Untold Stories

The pervasive issue of inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, commodities, and services is a significant global concern that disproportionately affects young people. The problem is particularly acute in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Tanzania.

Globally, millions of young people lack the necessary access to comprehensive SRHR information and services. This lack of access can result in uninformed decision-making regarding their sexual and reproductive health, leading to potential adverse outcomes such as unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and gender-based violence. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 years in developing regions become pregnant and approximately 12 million of them give birth each year. Additionally, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for 15 to 19-year-old girls globally.

In Tanzania, the problem is highlighted by the high rates of adolescent pregnancies and child marriages. According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, 27% of girls aged 15 to 19 have begun childbearing. These young girls often lack the necessary SRHR information and services to make informed choices about their bodies and lives. In addition, cultural norms and stigmatization around discussing SRHR topics create barriers to accessing accurate information and services.

Economic exclusion and transportation barriers further limit access to SRHR care in Tanzania. Many young people, especially girls, lack the financial resources to access SRHR services. Additionally, inadequate public transportation systems and long distances to healthcare facilities in rural areas pose significant challenges.

The challenge is monumental, and solving it requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the specific needs of young people, particularly adolescent girls and young women. By providing accurate and comprehensive SRHR information and services that are accessible, youth-friendly, and culturally sensitive, we can empower young people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes and greater gender equality.

Our solution, Untold Stories is a podcast series that shares personal narratives from young people around the world on their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) experiences. This podcast aims to provide a platform for young individuals to voice their stories, challenges, and triumphs in accessing SRHR information, services, and commodities. By doing so, we hope to foster a global conversation around the importance of SRHR for youth, breaking down cultural and societal barriers that often hinder open dialogue on these topics.

The process of our solution is simple yet impactful:

1. Story Collection: We reach out to young individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities worldwide, inviting them to share their personal SRHR experiences. These stories are collected through various means, including online submissions, interviews, and social media campaigns.

2. Podcast Production: The collected stories are then transformed into podcast episodes. Each episode is carefully crafted to highlight the storyteller's unique experiences, emphasizing the importance of access to SRHR information and services. To enhance accessibility, we will provide episodes in multiple languages, starting with Swahili and expanding to other languages over time.

3. Global Distribution: Once produced, the podcast episodes are distributed globally through various platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and our website. This ensures that the stories reach a broad audience, creating a ripple effect of awareness and change.

4. Community Engagement: We engage with our listeners through social media, creating a community of advocates for SRHR. This engagement allows us to gather feedback, answer questions, and facilitate discussions that further enhance the impact of our podcast.

To date, we have successfully produced and released 12 episodes in Swahili, sharing the SRHR experiences of young Tanzanians. Our next step is to expand our reach by incorporating stories from young people worldwide, providing a more comprehensive and global perspective on SRHR challenges and triumphs.

By leveraging the power of storytelling and podcast technology, Untold Stories aims to create a global movement that amplifies the voices of young people in the SRHR conversation, ultimately contributing to improved access to SRHR information, services, and commodities for youth worldwide.

Our solution serves young people around the world, with a focus on those living in low- and middle-income countries, where access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, services, and commodities are often limited. This demographic is currently underserved due to various barriers, including cultural stigma, lack of comprehensive sexuality education, limited access to youth-friendly health services, and restrictive policies and laws surrounding SRHR.

In Tanzania, for example, while the legal age for sexual consent is 18 years, comprehensive sexuality education is not fully integrated into the school curriculum. This leaves young people without the necessary information to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, access to youth-friendly health services is limited, particularly in rural areas, making it challenging for young people to access the SRHR services they need.

Untold Stories aims to directly and meaningfully improve the lives of young people by:

1. Providing a Platform for Voice and Advocacy:

   • Our podcast gives young people a platform to share their SRHR experiences, fostering a sense of empowerment and agency. By sharing their stories, they can advocate for the SRHR needs and rights of their communities.

2. Fostering a Global Conversation on SRHR:

   • The global perspective provided by our podcast will foster a cross-cultural dialogue on SRHR, highlighting the commonalities and differences in young people's experiences worldwide. This global conversation is crucial for advocating for more comprehensive and youth-friendly SRHR policies and laws.

3. Enhancing Access to Information:

   • Through our podcast episodes, young people will have access to accurate and reliable SRHR information, helping them make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

4. Building a Supportive Community:

   • Our social media engagement will create a community of young advocates and allies for SRHR, providing a supportive network for young people to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other.

By addressing the specific needs of young people in terms of access to SRHR information, services, and commodities, Untold Stories will contribute to improved sexual and reproductive health outcomes for youth worldwide. This, in turn, will have a broader impact on their overall well-being, education, and future opportunities, ultimately contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality).

