Adaklu: Mr. Robert Tornu, Community Development Advocate and Programmes and Policy Advisor for Friends of Adaklu (FoA), emphasized the vital cultural role played by storytelling, which extends beyond mere entertainment. He noted with regret that this art form, once a tool for passing down history, shaping moral values, and uniting communities, is now conspicuously absent.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Tornu shared these insights during a workshop organized by the Hidden Story Project for selected pupils of the Adaklu Kodzobi District Assembly Basic School. The Hidden Story Project is a community storytelling initiative designed to create safe spaces for sharing untold personal experiences.
Mr. Tornu explained that the Hidden Story Project is a new initiative aimed at reviving storytelling in Ghanaian communities. The project is spearheaded by Founding Partners, Betsy Benoit, who serves as Project Lead, and Weston Cox of TomorrowLabs, who serves as the Project's Technology Lead, in collaboration with Friends of Adaklu, a local non-government organization.
He highlighted that the initiative is built around the observation that everyday experiences can be transformed into meaningful stories. While individuals may not inherently view their experiences in this light, through guided conversations, they can begin to recognize and share their stories.
The initiative combines storytelling, community partnership, and multilingual technology to create an environment conducive to discovering and sharing these narratives. Mr. Tornu explained that through workshops on conversation and story discovery, participants are encouraged to explore their experiences, recognize the stories within them, and gain the confidence to share these stories.
The first pilot of the project is scheduled for October 2026 in Adaklu Kodzobi. Elders, teachers, and students from the community have begun engaging with the Project team to discuss traditional stories and personal experiences that have often gone unrecorded.
Story discovery sessions with students are ongoing, aiming to teach them how questions and conversations can help uncover the stories within their personal experiences. "We have stories about animals, but we don't tell stories about ourselves," Mr. Tornu noted.
The Adaklu pilot will build on early discussions, with students, teachers, elders, and other adults participating in story discovery workshops. Stories chosen for preservation may be included in bilingual story anthologies. The project will also test multilingual technology to facilitate participation in languages in which participants may not naturally express themselves.
Mr. Tornu emphasized that the Adaklu pilot is not a finalized model but a collaborative effort shaped by the learning from participants and partners. Friends of Adaklu serves as the local partner and Community Liaison, providing essential relationships, local leadership, and cultural guidance.
Additionally, Campfire Tales leads the story discovery workshops, and TomorrowLabs is responsible for developing and testing the multilingual technology. Ho Technical University contributes Ghanaian language expertise and cultural interpretation, while PROOF, Media for Social Justice serves as Fiscal sponsor and Partner.
The Hidden Story Project aims to expand to other communities, rekindling the spirit of storytelling in Ghanaian communities.