‘RYVU SNAPSHOTS’: PARTICIPATORY PHOTOGRAPHY TELLING VOLUNTEER STORIES

This is the forth video of the series ‘RYVU Snapshots’ which aims to disseminate findings and reflections emerging from the Refugee Youth Volunteering Uganda research. Each short video features project team members and also partners sharing insights related to RYVU work to open up conversations in volunteering and development spaces, particularly among youth.

Participatory photography, or photovoice, is a key part of RYVU’s methodology to engage with young refugee volunteers in Uganda in creative and participatory ways, seeing the world through their lenses.  Participants were selected in each of the four project locations (Bidibidi, Kampala, Nakivale and Rwamwanja) to take part in this activity. They were provided with cameras, training and local support in order to take photos capturing their volunteer experiences in their local areas across four weeks. In this snapshot, RYVU team member Dr Robert Turyamureeba, post-doctoral researcher at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, shares the objectives and themes of the photovoice methodology. Our thanks also to Issa Bagarirayose for the video production.

The RYVU project is focused on exploring the kinds of voluntary labour practiced by young refugees in Uganda and investigating how these impact on their skills, employability and the inequalities they experience. This series draws upon these debates in an accessible visual format. The videos are downloadable and can be widely shared.