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Case Study

Building a digital
connect for
communities

Strengthening digital storytelling capacities for a CSO
working in a tribal region of southern Rajasthan.

Sector: Food Systems

Tags: Natural farming · Indigenous knowledge systems · Local self-governance

Geography: Vaagad tribal region at the trijunction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

Partner: A large CSO working in tribal regions of Rajasthan

Shifting narratives for an entire community

A grassroots organisation working with Adivasi communities in Rajasthan began receiving nearly 70 phone calls from people asking how they could access government schemes around goat farming after a woman from the community shared her goat farming success story in local WhatsApp groups.

How did that happen? Through a community content engine on Whatsapp that we built together with them and shared local stories, polls, and conversations on already existing WhatsApp groups that these communities were a part of.

Context

For decades, the organisation has been working with tribal communities across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to advance natural farming, climate resilience and local self-governance. Recognising changing media consumption patterns, the organisation was eager to explore new ways of connecting with communities, especially rural youth.

The knowledge and success stories already existed. So the question was: how do you better connect and evolve to meet your audience where they are? By bringing these stories into the formats people engage with every day, the organisation sought to make natural farming more visible and relatable.

Our Approach

1. Whatsapp messaging

We created a WhatsApp content engine that was run through community groups that already existed because when messages arrive in spaces that people trust, it's more likely for communities to engage and act upon.

3. Local language

We used short-form content including photos, messages, polls and reels on natural farming and integrated livestock management, in Vagadi, the spoken language of the region. Communication in a familiar local language feels more relatable, accessible and easier for communities to connect with.

2. Regional influencers

We invited social media influencers to Banswara's tribal villages to spend time with communities and understand their natural farming practices. Because of this deeper immersion, the Instagram reels created by these influencers sparked conversations and a stronger sense of connection around natural farming.

4. Capacity Building

We held capacity building workshops for on-ground field staff of our partner organisation to run the digital storytelling engine independently. The goal was to ensure that the organisation can sustain the work long after the partnership ended.

1. Whatsapp messaging

2. Regional influencers

3. Local language

4. Capacity Building

The Stories We Told

Reels on Instagram and Facebook

We identified social media influencers from the region and conducted immersion visits to Banswara's tribal villages to make reels on natural farming, indigenous practices and community institutions.

Reels completed

Vagadi dialect

95.4K Views

While discussing how to utilise a new ₹50 lakh government fund, villagers discover the power of the Gram Sabha. Realising they have a voice in local decision-making, they come together to shape their village's development priorities.

10.1K Views

Inspired by how an SHG loan enabled women to start a goat farm, a homemaker realises that with the right support, rural women can become financially self-reliant, independent and secure a better future for their families.

7K Views

This reel highlights how natural farming practices like Beejamrut and Jeevamrut can help farmers reduce input costs, restore soil health and transition towards sustainable agriculture using locally available ingredients.

WhatsApp Community Engine

We used community success stories to co-create and circulate daily content via existing community WhatsApp groups.

Short, region-specific messages

Topics: agriculture, livelihoods, and self-governance

Interactive polls and Q&A formats

Organic amplification by local cadre members

Capacity Building

We conducted capacity building sessions for local cadres of our partner organisation, equipping them with skills in digital storytelling and content distribution.

Advanced storytelling and scripting

Shooting and video editing

Running a WhatsApp community engine

training modules

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From Outputs to Outcomes

Community Engagement

WhatsApp content generated a strong positive reception across groups, strengthening their connection and improving digital community engagement capabilities for the organisation.

People who had never engaged publicly in the groups were meeting our partner organisation's on-ground facilitators to ask questions prompted by what they had read.

A survey of cadre members found that 94% shared the messages with family and friends.

Behaviour Change

61% of survey respondents reported that community members had started new practices, improved farming techniques and new livestock management approaches after watching the videos.

Reframed narratives

Traditional and natural farming practices long seen as old or economically limiting began to be reframed as aspirational.

A reel framing dung from one's own farm as a source of urban income, that also saves the cost of chemical fertilisers and protects health, resonated strongly and thus indigenous knowledge became something people actively shared.

The storytelling format was cited by survey respondents as what made complex agricultural topics feel simple to understand.