Documenting as an Outsider: 10 Questions on Storytelling in Ghana with Krista Banaag

A conversation with one of our Ghana 2026 mission trip volunteers on earning trust and telling big stories in very little time.

Krista Banaag pictured with young boxers from Wisdom Boxing Gym (Accra, Ghana)

1. How did you first get connected with Boxing Is Love, and what made the mission a compelling story to tell for you? 

   I actually attended The Session 001 with Boxraw and from there I got more acquainted with Boxing is Love. I found out that they happened to be accepting applications for their next mission trip. I remember thinking to myself how perfect this opportunity really was – because what do you mean I get to give back to community, travel to Africa, create content, AND BOX all in one??? Never in a million years would I have thought that sort of opportunity would be available for me.

   
   

2. What was going through your mind in the lead-up to the trip, creatively speaking? Did you have a shot list, or did you want to stay open to what you found? 

   To be honest, I had no shot list in mind. I’ve never actually created content in that sort of capacity before. I also didn’t really know what to expect with all of this – but regardless, creatively speaking, I think it’s more about what catches my eye. I have a knack for wanting to catch the meaningful moments, while also catching a little bit of everything at once. My creative process has always been – find whatever makes me feel something in real time and then figure out later how to creatively convey how these moments made me feel to the viewer.

3. How would you describe your visual storytelling style, and what does that actually look like on the ground? 

   I would say that my style is very genuine in that it’s honest. I’m a very compassionate person, and I think that comes out in my work. I don’t try to take a certain perspective and convey a particular story – I tell a story of what’s actually there in the best way that I can. I think about how experiences made me feel and I try to translate that visually. 

4. When you're telling the story of people and communities you don't know yet, how do you build enough trust to capture something real instead of something staged? 

   Building trust in such a short amount of time can be really tricky. But, I think that this requires a level of vulnerability on my part. The reality is that not everyone wants to be, or feels comfortable, being on camera. Creating a safe space for someone to just be themselves is really important, and I do that by finding where we share common ground – how can I make this person feel seen so that they can trust me to convey them in an honest way. 
   

5. Was there a moment in Ghana where a story didn't open up to you right away, and how did you earn it? 

   I think getting content with some kids can be temperamental. Some can be very shy, but also, I just think sometimes they just need warming up to. Once they were able to see the other kids having fun with it, I noticed the ease in them and they’d come back around and asked to be filmed. I like for them to know that the option is there, and they can always come back around if they change their mind. 

6. What did "authentic" mean to you on this trip specifically? Was there a moment you consciously avoided telling a clichéd version of the story? I think for this specific experience I really wanted to convey that it wasn’t about a small group of us coming in and showing what we’ve done for this community – but rather that there are individuals in Ghana already doing the work, and here is us giving them additional support. I was so inspired by our partners and collaborators in Ghana, and all the coaches that we got to meet, and I didn’t want their value and contributions to go unnoticed.

7. Was there a scene, person, or moment in Ghana that changed how you were planning to tell this story once you actually got there? 

   I think refurbishing the ring at Wisdom Boxing Gym was something that initially got created as a timelapse – which was really great to see the transformation of – but, I remember thinking how awesome that whole experience was because so many different people were involved (truly a labor of love!!!). The first half was tearing down the ring and repairing the damages which was done by most of the Wisdom Boxing community. Then the Boxing is Love team was able to come in and finish off the 2nd half of the process by setting up the new ring. I ended up making a 2nd clip to speak to this process in detail, and I remember being stuck on what audio to match it with. I ultimately decided to go with “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley specifically because I remember hearing SO much Marley while we were there. I think this made it all the more meaningful to me – and the video ended up going viral.

8. How did you think about your own presence as an outsider while telling the story of Wisdom Boxing Gym and its community? 

   I think that I really tried to be “a fly on the wall”, so to speak, with all of this. I tried my best to stay lowkey so that I could capture as many genuine moments as I could of the community. I didn’t want to direct anyone or tell anyone what to do, but instead just capture what was already there.

9. Were there moments where the impact story and the beautiful shot pulled in different directions? Which one did you choose, and why? 

   When we went on the school visits, I remember feeling super overwhelmed. There was a lot going on in every little corner – and as someone who likes capturing the small, unseen moments – I knew that there was a bigger story here to tell. I remember thinking that I wished there was more than one of me. The great thing was that we visited multiple schools, so I was still able to catch some of that content. But, every school was so different that it was hard to decide what to capture!

10. What's the story from Ghana you're still thinking about, and what would you tell a storyteller who's never done something like this before? 

    I wouldn’t say that there is one specific story that sticks with me, but it’s more so the experience as a whole and the people that continue to stick with me. I’m a pretty introverted person (contrary to popular belief), and I’m used to solo-traveling – so I had my reservations about what this experience might be like. But, this whole opportunity was something that truly aligned with so much of my values and interests that I knew I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and just do it. I would say as someone who has experienced quite a bit of life – this goes down as one of my favorite experiences to date. This particular group of people + the people we met in Ghana made the experience something that I truly think will be hard to top.