Helping Small Businesses Drive Big Change - Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) & UNDP
Samrach Film Production partnered with the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) and UNDP to produce a compelling visual story highlighting how small, local businesses are driving meaningful economic change across Ethiopia. Centered around everyday entrepreneurs — such as garment makers, artisans, and small-scale service providers — the project showcases the real impact of targeted support and training on business growth, job creation, and community resilience. Through authentic storytelling and visually rich scenes, the video celebrates the potential of Ethiopia’s informal sector and positions entrepreneurship as a catalyst for inclusive, sustainable development.
[Client]
UNDP & EDC
[Year]
2016
[Services]
Video Production and Editing
[Catagory]
Corporate
Overview
Samrach Film Production was commissioned by the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to produce a documentary-style video spotlighting the transformative role of small businesses in Ethiopia. The project aimed to bring to life the stories of local entrepreneurs — from garment makers and traditional textile producers to food vendors and service providers — who are not only supporting their families but also contributing to economic resilience and community development.
Project Objectives
The core objective was to illustrate how targeted entrepreneurial support, skills training, and access to finance provided by EDC and UNDP empower everyday Ethiopians to build and sustain businesses. The video was designed to humanize development outcomes, showcase success stories, and encourage continued investment in local entrepreneurship — especially in sectors that are deeply woven into Ethiopian society.
Project Scope & Strategy
The project included full-cycle production: story research, on-location shooting, interviews, B-roll collection, narration, and post-production editing. Our strategy focused on capturing authentic day-in-the-life visuals and first-person accounts to connect emotionally with viewers while grounding the content in tangible development impact. We ensured representation from various business types, gender perspectives, and rural/urban settings.
Design & Production
We filmed across multiple locations — including small garment shops, roadside businesses, and cooperative workspaces — to authentically represent Ethiopia’s vibrant microenterprise landscape. The visual tone was warm, documentary-style, and immersive. Our cinematography emphasized texture and environment, capturing scenes of work, interaction, and innovation in natural light to reflect the everyday beauty of local entrepreneurship.
Post-Production
In post, we layered voiceover narration with original interviews and natural sound to create an emotionally resonant story. Light background music was used to support pacing and tone, while clean editing ensured clarity in both English and Amharic narration. Subtitles were included for accessibility and multi-platform use.
Distribution & Promotion
The final video was distributed through EDC and UNDP’s social channels, institutional presentations, entrepreneurship training events, and stakeholder briefings. It also serves as a key advocacy tool for showcasing impact to donors, government partners, and the general public — demonstrating the ripple effects of grassroots economic empowerment.
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced the value of elevating real voices and showing development through the lens of lived experience. We found that the most powerful stories often come from the smallest enterprises — where hard work, creativity, and opportunity intersect. The success of this video affirmed that storytelling can be a vital tool for advocacy, policy influence, and community inspiration when executed with cultural sensitivity and visual integrity.
