On 5th May 2024, we held a photography 📸 session that was different from the usual one the learners were used to. In the past, they would learn the elements and principles of photography and go out with cameras to demonstrate their learnings. However, last Friday they took a step further to involve roleplay, photojournalism, storytelling, and advocacy.

They also learned photography terminology, widening their vocabulary to use while discussing their work. They also conceptualized photography scenarios that communicate about three themes: social justice, community health, and climate change.

1) Social justice refers to the fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and rights within a society, ensuring that all individuals have access to basic human needs, such as food, shelter, healthcare, education, and employment, regardless of their background or circumstances.

2) Community health focuses on promoting and protecting the health of all members of the community, addressing health disparities, and improving access to healthcare services and resources.

3) Climate change refers to significant and long-term alterations in the Earth’s climate patterns, including changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other atmospheric conditions, primarily resulting from human activities. Empowering young people with skills and knowledge puts them in a better position to make a difference and address these issues.

Through this assignment, the lead facilitator Kamanyire Nyakoojo invited young people between 10 and 17 years old to put themselves in the shoes of photojournalists and uncover these stories for the community to see. By doing this, he stimulated young people’s minds to understand these issues and get inspired to do something about them such as promoting civic participation.

Globally, art and photojournalism in particular are used to raise awareness about social issues. Photojournalism is a form of journalism that utilizes images to tell a news story or document events, people, and issues. Photojournalists capture photographs that convey information, emotions, and perspectives, often focusing on newsworthy events, social issues, and human interest stories. These photographs are used in newspapers, magazines, websites, and other media platforms to accompany written articles or stand alone as visual narratives. Photojournalism aims to provide viewers with a visual representation of current events and societal issues, offering insight, context, and emotional resonance to news stories.

One of the groups, comprising over 10 children, went ahead to stage a demonstration/march scenario, as seen in the picture carrying posters with bold statements advocating for human rights. Each team member had a role to play, including writers, demonstrators, photographers, and cheerleaders. By the end, they took some photos, and during their reflection session, one of them was heard saying, “You don’t need to wait to be affected by an issue before you do something about it. Your action could start with just taking a mere picture and sharing it online.” 📷✊. Below are some of the images they took.

Picture 1: A picture of demonstrators, holding posters they used during the March.

Picture 2: An unedited picture of the demonstrators during the march was taken by one of the children.

Picture 3: The picture of a patient receiving medication was taken in real-time by a child in a health facility after consent, but rather not role-played

What’s your view about these photographs?

To learn more or see more of the images the young people took during the session, do let us know by emailing [email protected] or by direct message.