When Aid Stops: What's next?
Together with Aidsfonds, we chose a documentary-driven approach rooted in listening and presence. We worked with a small, local crew and filmed in Mubende and Kyenjojo, Uganda, allowing stories to unfold in real environments and at the participants’ own pace.
There were no scripts and no staged scenes. Each story was told in the women’s own voices, supported by local health workers who provided context and strength. By keeping the production light and respectful, we created space for honesty, vulnerability, and quiet resilience.
.jpg)
Locally sourced
We work on the ground in Uganda and East Africa, with local crews and a deep understanding of the context, culture, and sensitivities.
The challenge
Aidsfonds works globally to ensure access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. When U.S. funding through PEPFAR and USAID was suddenly cut, the consequences were immediate for communities in rural Uganda. Clinics faced shortages, testing became unavailable, and uncertainty spread among women and children living with HIV.
The challenge was not to explain policy changes, but to make their impact visible on a human level. How do you show what global political decisions mean in everyday life, without reducing people to statistics?
Watch the video
For the project, we made three short portrait films, each with its own perspective on the consequences of stopped aid.
"Where can I leave my baby if I die?"
Zulaika (17), born with HIV, walks five kilometers to her clinic for medicine that is not always available.
"If I don’t get medicine, I’ll die and infect my baby."
Dora (22), a young mother, fears for her baby’s health after losing access to testing and medication.
"I am okay now.
My life is good."
Joan (11) is left waiting for HIV test results due to a shortage of test kits, will she keep growing up in uncertainty?
Impact
The films were used in social media campaigns around World AIDS Day and the period that followed, as well as in donor communication and awareness efforts by Aidsfonds. By focusing on lived experience, the videos helped audiences understand the real consequences of funding cuts beyond numbers and headlines.
The portraits continue to support Aidsfonds in communicating complex issues with clarity, empathy, and credibility.
With full confidence, Aidsfonds entrusted Roos and Yuri (Story To Video) to capture the stories of three young women in Uganda and the impact of the world’s largest AIDS program being discontinued. They did so with excellent preparation, professional expertise, and above all, a deep love for their work. A major advantage was their collaboration with local makers: editors and translators, who understood the cultural sensitivities like no other and delivered beautiful, high-quality photo and video material.
Myrthe Hoekstra, Online Content Specialist
Aidsfonds
Client feedback
For this production, we managed the entire process — from preparation and local coordination to interviews, translation, and post production. We worked closely with Aidsfonds Netherlands and their partners in Uganda, where multiple local organisations and stakeholders were involved in each story.
​
Filming took place across several locations throughout the country, often in remote areas that required significant travel. Together with local translators and filmmakers, we organised interviews, translations, transcripts and subtitles to ensure each story was captured with care and respect.
Despite the logistical challenges, the collaboration remained open and constructive throughout the process. The trust built during this project led Aidsfonds to invite us to support an upcoming production in Uganda once again.
Case Overzicht
Why this project inspired us
This project with Aidsfonds was intense and special to work on. We met two girls and a young woman, each with their own story, their own concerns, and incredible inner strength. Zulaika, Dora, and Joan showed us up -close what it means to live with uncertainty, but also what courage, care, and hope look like in everyday life.
It touched us deeply to be able to capture these stories not because they were told in a grand or dramatic way, but because they were so honest and human. The trust we were given, to get close, to listen, and to record their words felt like a great responsibility.
Together with Aidsfonds and local partners, we worked with care and attention, always with respect for the people in front of the camera. This project reminds us why we do this work, because real stories are not number, they are lives and when told with care, they can make people pause, feel, and take action.
Ready to Bring Your Story to Life?
Start today​