Our team, led by founder Loveness, is deeply rooted in the communities we aim to serve. Loveness, a Tanzanian native, has a personal and profound understanding of the cultural, social, and economic challenges that young people in low- and middle-income countries face in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services. Her personal journey and experiences growing up in Tanzania have been the driving force behind the inception of Untold Stories.

Loveness and our team are not just solution providers; we are also part of the community we aim to serve. This proximity gives us a unique vantage point and understanding of the nuances and complexities that young people face in accessing SRHR information and services. Our team's diversity and inclusive approach ensure that we are representative of the communities we serve, encompassing different genders, ages, and backgrounds.

Our solution is deeply guided and informed by the communities' input, ideas, and agendas. We actively engage young people in the design and implementation of our solution through:

1. Listening Sessions and Community Dialogues:

   • We conduct regular listening sessions and community dialogues to gather feedback and insights from young people. These sessions help us understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations regarding SRHR.

2. Youth Advisory Board:

   • We have established a Youth Advisory Board comprised of young people from diverse backgrounds. The board plays a crucial role in shaping our podcast content, ensuring that it is relevant, relatable, and addresses the real issues and challenges that young people face.

3. Collaboration with Local Partners:

   • We collaborate with local organizations and partners that work closely with young people in their communities. These partnerships help us to ground our solution in the local context and leverage existing networks and resources.

4. Storytelling Workshops:

   • We conduct storytelling workshops with young people to help them articulate and share their SRHR experiences. These workshops are an integral part of our content creation process and ensure that our podcast episodes are authentic and rooted in the lived experiences of young people.

Our podcast, Untold Stories, currently serves an audience of approximately 1,000 listeners. These listeners span various age groups, but the majority are young people interested in SRHR topics. In addition to our podcast, we have also reached approximately 2,000 people through community engagement activities and workshops, where we share SRHR information and resources.

Since we have produced 12 episodes in Swahili, we have been able to reach and serve Tanzanians more effectively, particularly those who may not have access to SRHR information in English. This localized approach has been crucial in ensuring that the content is culturally relevant and easily understandable for our target audience.

We aim to expand our reach and impact as we continue to produce more episodes and engage with communities both locally and globally.

Our solution, a storytelling podcast, approaches the problem of insufficient Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services in a new and innovative way by leveraging the power of personal narratives to educate, inform, and empower young people.

Traditional methods of providing SRHR information often rely on didactic and prescriptive approaches that can be alienating for young people. Our podcast, on the other hand, focuses on sharing relatable personal stories from young people around the world, providing a global perspective that is often lacking in current SRHR education and advocacy efforts.

The innovative aspect of our solution lies in its use of storytelling as a medium for SRHR education and advocacy. Storytelling is a powerful tool that can create emotional resonance and foster a sense of connection among listeners. By sharing personal stories, we are able to humanize the challenges and triumphs that young people face in relation to their SRHR, breaking down the stigma and taboo that often surround these topics.

Furthermore, our podcast leverages the increasing popularity of podcasting as a medium to reach young people where they are. Podcasts are an accessible and convenient way for young people to consume content, and they can be easily shared and disseminated through social media and other online platforms.

In terms of broader positive impacts, our solution has the potential to catalyze a shift in how SRHR information and services are provided to young people. By demonstrating the power and impact of storytelling, we hope to inspire other organizations and individuals in the SRHR space to adopt similar approaches in their work.

Additionally, our solution could creating a demand for more diverse and representative SRHR content. As we expand our podcast to include stories from young people around the world, we are contributing to a more global and inclusive narrative around SRHR, which is often dominated by Western perspectives.

Impact Goals for the Next Year:

1. Expand Global Reach:

   • Goal: Increase our audience to 10,000 young people across all continents.
   • How: Utilize social media marketing, collaborations with influencers, and partnerships with educational institutions.

2. Enhance Engagement:

   • Goal: Initiate partnerships with at least 3 schools, youth organizations, and SRHR advocacy groups.
   • How: Engage in outreach and networking events to connect with potential partners.

3. Content Diversification:

   • Goal: Launch 5 new episodes focusing specifically on marginalized groups and their unique SRHR challenges.
   • How: Conduct research and engage with communities to gather diverse stories.

4. Community Building:

   • Goal: Establish an online community platform with at least 500 active users.
   • How: Leverage social media and podcast listeners to join the platform, providing incentives like exclusive content.

Impact Goals for the Next Five Years:

1. Holistic SRHR Education:

   • Goal: Be recognized as a leading SRHR information source for young people globally.
   • How: Continuous improvement of content, expansion of topics covered, and amplification through media and partnerships.

2. Policy Influence:

   • Goal: Influence SRHR policies in Tanzania to be more youth-friendly and inclusive.
   • How: Utilize podcast data and stories as evidence in advocacy efforts, partnering with policy-making bodies.

