What We Do
Our Mission
The Zongo Story Project creates opportunities for children and educators to engage in storytelling as a way of learning, connecting, and imagining. What began in Ghana’s zongo neighborhoods—diverse, historically marginalized urban communities shaped by movement and diversity—has grown into a wider collaboration with libraries, schools, and communities in Ghana and the United States.
Through drawing, writing, reading, performing, and listening, we create space for young people to share stories drawn from their own experiences and imaginations. In doing so, they challenge stereotypes, build connections across differences, and develop the tools to make sense of themselves and be curious about one another.
Our Vision
We believe storytelling is not only a way to express experience, but also to question it, reframe it, and share it with others. We envision learning spaces where stories are part of everyday learning—helping young people understand themselves and one another, take creative risks, and remain open to complexity.
Whether working with students in-person or virtually, within Ghana or across continents, our approach remains grounded in local knowledge, collaboration, and a commitment to child-centered learning.
Our Goals
Challenge Dominant Narratives
We support young people in developing stories that challenge narrow or stereotypical representations of Ghana and their communities. By creating “counterstories” drawn from real experiences and specific places, students contribute to broader conversations about identity, place, and belonging.
Promote Inclusive Literacy
Our workshops draw from oral and written traditions, and invite storytelling across multiple forms—drawing, speaking, performing, writing, and listening. We value literacy that is creative, sensory, and accessible to all learners.
Support Self-Understanding and Connection
Storytelling allows children to reflect on their own lives and to hear from others in meaningful ways. It becomes a practice of recognition—of finding common ground without needing to erase difference.
Encourage Critical Thinking
Good stories raise good questions. We use storytelling to help children consider multiple perspectives, examine motivations, and think carefully about character, context, and consequence.
Nurture Imagination
Storytelling allows space for experimentation and play. We encourage young people not only to reflect reality, but also to explore what could be different—what else might be possible.
How We Work
We work with teachers, schools, artists, and community partners across Ghana and beyond to facilitate storytelling workshops and exchanges. These sessions are designed to be adaptable to each context. They may be held in-person—under a tree, in a classroom, or at a local community center—or even virtually, connecting young learners across neighborhoods, cities, and national borders.
Workshops typically include a combination of discussion, drawing, reading, writing, listening, and performance. Everyone learns differently. Multimodal learning not only acknowledges and celebrates this diversity but also invites students to explore multiple perspectives and express ideas in original ways.