Three years ago, EverydayNile began as a simple idea – to exchange our stories of the Nile, to see it from different places and perspectives. We aimed to open our minds as citizens of the Nile Basin before seeing ourselves as photographers or storytellers. Since then, the world has faced numerous challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to wars and economic crises. However, despite these challenges, we continued to explore and reimagine the Nile.
EverydayNile was founded with the goal of empowering Nile citizens to share their stories about the river and water from their own countries. Although most of our programme took place online, a less-than-ideal method of communication, the visuals, pictures, and stories succeeded in connecting us. Each session became an opportunity to listen to the voices of participants telling stories from their communities, to witness their struggles and triumphs. Personally, I have been consistently amazed by how diverse the topography and geography of water is across the Nile basin.
Through images, we can create a broader narrative about the Nile – one that spans biodiversity, environmental issues, social dynamics, and the political situations faced by its citizens. Everything is connected; nothing works in isolation. The challenges we face can either halt us in our tracks or become the driving force behind new solutions. I have often found that challenges inspire creativity, especially when working with and around water. Like water, we must be fluid and flexible, adapting to tell our stories in any way we can.
Selected EverydayNile Stories:
The stories that emerged during this cycle, as well as in previous ones, reflect the difficulties participants encountered – from displacement caused by war, to safety and security concerns, to vast distances between us. And yet, despite all this, we managed to share these stories, each one a small piece in a much larger mosaic. When you step back and view the whole, a new picture of the Nile emerges – a personal, vulnerable Nile that is not just one long river but a system of lakes, lands, and communities.
Can storytelling make a difference in a Nile burdened by so many problems? I believe it can. Stories help us map the Nile, revealing what we have, what we lack, and how we use – and abuse – this critical resource. They help us understand the relationship between a natural resource that sustains millions and the people who rely on it. Stories can inspire action, especially in a time of great danger caused by climate change, political tensions, and conflict. These narratives will stand as witnesses to what is, what was, and what could be.
In many of the sessions, listening to the stories and seeing the images left me reflecting on how little we know about what we all share. That’s why I believe so deeply in the power of storytelling – not just as a means of self-expression, but as a tool to educate, inform, and expand our understanding of the world around us. In EverydayNile, we have collectively pieced together a mosaic – a larger picture of the Nile, a living album of stories about the river and the environment it nurtures.
EverydayNile is supported by by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), InfoNile and FOTEA with funding from the IHE-Delft Water and Development Partnership Programme and JRS Biodiversity Foundation. It is part of the initiative “The Niles: Strengthening Media Capacities and Networks in the Nile Basin”, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of GIZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, or MiCT.
