Migrant Mothers Project
The Migrant Mothers Project was formed in 2010, through a partnership between Rupaleem Bhuyan (University of Toronto), Mercedes Umaña (Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre), and an active network of community partnerships working to address violence against immigrant women. This research uses participatory action research methods, interviews, community consultations, and policy analysis to understand how immigration policies are impacting immigrant rights and the capacity of social and health service providers to work with people who have precarious migratory status.
The Digital Story Project
History
In 2012, the Migrant Mothers Project collaborated with the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape to host Nuestra Fortaleza (Our Strength), a 12-week solidarity group for Spanish speaking women who have precarious immigration status. Women who took part in this group inspired the idea of creating digital stories, as a way for women to share their narratives to a larger audience. The women wanted to be heard and to create awareness that can lead to positive changes for other women living in similar situations.
Process
In 2013, the MMP launched the first phase of the Digital Story Telling Project. With generous support from Becoming Neighbours and leadership from Maria Olaya and Olga Florean, three women took part in a five-week digital story telling workshop. The first three stories were completed in the fall of 2013 and were featured at a community event titled, “Our Collective Strength”, held in November of 2013.
With additional funding from the Social Science and Humanities Council of Canada, the MMP launched a second phase of the digital story telling workshop in the spring of 2014. The second group was led by Olga Florean and Fernanda Villanueva. During this time, four women produced stories based on their life experiences with immigration and precarious status; from the vantage point of living with precarious status and in some cases working as an advocate and support worker for people who are working in the Live-In-Caregiver program.
Digital Story Telling is accessible and visually appealing. It combines the art of story telling and digital technology. The short videos (usually 5-7 minutes) are composed of the authors audio-recorded voice, 15-20 photos, and background music to capture a story. The process requires reflecting on a one’s life experiences, creating a short personal narrative, identifying images to help tell the story or taking new photos or video, and using digital media to create the final product. Although each digital story captures only a small part of someone's life, but shares many lessons about the everyday challenges of living with precarious status.
With additional funding from the Social Science and Humanities Council of Canada, the MMP launched a second phase of the digital story telling workshop in the spring of 2014. The second group was led by Olga Florean and Fernanda Villanueva. During this time, four women produced stories based on their life experiences with immigration and precarious status; from the vantage point of living with precarious status and in some cases working as an advocate and support worker for people who are working in the Live-In-Caregiver program.
Digital Story Telling is accessible and visually appealing. It combines the art of story telling and digital technology. The short videos (usually 5-7 minutes) are composed of the authors audio-recorded voice, 15-20 photos, and background music to capture a story. The process requires reflecting on a one’s life experiences, creating a short personal narrative, identifying images to help tell the story or taking new photos or video, and using digital media to create the final product. Although each digital story captures only a small part of someone's life, but shares many lessons about the everyday challenges of living with precarious status.
Acknowledgments
The Migrant Mothers Project would like to thank the participants and partnerships that help made the Digital Stories a possibility. This collection would not have been possible without their continued support.