3. Capacity Building:

   • Goal: Facilitate the creation of at least 10 youth-led SRHR initiatives.
   • How: Organize workshops and provide mentorship to young people.

4. Multilingual Expansion:

   • Goal: Produce podcast episodes in 10 different languages.
   • How: Collaborate with translators and cultural experts to ensure accurate and culturally relevant content.

5. Tech Innovation:

   • Goal: Develop an interactive mobile application providing SRHR resources and support.
   • How: Partner with tech firms and conduct user research to develop a user-friendly application.

The alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) includes Goal 3 (ensure healthy lives) and Goal 5 (achieve gender equality), specifically targeting access to sexual and reproductive health care services and the elimination of harmful practices against women and girls. Our podcast plays a crucial role in amplifying voices and stories to foster a global community that supports SRHR and drives transformative change in the lives of young people.

Our solution, Untold Stories, is a podcast that shares personal stories from young people around the world on their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) experiences, providing a global perspective.

Theory of Change:

1. Activities:

   • Collecting and sharing personal stories from young people on their SRHR experiences.
   • Partnering with schools, youth organizations, and SRHR advocacy groups.
   • Engaging communities in discussions about SRHR.

2. Immediate Outputs:

   • A diverse range of personal stories on SRHR, accessible to young people globally.
   • Increased awareness and education on SRHR among young people.
   • Enhanced partnerships and collaborations for SRHR advocacy.

3. Short-term Outcomes:

   • Young people are more informed and empowered to make decisions about their SRHR.
   • Increased dialogues and discussions around SRHR in communities and online platforms.
   • A stronger network of organizations and advocates working together to improve SRHR for young people.

4. Long-term Outcomes:

   • Improved SRHR outcomes for young people, including better access to information, services, and support.
   • A shift in societal attitudes and norms towards a more open and accepting view of SRHR.
   • Changes in policies and practices to be more youth-friendly and inclusive of SRHR needs.

Evidence to Support Links:

• Third-party research shows that storytelling is an effective way to communicate complex issues like SRHR, as it makes the information more relatable and accessible.
• Findings from our own process evaluation indicate that young people value hearing stories from their peers and feel more empowered to share their own experiences.
• Data from interviews with our target population reveal a lack of accessible and relatable information on SRHR, which our podcast aims to address.

By sharing personal stories, we are humanizing the SRHR experiences of young people, providing them with the information and support they need to make informed decisions. The partnerships and collaborations with schools, youth organizations, and advocacy groups will help to amplify the voices of young people and foster a sense of community and support. This, in turn, will lead to improved SRHR outcomes and a positive impact on the lives of young people globally.

1. Full-time Staff:

   • Loveness Gerald: Handles content production and editing for the podcast.
   • Anna Moses: Manages social media, communications, and community engagement to promote the podcast and interact with the audience.

2. Part-time Staff:

   • Monica Julius: Responsible for coordinating with podcast guests, scheduling recordings, and logistics.

3. Contractors or Other Workers:

   • Moses Juma: Provides technical support for podcast recording and editing, ensuring high-quality audio and smooth operation during guest interviews.

We initiated the Untold Stories podcast in August 2023, meaning we have been working on this solution for approximately 2 months. In this time, we have successfully produced and released 12 episodes in Swahili, featuring personal stories from young people in Tanzania. Our next goal is to expand our reach and include global stories from young people around the world, sharing their SRHR experiences to provide a comprehensive and diverse perspective on the issue.

At Untold Stories, we are committed to amplifying diverse voices from all corners of the globe and creating an inclusive platform where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are at the core of our mission, as we aim to shed light on the diverse experiences and challenges faced by young people in relation to their sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). 

Our team is composed of individuals from various backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, which enriches our approach to storytelling and ensures that we are representing a wide range of perspectives. We strive to continuously educate ourselves and our audience on the importance of embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their stories. 

In our storytelling process, we make a conscious effort to include stories from marginalized and underrepresented communities, ensuring that their experiences are also highlighted and acknowledged. We also actively seek feedback from our audience and the communities we serve to understand how we can better represent their needs and perspectives.

Furthermore, as we expand our podcast to include global stories, we are mindful of the need to be culturally sensitive and respectful of the different contexts and challenges faced by young people in different parts of the world. We will ensure that our content is accessible and relevant to our diverse audience, taking into consideration language barriers, cultural nuances, and other factors that may affect how our content is received.

In the next year, we plan to conduct a diversity, equity, and inclusion audit to assess our progress and identify areas where we can improve. This will include reviewing our content, our team composition, and our engagement with the communities we serve to ensure that we are truly embodying our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We believe that by fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, we can create a platform that truly represents the diverse experiences and challenges faced by young people in relation to their SRHR, ultimately contributing to positive change and empowering young people to take control of their sexual and reproductive health.

