The project had four workshops based around pertinent health issues: HIV-positive intravenous drug users; professional sex workers with STIs; a community in the malaria-endemic border province of Binh Phuoc and duck farmers in the Mekong Delta. Between 5-12 individuals in each group worked with FFF and facilitators to film and narrate their personal stories.
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The community-authored stories have been reviewed with local government health workers and research groups to generate discussion and raise awareness of community perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge. In an extension phase, the short films will be shown at local screenings and facilitated to generate discussion and sharing of information. We believe the project empowers communities and helps improve the public understanding of health sciences while increasing researchers’ and health workers’ engagement with their communities of study.