Actions pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable (ACED) based in Benin, West Africa, seeks to address development challenges in the country by combining research with local action and policy change. Since its establishment in 2009, ACED’s initiatives have worked to improve the productivity of smallholder farmers, enhance the food security of poor urban residents, and increase access to income-generating activities through environmental preservation and youth empowerment programmes. Towards the end of 2019, ACED approached WRENmedia to write a 10-Year Impact Report to highlight the organisation’s key achievements in sustainable development and environmental preservation, and the unique approach it adopted to realise these results.
Synthesising social impact
WRENmedia researched the varying and interlinked development challenges specifically faced by agricultural communities in Benin to provide context for the report. To identify the most innovative aspects and impacts of the organisation’s initiatives over the past 10 years, ACED’s annual reports, technical briefs and project fact sheets were reviewed, and the key information woven into a journalistic-style narrative. Quotes from project beneficiaries and donors were also worked into the text to highlight the important outcomes and successes of the projects, particularly in terms of providing local farmers with sustainable business opportunities, and the suitability and relevance of ACED’s targeted and collaborative interventions.
A timeline of the organisation’s key activities, as well as conceptualised infographics, were also provided by WRENmedia as clear and engaging summaries of ACED’s initiatives and outcomes over time. Skype calls and consultations with ACED staff helped to establish the most important challenges faced by the organisation and the lessons learned as a result.
"Susanna and her colleagues have provided quality support in capitalising our successes and lessons over the past 10 years. WRENmedia has become a partner of choice in conveying our message effectively to our stakeholders” – Fréjus Thoto, ACED Director.
Capturing company value
Having produced the 10-year report and become familiar with ACED’s aims, mandate and achievements, WRENmedia has since been in a position to support the organisation with its proposal submissions, and in editing their 2020-2024 business strategy. In October 2019, ahead of an Evidence-Policy-Action forum co-organised by ACED, WRENmedia was asked to assist with the company’s social media strategy to build online engagement with the event. We produced a Twitter toolkit with relevant handles and hashtags, links to associated ACED reports, and a series of tweets to post during the week prior to, and the week of, the event. In May 2020, we have also produced a toolkit in English and French to promote the online publication of their impact report and strategy document. For more information on ACED’s initiatives and impact, see the full report here: https://aced-benin.org/en/10-years-of-impact/