Social Art for Behaviour Change: Activating Community-Driven Sustainability in Africa
Credit: Helvetas
“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.”
In many parts of Africa, the water crisis isn’t merely a question of scarcity—it’s a personal, daily battle against climate extremes, inadequate infrastructure, and unsustainable practices. These challenges are further exacerbated by water contamination and preventable diseases, all of which threaten the health, stability, and future of communities across the continent.
Building wells and suggesting people change their ways won’t create transformational change. That’s why One Drop’s approach to persistent water challenges centres not on water alone, but also on empowering communities to drive multifaceted change from within.
Over the last decade, One Drop has collaborated with African artists in Burkina Faso, Mali, Malawi, and Madagascar to co-design interventions that blend cultural expression with practical action. Together with our partners and community participants, we continue to co-create projects with a purpose: to trigger emotion and action for lasting change.
Read on to discover how our Social Art for Behaviour Change™ approach is transforming lives across our projects in Africa.
Building climate resilience in Madagascar
Rooted in Cirque du Soleil’s creative legacy and informed by cognitive science, educational psychology, and social anthropology, our social art approach invites participants to be both spectators and actors while they engage with one another in a journey of exploration.
In Madagascar’s drought-prone Menabe region, the Telomiova project is transforming the way communities adapt to climate extremes. With One Drop’s technical support, local NGO Moteur has trained and mobilized artists across Menabe—from Ankotrofotsy to Malaimbandy—where they engage residents through plays and communal radio storytelling sessions focused on handwashing and safe water storage. These events conclude with open discussions, giving community members a voice as well as an active role in addressing health and hygiene right where they live.
The One Drop Foundation’s projects are designed for easy replication and lasting impact. By training a total of 100 local change leaders, Telomiova empowers participating community members to carry these performances forward, creating a powerful ripple effect of behavioural change.
Health, education and gender equality in Mali
Social art harnesses various mediums—including visual arts, theatre, and music—to raise awareness, nurture empathy, and capacitate individuals to take collective action for positive social transformation.
In Mali’s rural areas, basic hygiene practices like handwashing with soap and water and latrine use are essential, yet they’re often overlooked. The Beseya Blon project seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by using Social Art for Behaviour Change to make hygiene practices resonate with daily life. Partnering with Centre Culturel Kôrè, Beseya Blon mobilizes local artists and community members to co-create plays, radio dramas, and mural art that dive into essential health practices.
Sanata Coulibaly, a user of the community health centre of Touna. Credit : WaterAid/Basile Ouedraogo
More than 77,900 people have participated in these events since 2020, often engaging in lively post-performance discussions to explore strategies for overcoming barriers to hygiene practices.
Simultaneously, One Drop has been working hand in hand with Centre Culturel Kôrè through the SCOFI project, training local storytellers and artists to address gender norms that impact education. Equipped with new storytelling techniques, these artists and educators engage both children and adults in dynamic discussions that break down gender biases, with the goal of improving school attendance and retention for girls.
“I see participants getting curious, attentive, and excited. They’re awestruck by the social art approach, which they find to be quite innovative and directly connected to their stories.”
– Bintou Soumbounou, Counsellor at Centre Culturel Kôrè
Credit: Centre Culturel Kôrè
Just in 2023, SCOFI’s interactive storytelling sessions reached over 263,000 community members across the Ségou region. These sessions have enabled communities to see gender and education in a new light, slowly shift attitudes toward greater gender equality, and keep more girls in school. The continuing, home-grown change we’re seeing in Ségou is already inspiring.
Economic empowerment for women in Burkina Faso
Social art isn’t just about community mobilization—it’s a strategy for reshaping perspectives and cultivating change from within. In Burkina Faso, One Drop is working with local partners to directly confront the gender-based obstacles that keep women and girls shut out from economic participation. Through participatory consultations and a culturally attuned intervention strategy, the ESEPV project uses tools like theatre and storytelling to open up real conversations about gender roles and empowerment. By training local leaders and community members in this approach, the project creates a sustainable framework for women and girls to build confidence, advocate for themselves, and expand their economic opportunities well beyond the life of the project.
The One Drop Foundation’s Social Art for Behaviour Change approach sets in motion real, lasting change that ripples well beyond water, sanitation, and hygiene. By co-creating engaging, multisensory experiences in partnership with local organizations and artists, we reshape social norms, grow awareness, and empower communities to act. Together with our partners, we’re excited to continue this impactful journey in Africa.
