Storytelling Writer

Objective

The client is seeking a thoughtful, journalistic storyteller to capture the everyday stories, experiences, challenges, and moments of joy within its children's home and broader community.

The writer will interview members of the community and transform those conversations into compelling English-language stories that document life at the home, preserve its history, and connect individual experiences to the organization's larger mission and vision. The content should inspire readers and help challenge traditional perceptions and stigmas surrounding orphanages, vulnerable children, and charitable giving without approaching the stories from a direct fundraising perspective.

The ideal writer is a strong interviewer and narrative storyteller who is fluent in Arabic and an excellent English-language writer. They should be comfortable speaking with children, caregivers, staff, organizational leaders, and other members of the community and have the emotional intelligence necessary to handle both sensitive and lighthearted subject matter.

The strongest candidate would speak Egyptian Arabic and understand the cultural context of Egypt. Writers fluent in closely related Arabic dialects, including those spoken in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, may also be considered if they can communicate comfortably with interview subjects.

A feminine storytelling voice is highly preferred, though this is not a hard requirement.

• Approximately 5 hours/week (22 hours/month) to start
• Opportunity to increase the commitment as the storytelling program grows
• Initial content expected to support a recurring Substack-style publication

• Conduct recurring interviews with organizational leaders, caregivers, staff, and, where appropriate, children.
• Conduct interviews in Arabic and produce polished stories in English.
• Identify compelling anecdotes and narratives from the day-to-day life of the home.
• Capture a broad range of stories, including humorous, heartwarming, challenging, inspirational, and historically significant moments.
• Develop journalistic, anecdotal stories that feel authentic to the voices and personalities of the people involved.
• Connect stories naturally to the client's mission and vision when appropriate without forcing a connection.
• Document the organization's evolving history, including everyday operational challenges, programs, community life, and future expansion.
• Capture stories from across the home's 13 apartments and its wider community of children, caregivers, staff, and programs.
• Potentially experiment with stories told from different perspectives, including organizational leaders, children, employees, caregivers, and even the animals at the home.
• Help develop a consistent week-by-week storytelling cadence for a Substack-style publication.
• Collaborate with the team to brainstorm and prioritize an existing pipeline of potential stories.
• Handle sensitive personal stories involving vulnerable children and families with maturity, empathy, discretion, and care.

• Fluency in spoken Arabic with the ability to conduct natural, nuanced interviews.
• Strong preference for Egyptian Arabic; fluency in a closely related regional dialect may also be considered.
• Excellent written English.
• Demonstrated experience in journalism, narrative nonfiction, interviewing, profile writing, or human-interest storytelling.
• Strong interviewing skills and the ability to draw meaningful stories and anecdotes from conversations.
• Ability to balance serious subject matter with the warmth, humor, and everyday joy of the community.
• Strong cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to preserve an interviewee's authentic voice while shaping conversations into engaging narratives.
• Comfo…