Ludovica del Vecchio, project manager at KidsRights talks about her experience at CHRA

Describe a little about yourself

My name is Ludovica del Vecchio, I am from Rome, Italy and I studied law and specialised in international children’s rights at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.

I currently work as a project manager for KidsRight Foundation, an international children’s rights and advocacy organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. At KidsRights, we work with children to create a world in which their rights are guaranteed and they are able to realise their full potential. I oversee the online marketing and social media management to engage with children and adults to demand global attention for children’s rights

Why did you decide to attend CHRA 2021? How did you hear of the Summer School?

One of my colleagues at KidsRights was a 2020 CHRA alumni and she mentioned how much she enjoyed her experience at the summer school and suggested I apply. I reviewed the academic programme and realised it covered a number of the areas that I was also working on at KidsRights such as video making with impact, children’s rights, trauma-informed interviewing, and social media. I applied and the KidsRights’ office was so kind to pay for my tuition.

Describe your experience with the Summer School? What did you enjoy most?

My experience at the Summer School has been unforgettable. The once-in-a-life-time opportunity to participate in the Venice Film Festival combined with the opportunity to engage with directors and experts from different parts of the world, made this experience so unique. I’ve also expanded my knowledge around the ethics of making a documentary that aims to have a social impact.

Would you recommend this experience to a friend?

Yes, I would definitely recommend it, in fact, I’ve already talked about my experience to many of my colleagues and friends.

Were you able to leverage the student network for future professional development?

Definitely! I made a great number of connections with many of the participants and we are still in touch; we talk once a week. Sometimes we consult each other about our projects, and give advice to each other, which means a lot to me as I am not an expert video maker nor a documentarist.

What skills and competences do you think you’ve gained throughout the course? Have you used these new skills and competences in your personal or professional development?

Thanks to this amazing experience I developed many different skills. I learned a lot about video making, how to use a camera and what is the best angle and lighting. Through the group project, I learned about the process of production and what it takes to develop a well-rounded project for social impact.

Have you used these new skills and competences in your personal or professional development?

I definitely think about everything I have learnt at the summer school when drafting a new project. Recently, I have recorded a testimony of a child refugee and the skills I gained during the course were again very useful.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope I’ll be still working in the NGO sector ensuring children’s rights. I would love for my work to evolve following what I learned during the summer school. I do not exclude a future career as an external advisor for films or documentaries production about human and children’s rights.