3.4 TONE OF VOICE
...CONTINUED
What makes us different?
We are innovators: so our storytelling should bring this out and make donors feel that they are contributing to smart, effective new approaches to healthcare access.
We are experts: leaders in health education and genuinely learned about the issues people are facing across sub-Saharan Africa. The people we train also become experts in their field, and can pass on their knowledge and skills sustainably.
We are impassioned: We think health inequality is so wrong that we can’t rest until we overcome and eliminate it, community by community. We want donors to share our outrage and our determination.
What else should our copy do?
Show that health is never a single issue: It’s important we show the interlinked nature of health problems, and the need for holistic, integrated solutions. So when we write about lack of water, for example, we should explain its impact: the diseases it leads to, the loss of education it causes, and the way it takes up all women’s time so they can’t generate an income – trapping people in sickness and economic struggle.
No othering: We must always avoid ‘othering’ – writing about ‘them’ and ‘us’. Amref is a global family where everyone matters. If it is possible to reference someone by their name, we should do so.
Give everyone a voice: Our tone should be inclusive and reflect the individual perspectives and stories of everyone involved in making Africa’s heartbeat stronger.
It’s great to use quotes and let people tell their own stories. Not only the health workers we train and support, but also the people who are battling to overcome health challenges.
Be respectful: As part of our deep local understanding, we acknowledge cultural traditions and avoid using judgemental language – for example, about ex-FGM/C cutters.
Appeal to head AND heart: We know that some donors respond on a very emotional level to human stories – they are outraged, upset, moved to give. Others respond to rational data and statistics that tell the stark truth about health inequality in Africa. We need to provide both types of donor with the messaging that resonates with them.