. The stories are underpinned by data and specific information to inform readers (and journalists) about the broader goals and results of USAID programmes.

Thanks to an intractive world map, visitors can browse stories and read about headline results being achieved in different countries and regions. The content is easy to share on social media.

According to the 2017 Globescan Radar, 36% of US citizens claim to be aware of the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the IPSOS 2017 Perils of Perception Report, almost 4 in 10 US citizens agree that “most of the costs of international development and aid should be paid by rich countries.”