I started a professional job as a humanitarian storyteller 5 years ago.
Before, I was a nine-to-five multimedia worker. In the last year of my 3rd year Diploma Degree, I was working at the Indonesia Legal Research Foundation (YPHI) for 1 year and moved to an aesthetic plastic surgery company for 2 years. After that, I got an offer to join a well-known convenience store called 7eleven (just before they went bankrupt in Indonesia).
At the end of 2013, my volunteerism spirit encourages me to do something for the community, I want to live in this world more than just grew up, studying, working, wedding, feeding, and…. you tell me. It was naive because I did not have a safety net, yet just quit the job and became a teacher at the independent schools for street children by Sahabat Anak Foundation.
One year later, I thought that giving a service delivery only is not a solution for those kids. I should do something more, then I joined a social-political movement, hoping that I could influence one of the stakeholders. However, I ended up becoming a video producer for one of the candidates during the 2014 presidential election in Indonesia.
One that matters from those diverse experiences is that I use photography, videography, and storytelling as my tools in supporting those companies and organisations.
2016, I decided to use those multimedia skills and hobbies as my main job. I got an assignment from United Nation Volunteer as a UNV Donor Communication Officer in UNICEF Indonesia. Since then, I realized that my job is more than being a photographer, videographer, or only storyteller.
All stories I write, photos that I take, and videos that I produce, all talk about humans help humans and mostly in extraordinary circumstances.
I found this professional term as Humanitarian Storyteller when I was about to quit my job. But I changed my mind after I watch all the interviews that I did, with the children, mothers, staff, and the hero from the field. I realised that they are the soul of my work, and I always got new energy afterward.
I know I have been working so hard to get what I want, and I am glad to be able to do what I love.
I will continue this profession and am open to any chance to collect stories around the world.
❤️
Veskadinda 