You've probably all seen the cheery TV ads being aired during Christian Aid week. Here's a short film about the making of the ad – enjoy.

As you can see, the advert – with a theme of Bite Back at Hunger and focusing on food – doesn't feature actors and this isn't a film set. It's a real community and a real story of hope, self-sufficiency and the power of possibility.

The charity made the ad because they wanted to show what can happen when people are given innovative tools to lift themselves out of poverty. So it was filmed in York Island, a very poor but vibrant fishing village of around 200 people in southern Sierra Leone.

Footage was recorded earlier this year with the full support, and involvement, of the community. The character of 'Mo' is played by the inspirational Michael, the head-teacher of York Island's school and a former fisherman. All the rest of the cast are York Island locals too, including schoolchildren from Michael's school.