By Gary Layn

Not so long ago, I found myself listening to young boys and girls relate their struggles, hopes, wins, and failures. Okay, okay, ‘I found myself’ makes it sound like it happened all of a sudden, with no preparations whatsoever, and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I had pens, sharpies, flip-charts, name tags, and training as a writer and as a design researcher. I was more than prepared. 

At YLabs, I oversee the content strategy and creation for our CyberRwanda project which uses technology and storytelling to equip and empower young people with knowledge and self-efficacy in order to prevent unplanned pregnancy and HIV.

I work with young people to understand their experiences with friends, family, relationships, and health issues such as reproductive health, HIV, and gender. My job is to listen and begin to get ideas that will help me write the narrative storylines that are such an important part of CyberRwanda. By thinking like a designer and working with young people, I am able to write content that is more authentic, valuable, and appreciated by our readers.

You see, CyberRwanda uses four relatable characters, Happy, Ganza, Nurse Keza and Mama, to explore topics that young people want to learn about in a fun and engaging way. The webcomic stories are one of the most popular parts of website, and they have all been inspired by the questions, experiences, and interests of the young people that I work with.

Some would argue that this process is long and complicated, and would rather provide health information to young people through textbooks. This method, however, is a one-way process and honestly, quite boring for young people here in Rwanda! 

Narrative stories, on the other hand, are fun and engaging. They allow us to live through someone else’s experiences. This, in turn, stimulates our emotions, which then compels us to act. As a writer, I feel that this stimulus of emotions is what is lacking in the information we find in textbooks. The way we respond to stories is different from the way we respond to factual information.

This particular validation workshop left me feeling nostalgic. I was brought back to when I was 14 years old; alone, scared, and curious about the changes my own body was going through. As I watched the young people talking to each other through different techniques such as the use of vignettes and open-ended stories, I was amazed by their openness. When given the space to explore, discuss, and create, they were so free with their ideas - and in many cases - they were even surprised to find that they had the same experiences, questions, and interests. After all, they were in the same age group - and so many of us share similar experiences when we are growing up! 

Eventually, I bid my goodbyes to the young folks, but they had said so much more than I had anticipated and it seemed they had a lot more to say. I left, nevertheless, knowing that in the many sticky notes we had used, lied everything I would need to create the content that would reflect the experiences of young people.

Now, if you are a designer, this process of user-testing is nothing new. It is indeed the first stage in the design process, a methodology that aims to uncover young people’s needs and goals to inform the design of products, communications, and services that might better meet their needs.

If you are not a designer, you must be thinking: what does design thinking have to do with storytelling? A lot, I dare say, especially if you are using storytelling to influence behavior change.

Design thinking helps us to understand the root causes of the behaviors that we are looking to address. For example, why don’t young people get HIV tests more frequently when they know the risks? What are the barriers they face? How do they feel when they walk into a clinic for reproductive health services, and how does that stigma prevent them from going there in the first place?

As a writer, I can use the answers to these questions to determine the storylines and the character behavior change journeys we will use throughout the storylines. How can we best model characters to go through the same concerns, barriers, and motivators that the young people we've spoken to are going through? 

CyberRwanda uses characters who share the same background to role model the tough conversations expected around such sensitive issues. By observing how characters navigate different situations, young people reading our content build the self-confidence needed to approach the same issues in their lives. By exploring the do’s and don’ts of the characters, they learn how to best react to situations, and are less likely to make mistakes.

The relatable characters and interesting storylines are helping to make CyberRwanda more valuable and interesting for our young readers. By working with young people from the very beginning of the project to understand their needs, questions, and ideas, we are able to create an intervention that works for them. If you are a writer or storyteller trying to help young people live healthier lives - take it from me - start with young people and think like a designer!

Gary is a content writer and strategist who is working to bring our CyberRwanda characters to life. Gary writes both fiction and non-fiction and is a self-proclaimed eccentric introvert. Prior to joining YLabs, he worked with Girl Effect, a girl-led organization, as a scriptwriter for their youth radio drama.

CyberRwanda was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of YLabs and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Additional support provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.