A Sheffield filmmaker has told of his ‘life-changing’ experience while visiting one of the world’s poorest countries.

Jordan Carroll, aged 34, who lives in Crookes, visited Malawi to film video content for a UK-based charity dedicated to ending hunger.

The filmmaker, originally from Hull, applied for the job with Charity Right, and found himself on a long-haul flight to East Africa just three days later.

Over a 10-day trip, Jordan and presenter and photographer Ayman El-Agabani immersed themselves in the day-to-day lives of the community, while helping to supply meals with the charity.

Jordan Carroll, a filmmaker and videographer who lives in Sheffield, went on a 'life-changing' trip to Malawi. | Jordan Carroll

placeholder image — Jordan Carroll, a filmmaker and videographer who lives in Sheffield, went on a 'life-changing' trip to Malawi. | Jordan Carroll

For Jordan, it was not only eight days of intensive work and new experiences in his filmmaking career, but it also opened his eyes to what he described as ‘the real world’.

Jordan said: “We were thrown into the thick of it. Other than our hotel, there wasn’t anything particularly glamorous about what we were doing. We were seeing how they really lived.

“A lot of these villages didn’t have electricity. They were lucky if they had water. They were only eating one meal a day.

“It put into perspective how much we take for granted in this country, and how much of a support network we do have. I know it can feel quite tough in the UK at the moment for a lot of people, but that’s relative. We still have a lot of support networks in place, but they don’t.”

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Charity Right’s mission is to provide nutritious meals to children and communities in need, aiming to break the cycle of poverty. The bulk of the filming was at two schools, but Jordan and Ayman also went into the surrounding village to speak to children, mothers, and farmers.

Jordan was helping Charity Right in feeding children at local schools in one of the world's poorest countries. | Jordan Carroll

“Malawian people are some of the nicest people I have ever met,” Jordan said.

“Even though they’re one of the poorest countries on the planet, they’re some of the happiest people I’ve ever met.”

Something that was key for Jordan was making sure he was ‘humanising’ those he filmed. One example was while filming a mother cooking, and capturing her offhand comments.

He said: “It was about capturing those in between moments that didn’t feel as performative to show she is just the same as an everyday mother back home providing for her kids. We’re all humans, we’re all connected in that way.

One in three people in Malawi are facing extreme hunger, with over 70 per cent living beneath the poverty line | Jordan Carroll

“They were so happy to see us and so welcoming, and they appreciated the work we were doing.

“It’s a weird situation because you’re going in there trying to pull something from them, like we need this story, and sometimes the sadder the better for the charity. But I think they understood, and we understood, that it was for a greater good.

"Seeing people working so hard to make a living, despite everything, was incredibly inspiring. They have so little, yet they find ways to survive, often with a smile on their faces."

Jordan’s video content taken in Malawi is being used on Charity Right’s social media, with plans to use it in a documentary.

To support Charity Right, or to find out more, please visit: www.charityright.org.uk/.