In 2017 I decided to stop doing voluntary work for NGOs and to start vlogging. The reason for that was that I felt I was doing a lot of awesome stuff, but nobody knew about it. "If only people could see this with their own eyes, hear it first hand. If only I could show it to them..." I'd think. Vlogging gave me the opportunity to do just that: show, inspire, connect. I vlogged for about a year, but I would love to pick it up again sometime.
When I started to vlog, I had no idea what it would be like. But actually it is even more awesome than I had ever imagined. The people who are vlogging are so real and so diverse. They dare to be themselves and show their shortcomings. Never have I 'met' so many people talking openly about their disabilities and mental health and what it means to them. Never have I seen so many people giving so much appreciation to others for inspiring, helping and giving advise. Creating content for others is a social thing to do. And so is teaching.
I firmly believe video is the medium of the future. We will only use more and more video. But for now, vlogging is a very underrated activity. You don't need to vlog about cats, prank, gaming, food, fashion and all the rest which I find extremely boring. Instead, you can vlog or make videos about the things that genuinely interest you, and which will allow you to connect wih people from all over the world with similar interests.
My own vlog is like a social experiment in which I try to build a community of development vloggers. I envision that community to exist of African and foreign development workers alike. I think vlogging can help to show what is actually going on there. How people think, which topics are top of concern. What type of aid works and why and so on.
I still do voluntary work for NGO's and in fact, I'm on the board of an NGO. But vlogging is the overarching activity through which I think I can have the greatest impact on the world. Because it allows total strangers to be informed and hook up with the things I'm doing. It is a way for me, to reach and potentially help many more people than I could if I only had direct contact with them.
Vlogs4Change is a follow-up project of Rural Web. in my vlogs, I actually try to live by the Rural Web Ways. I hope to show you that vlogging can be for anyone, and I'll teach you how to get started. Please join me on the ethernet with your own videos! Show me how you live and change the world!
happy vlogging.
https://youtube.com/geocherylvids
https://learntovlog.wordpress.com/
