WAR CHILD

Jul 7

“This collection set out to transform an abstract mission—supporting children in conflict zones—into tangible, relatable stories. It also aimed to challenge outdated NGO narratives around ‘war children’, positioning them as the strong, resilient individuals they are.”

CHILDREN’S STORIES OF RESILIENCE

As project lead, I collaborated with both in-house and freelance videographers to develop the concept and to source, write and edit this collection of editorial stories for War Child’s international website. I also managed the social content calendar promoting these stories, driving traffic to the landing page.

The overarching goal was to raise awareness and educate audiences on the realities faced by children in war zones—building brand awareness, strengthening trust and engaging key stakeholders, including major (prospective) donors and strategic advocacy partners.

Visit www.warchild.net/stories-of-children/

“The News section of the website wasn’t just a forum to share latest news and stories, it was also a place to promote our content pillars in line with the wider communications and organisational strategy.”

NEWS

For four years, I sourced, wrote, and edited news and editorial articles for the website’s News section. I developed and implemented two core content themes—Innovation and Urgency—to shape storytelling in this space, alongside regular corporate communications and campaign moments. I also optimised SEO elements directly within the CMS, including meta titles, descriptions, URL slugs and internal linking to improve organic search visibility. Several of these stories were adapted and published on ReliefWeb and leading media outlets in the Netherlands and beyond. I also contributed to a number of supporting social media assets.

This project gave me the opportunity to travel to collect content directly from the field together with a video editor. Highlights include trips to South Sudan and Ukraine. The content we collected was used across the War Child network including in out-of-home advertising and annual fundraising campaigns.

“The Annual Report is historically one of the most important communications assets for an NGO - but also one of the most monotonous. By putting on our creative thinking hats, we turned this on its head.”

ANNUAL REPORT

The Annual Report is a key communications tool for demonstrating accountability and impact to donors, funders, partners and the general public. However, in reality, readership is low due to its lengthy, tedious and in-accessible format. For the 2022 edition, I worked conceptually with a designer to overhaul the existing format, making the report short, visual and inviting while still meeting strict reporting requirements. I injected the organisation’s playful yet authoritative tone of voice into every page. I also led the production of the report managing feedback rounds with stakeholders, the design - with an external agency, and the dissemination of the report across various communications channels.

“The goal of this video series was clear: to show what life is like for children in Gaza, mobilising people in War Child fundraising countries through petitions and donations, and influencing global policy through advocacy.”

CHILDREN OF GAZA SERIES

Following the 2024 escalation in Gaza, I collaborated with a video editor to produce a series of stories highlighting the experiences of displaced children. The series focused on children’s rights rather than political debates, delivering a clear advocacy call-to-action.

I produced written briefs and interview questions and conducted regular remote briefings with local teams on communications and safeguarding. I also worked closely with the video editor on narrative development, drafting and editing scripts to produce compelling finished videos, and wrote supporting copy.

The series was shared on the international website, social media and adapted across the War Child network, including for global advocacy conferences, helping audiences understand the reality of children’s lives in Gaza and prompting action in War Child fundraising countries.

Martha Shardalow

WAR CHILD

“This collection set out to transform an abstract mission—supporting children in conflict zones—into tangible, relatable stories. It also aimed to challenge outdated NGO narratives around ‘war children’, positioning them as the strong, resilient individuals they are.”

“The News section of the website wasn’t just a forum to share latest news and stories, it was also a place to promote our content pillars in line with the wider communications and organisational strategy.”

“The Annual Report is historically one of the most important communications assets for an NGO - but also one of the most monotonous. By putting on our creative thinking hats, we turned this on its head.”

“The goal of this video series was clear: to show what life is like for children in Gaza, mobilising people in War Child fundraising countries through petitions and donations, and influencing global policy through advocacy.”

KENYA AIRWAYS