Untold Stories operates on a dual mission business model: social impact and revenue generation, each serving to complement and support the other.

Value Proposition: At its heart, Untold Stories delivers compelling, relatable, and educational narratives on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) experiences of young people worldwide. We aim to foster understanding, inspire change, and provide a platform for the previously unheard.

Key Customers and Beneficiaries:

1. Listeners: Young people, activists, educators, and any individuals seeking to understand diverse SRHR experiences.
2. Sponsors and Advertisers: Brands, organizations, and entities targeting a socially conscious audience, particularly those focused on youth, health, or education.
3. Partnerships: SRHR organizations, advocacy groups, and educational institutions keen on content collaboration or amplifying authentic voices.

Products and Services:

1. Podcast Episodes: Free-access episodes featuring personal SRHR stories from diverse backgrounds.
2. Sponsored Content: Collaborative episodes or segments funded by sponsors targeting our audience.
3. Educational Resources: Supplementary materials, guides, and workshops related to SRHR topics discussed in our podcasts.
4. Community Engagement: Interactive sessions, Q&A, and virtual events to engage our audience.

Revenue Streams:

1. Sponsorships and Advertisements: We collaborate with brands and organizations aligned with our values for episode or segment sponsorships.
2. Syndication: Licensing our content to educational institutions or organizations for training and awareness purposes.
3. Merchandise: Selling themed merchandise to our dedicated listener base, translating fandom into support.

Channels of Distribution:

1. Digital Platforms: We primarily distribute our podcast through popular platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and our official website.
2. Social Media: Active promotion and listener engagement occur through platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
3. Community Partnerships: Collaboration with local organizations and educational institutions to expand our reach and relevance.

Why our offerings are sought-after:

1. Authenticity: Our content is real, personal, and diverse, filling a gap in the SRHR discourse which often lacks individual narratives.
2. Educational Value: We not only share stories but also provide context, expert insights, and resources, making it a comprehensive learning experience.
3. Community Building: We're not just a podcast; we're a movement. Our interactive sessions and events allow our audience to engage, connect, and be part of something larger.

Cost Structure: Our major expenditures include content production, platform maintenance, marketing, and community engagement events. As we grow, we anticipate increased costs in technology, expansion into new regions, and translation services for global content.

Future Growth: As we've started with Swahili episodes and aim to expand into global narratives, there's potential for diversifying our content in various languages, syndicating to more institutions, and partnering with global SRHR organizations.

Untold Stories’ business model is about creating value through authentic storytelling, capitalizing on that value to generate revenue, and reinvesting in the mission to further the discourse on SRHR globally.

Our plan for financial sustainability involves diversifying our revenue streams while prioritizing our social impact mission. Here's our phased approach to achieving financial sustainability:

Short-Term (1 Year)

1. Sponsorships and Advertisements: We'll continue to bring in sponsors and advertisers who align with our values and mission. This will involve creating tailored packages that offer value to sponsors while maintaining the authenticity of our content.
2. Grants and Donations: We'll actively seek grants from organizations and institutions that support SRHR initiatives and media projects. We'll also encourage listener donations through our platform and during live events.

Mid-Term (2-3 Years)

1. Syndication and Licensing: As our content library grows, we plan to license our episodes to educational institutions, NGOs, and other organizations for use in their programs. This will provide us with a steady stream of income while also amplifying the impact of our stories.
2. Merchandising: Launching a line of themed merchandise for our dedicated listener base. This will include apparel, accessories, and other branded items that resonate with our audience.
3. Membership or Subscription Models: Explore the possibility of a membership or subscription model that offers premium content, early access to episodes, and other exclusive benefits to paying members.

Long-Term (5+ Years)

1. Diversification of Content: Expand our content offerings to include video stories, interactive webinars, and other formats that can be monetized through various channels.
2. Global Expansion: As we aim to incorporate global narratives, there's potential for language-specific content that caters to different regions, which can be monetized through regional sponsorships and partnerships.
3. Community Engagement and Events: Host larger community engagement events, workshops, and conferences that can generate income through ticket sales, sponsorships, and partnerships.

Cost Management and Revenue Projections We are conscious of our costs and will focus on efficient content production, utilizing technology to minimize expenses. Our revenue projections are based on a gradual increase in sponsorships, syndication, and licensing deals, with the aim to cover our expenses within the first two years. As we introduce new revenue streams, we expect our profit margins to increase, providing us with the financial resources to expand our impact.

By diversifying our revenue streams and ensuring alignment with our mission, we aim to create a sustainable financial model that supports our work in the long term. This will enable us to continue sharing powerful SRHR stories, fostering understanding and driving change in communities worldwide.