Hope through the camera lens
Training young people to become storytellers
For eight weeks, Dahir Bashir used a video camera to film fellow refugees at the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya.
Having graduated from a multimedia training programme, the 18-year-old uses the device to capture the struggles of daily life in the camp.
“Since my childhood, I have always been intrigued by pictures and videos,” says Bashir. “They tell very powerful stories,”
Bashir acquired his skills by participating in the PROSPECTS programme, which is being implemented by Film Aid Kenya with funding from the Government of The Netherlands, directed through UNICEF.
The training teaches basic photography, image framing, video recording editing, and script writing.
The PROSPECTS programme has trained more than 200 young people since February and targets refugee and host community learners, out-of-school children, teachers, trainers, entrepreneurs and jobseekers.
It focuses on Turkana West, Fafi, Lagdera, and Dadaab Sub-counties, and works to strengthen protection and inclusion at the national level.
UNICEF’s Education Specialist, Emile Ntampera, said young people who went through the programme were often linked to other development-oriented interventions.
“Learning skills like photography and videography enhances the well-being of young people and can improve the socio-economic condition for themselves and their families,” said Ntampera.
Edvine Maloma, a producer at Film Aid Kenya who teaches film making, said the commitment shown by students was admirable.
“These young people have taken on community roles as storytellers, and engage confidently with their peers and mentors, and are now ensuring an accurate flow of information about their surroundings,” said Maloma.
Maloma added that the students who completed the programme were linked to the Research, Employment and Skills Initiatives (RESI), an online digital literacy platform.
For Bashir, his fascination with the video camera has only just begun. “I hope to pursue advanced training that will turn my passion into a profitable business.”
But for now, he keeps filming and searching for that perfect image sequence.
By Joy Wanja Muraya
