I had the privilege of attending a two-day workshop organized by the Mission Alliance [MA] Representative Office on August 23-24, 2022. The workshop aimed to train MA’s partners in writing empowerment stories of community partners touched by the support of Mission Alliance, and was facilitated by seasoned journalist/writer, Mr. Fort O. Nicolas. As a participant, I was excited to refine my writing skills and share my experiences in writing with like-minded individuals.
The workshop was opened by Ms. Karin Riska, who challenged us to write compelling stories that inform and inspire readers. Throughout the workshop, MA Program Advisors Christian Dacdac and Regine Rabanillo were on hand to guide us, and Mr. Nicolas’s unique facilitation style allowed us to create mind maps of topics to write about. He introduced the Pomodoro technique, which helped me to focus on my writing and improve my productivity. He also provided valuable tips on writing captions for photographs, which helped me to enhance the visual impact of my stories.
The workshop was a highly interactive experience; on the last day, we were asked to present our draft. Mr. Nicolas provided valuable critiques to help us improve our work. I found his feedback to be extremely valuable and I was able to take away some great insights into how I could improve my story-telling skills. The participants were encouraged to finalize their work within days after the workshop and submit them to MA.
During the workshop, we discussed the new Community Representative Program (CRP), and how the empowerment stories would complement the new CRP guidelines. We agreed to review the MA guide in writing the Stories of Change to improve how partners prepare them and apply the learning from the workshop.
The workshop not only improved our skills but also had a significant impact on the organization. The Stories of Empowerment that were created during the workshop can be used to inspire and inform donors, partners, and other stakeholders about the work of MA and the impact it is having on the lives of people in the Philippines.
I am grateful to MA for organizing this workshop and for their commitment to empowering their partners and enhancing their skills. The workshop was a testament to MA’s recognition of the importance of communication in creating change, and their active efforts to develop the skills of their partners to communicate their work and impact effectively. I look forward to applying the lessons I learned during this workshop in my future work with, and in my personal writing endeavors.