Our Methods

Evidence Tori Dey

 

An African-Led Approach for Knowledge Dissemination, Translation and Generation.

Tori Dey, which translates to "Let's tell science stories" in Pidgin English, is an innovative, African-led approach designed to bridge the gap between complex scientific research and the communities that need it most. It champions the decolonization of knowledge dissemination by transforming rigorous scientific data into engaging, interactive, and culturally relevant formats.

Why Tori Dey Matters: Addressing the Evidence-to-Practice Gap

For too long, vital evidence-based work conducted by scientists and researchers has remained inaccessible to disadvantaged communities. This is due to several critical barriers:

• Inaccessibility: Scientific data is often locked behind paywalls.
• Complexity: Research is typically characterized by complex language, technical jargon, and dense graphs, making it difficult for non-experts to understand.
• Irrelevance: Traditional dissemination methods are often not culturally relevant, failing to resonate with or be adopted by the intended beneficiaries.
• Dissemination Challenges: The target populations often face challenges like illiteracy, limited digital literacy, resource constraints, and a multitude of languages spoken, compounding the problem of effective knowledge transfer.

This "evidence-to-practice gap" is what Tori Dey seeks to overcome, ensuring that the uptake of research evidence is equitable and effective for informed decision-making.

The Tori Dey Approach: Blending Science and Art 

At its core, Tori Dey is a storytelling tool that systematically and rigorously translates scientific evidence into digestible and actionable formats. It leverages Africa's rich heritage of oral tradition—the most vital means of communication worldwide—to communicate critical information.

The approach utilizes various art forms to mobilize knowledge:

• Drama and Dance
• Songs and Poems
• Paints and Visual Arts

By using these familiar and interactive forms of entertainment and sensitization, Tori Dey ensures the message is engaging and relevant, tapping into the power of culture as "the greatest jewel for every community."

Case Studies and Results

Tori Dey's successful deployment has demonstrated its power to shift mindsets and influence community practices across various sectors.

Thematic Area	Location	Impact/Outcome
Public Health	Cameroon	Successfully communicated evidence on appropriate malaria treatment (e.g., the importance of testing over immediate injection demand), leading to improved community knowledge.
Social Justice	Bamenda, Cameroon	Used to shift mindsets and promote community protection and access to services related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict-affected areas.
Education	Kenya and Malawi	Proof-of-concept study to improve foundational numeracy using play-based learning and storytelling (oral, digital, and paper-based) to foster engagement and inclusivity in low-resource settings.
Knowledge Mobilization	Uganda, Cape Town, and Nairobi	Used to launch new evidence projects and engage policymakers at international conferences, setting the tone for culturally relevant evidence uptake.
Evaluation	Cameroon (Centre, Littoral, West)	Evaluated the Big Mama Project (BMP), an SEL intervention for internally displaced pupils (IDPs), by collecting rich qualitative data using storytelling Dairies (Defteres) to assess program fidelity and readiness for a randomized trial.

 

Tori Dey and the African Evaluation Movement

Tori Dey is a concrete manifestation of the current reawakening within African research to develop, reimagine, and decolonize research methods to better portray African values. It aligns perfectly with movements like the Made in Africa Evaluation and the Africa Evaluation Principles championed by the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA).

This approach ensures that African evaluation methods, which often employ participative principles, are not lost but actively developed and utilized for the equitable use of research evidence.

Challenges and the Path Forward

While the concept is powerful, securing sustainable funding for initiatives like Tori Dey, which incorporate indigenous knowledge systems and communication methods, remains a significant challenge. However, by considering what, to whom, by whom, and how research is transferred, Tori Dey offers a foundational step toward a more inclusive and dynamic knowledge ecosystem for Africa.