K-MET’S Sisterhood for Change (SFC) Photo Workshop, Kisumu, Kenya
SFC Program Coordinator: Nancy Yienya
Assistant Coordinator: Maureen Oduor
Project Manager: Wan-Ju Wu
Photography tutors: Kim van Woerkom and Heidi Laughton
Photography by members of K-MET’s Sisterhood for Change Youth Program
Overview
Kisumu Medical and Educational Trust (K-MET) is a community based NGO focused on sustainable community development through implementation of innovative health programs which include post-abortion care training, nutrition, microfinance, and home-based care. Recently K-MET initiated a girls-only youth program, Sisterhood for Change, to address issues and unmet needs of disadvantaged girls in the slum areas around Kisumu District.
Many of the SFC members are teenage mothers, orphans, and/or school drop-outs. All are unmarried, and currently unemployed. Trained as peer educators, SFC members are equipped with the skills to become effective agents of change in their communities. It is hoped the power of their personal experiences along with their collective energy and spirit will enhance their ability to influence peers who may be in similar situations.
As one of the central activities of the group, the photography workshop aimed to encourage the girls to critically observe and comment on the world around them. The 20 SFC members who participated were taught to tell their stories and communicate issues through photos. Sponsorship was received from various sources including SonyBMG London, Rotary International, Fuji Film Kenya, Kodak Kenya, Safaricom (a local mobile phone company) and Nakumatt (a local supermarket). The workshop was made possible only through the generous support of these sponsors.
The workshop culminated in a 2-day photo exhibition, the first ever of its kind in Kisumu City. All 20 girls who participated received certificates of achievement. The high standard of the photos the girls produced was impressive and the overwhelming local support for the event boosted the girls’ confidence and increased visibility of K-MET programs.
Plans are in motion to make photography a sustainable component of SFC activities and so have a broader impact in the community. Contacts are being made with local photographers who may be able to facilitate this. SFC will also network with area NGOs, churches, and schools to hold additional exhibitions. The photos will be used to jumpstart discussions of community issues, specifically those facing girls and young women. Some of the girls’ pictures will be used in developing youth-friendly information materials. In the long-term K-MET would like to use the girls’ photos to fundraise, in the hope of initiating a scholarship fund for SFC members who would like to complete their education.
When asked about their hopes for the future, some of the girls who attended the workshop responded that they would like to pursue photography, to become photojournalists or portrait photographers. While this would require additional focused training, it is entirely realistic that the new skills the girls gained from this workshop can be used to pursue small-scale income-generating activities and give them an immediate source of livelihood.
Through this workshop SFC members began to see how photography has the ability to relate powerful stories and even transform society. It also served as a form of empowerment as some of the girls realized that they have the capacity to learn new skills and master technology that previously seemed inaccessible.
To find out more, please visit;
www.kmet.co.ke
info@kmet.co.ke
wanjuwu@gmail.com
kimvanwoerkom@yahoo.co.uk
www.heidilaughtonphotography.com