For years, we have invested in worker-led communication and the creative skills of young street vendors to help them tell their own stories. In 2025, for the first time, we partnered with Picture People MSP to organize an in-person visual storytelling workshop, giving our members powerful tools to share the impact of their work.

The results not only inspire us to keep investing in worker-led communication for social change, but also serve as a powerful lesson in how communication capacity-building can strengthen and advance advocacy efforts.

Why we decided to invest in young workers

StreetNet’s Youth Reporters on the Ground pilot empowered 11 young workers with communication training to advocate for street vendors. The initiative bridged information gaps, fostered global solidarity, and marked an early example of our worker-led communication for social change approach. It culminated with a campaign for International Day of Street Vendors on November 14, where participants collected and shared written accounts of the daily lives of fellow workers.

Following the program, some participants were integrated into their national organizations as communication officers, such as in Rwanda (SYTRIECI) and Malawi (MUFIS) and assisted in the coverage of the 7th International Congress in 2023. The success of this initiative in building both capacity and solidarity inspired StreetNet leadership to expand the effort further—this time without age restrictions.

The hardship of being a Brazilian, of being poor, led me to be a street vendor and the hardship of being a street vendor in a country that does not give you conditions led me to be an activist.

By street vendor Robinho, quoted in a story written by Youth Reporter João Lucas Gama of UNICAB (Brazil).

Creation of the StreetNet Media Network

In 2024, StreetNet launched a call for affiliate organizations to nominate one person to join the StreetNet Media Network, a working group of communicators within our global alliance. Over 30 affiliates responded, nominating their own Media Activists, who then participated in online training sessions throughout the year. These sessions covered topics ranging from organizing online events to developing strategic communication plans.

Media Activists reported overwhelmingly positive experiences and regularly contributed to StreetNet’s communications, helping to uncover the perspectives of street vendors in countries such as Bangladesh and the United States.

As a member of the StreetNet Media Network, I aspire to gain insights from fellow members, enhance my existing media skills, and exchange knowledge and experiences related to advocating for improved working conditions for workers in the informal economy.

Fungai Munetsi, Information Officer of ZCIEA and StreetNet Media Activist

To further encourage their work and test worker-led communication for social change, StreetNet decided to invest in an in-person training focused on video-making skills.

The power of visual storytelling

In February 2025, we organized a workshop led by Picture People MSP on how to create visual stories for impact. Twelve members of the StreetNet Media Network met in Harare to learn about effective communication, ethics, and storytelling. “Since birth, human beings have been wired to hear and tell stories. It’s how we make sense of what happens to and around us. Listening to each other’s stories gives meaning to our lives.” says Claudia Modonesi, Executive Director of Picture People MSP. “We don’t just tell stories to explain, persuade, entertain, or connect—we do it to empathize, both with ourselves and with the world. Finding empathy is a challenge, but it’s also the most deeply human reason why we tell stories. At Picture People MSP, we are more committed than ever to empowering vulnerable and disadvantaged communities to use smartphones to tell their own stories in their own words. We help them create compelling visual narratives with clear calls to action that can empathise with others and inspire positive change.”

The Media Activists had the opportunity to put their skills into practice by interviewing workers at Jambanja Market in Chitungwiza, in collaboration with ZCIEA, our affiliate organisation in Zimbabwe. These workers suffer from violence and harassment and lack of decent working conditions, despite years of attempted negotiations with local authorities and the fact that, for many workers, the informal economy is still more profitable that formal employment in the country. Simple tasks like going to the bathroom, accessing water or taking care of children become expensive challenges.

The training in Zimbabwe was a true capacity-building experience, both professionally and in terms of networking. It gave me a broad perspective on filmmaking and also allowed me not only to engage with more colleagues but, more importantly, to learn how to work as part of a team.

Estelle Dahiri Flore from FETTEI-CI (Côte D’Ivoire)

ZCIEA members Christine, Garikai, Inasi, and Charlette shared their experiences and challenges as informal economy workers, including lack of water and sanitation, unstable livelihoods, and the need for childcare support. In just one week, the Media Activists—divided into groups—filmed and edited short videos showcasing these stories, with impactful calls to action. As one participant, Guadalupe Sosa from the USA, states “It is impressive how, with only two minutes, we can tell a lifetime’s worth of social issues”. The videos that resulted from the training are a great example of what worker-led communication for social change can achieve.

The hands-on group work strengthened their ties and provided them with professional video-making experience. “Our participatory, hands-on training programs are designed to build technical audio-visual and storytelling skills, unleash creativity, and instill the confidence to become agents of change.” explains Claudia Modonesi. “Our work is all about sharing skills and knowledge, guiding participants through a journey of learning, practice, and self-discovery. It’s a process that can be challenging and boundary-pushing, but ultimately rewarding—for both the enablers and the enabled.”

The way forward

The success of the Youth Reporters of the Ground and the StreetNet Media Network projects has inspired us to rethink our communication strategy and invest further in grassroots communicators. Starting in April 2025, we will be working with five Regional Communicators, encouraging young workers to develop their skills at a professional level.

“It is clear now that the communication of a global alliance of workers like StreetNet needs a decentralized approach, one that empowers our members to tell their own stories in a strategic and professional way”. explains Margarida Teixeira, StreetNet Communication Manager.

We will continue to strengthen the StreetNet Media Network, shifting from a training-focused approach to one centered on exchanges with communication professionals, filmmakers, artists, and scholars. By expanding our collective thinking on storytelling and social change, we are crafting a unique approach to worker-led communication for social change – one that amplifies our collective voice by empowering communicators on the ground.

Curious about what’s next? Do you want to support our budding communicators? Stay tuned to the StreetNet Media Network!