February 19, 2025 marked the culmination of a journey for storytellers from across Southeast Asia who dedicated their creativity and passion to highlighting the region’s most urgent challenge: climate change. 

Seven fellows from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam completed the third Content Creators Hub, which provided aspiring storytellers with the knowledge and skills to create compelling and informative climate change content. Non-profit Oxfam International supported the program. 

The latest Content Creators Hub cohort included Justina Estuar, Kiana Amarnani and Jenard Soriano from the Philippines, Aurelia Gracia from Indonesia, Selene Nazari from Malaysia, Nguyễn Ngọc Trinh from Vietnam and Phobthum Yingpaiboonsuk from Thailand.

The fellows produced vertical videos tackling various climate- and environmental-related issues such as plastic pollution, saltwater intrusion, urban heat island effect, food waste, sustainable fashion, and skincare chemicals and coral reefs. They also made an explainer on the importance of the COP29 climate talks.

Through the program, the fellows gained confidence in creating climate change content and discovered that resourcefulness, courage, and fun are essential to the process. They described their experiences as “transformative,” “superb,” and “memorable.”

“This fellowship has made me realize that becoming a content creator is not about having the talent, but about having the courage. So I did what my heart tells me to do and I’ve come so far,” Nguyễn said. 

Nazari shared that before the fellowship, she was afraid of putting herself out there and being cringe on camera. Her biggest takeaway? “Embrace the cringe. Embrace the learning process, and just try.”

Santos, meanwhile, emphasized the value of building a team of like-minded people. “That team needs to be anchored in the spirit of service and being selfless. Because no matter how knowledgeable you are, if you don’t have the heart to tell these stories, then nothing will happen,” he said. 

The program featured interactive workshops and hands-on exercises on climate science, environmental and climate storytelling, viral content creation, and creative self-expression.

In October 2024, Climate Tracker Asia hosted a three-day workshop in Manila, where fellows brainstormed story ideas, participated in feedback sessions with mentors and peers, refined their work, and filmed TikTok and COP29 content.

The fellows’ upcoming projects include verticals on plastic waste and sustainable grocery shopping, finding love in an eco-friendly way, overtourism, Bangkok’s sinking crisis, choosing to be child-free in the face of climate change, and traffic congestion in Ho Chi Minh City.