The Camera I Didn’t Know Could Be My Future

When I was ten years old, my father gave me my first camera.

It wasn’t expensive. It wasn’t fancy. But it was mine. And I carried it everywhere, until I blew out the motor, and then he got me another one.

At the time, I had no idea that holding that camera would be the beginning of something much bigger. I just knew I loved how it made me feel. At age 10, I did not have the words to convey my feelings, but looking through the camera's lens allowed me to share my thoughts and feelings about my world.

But I never thought photography could be my future.

Why would I?

No one told me it was a path I could take.

Even as I grew older, I didn’t see people who looked like me, Brown, female, Muslim, behind the lens. The space wasn’t created for us. Or maybe it was, but we weren’t invited in, or so I thought.

Like many girls, I thought photography was something “for men.” I didn’t have the confidence to say out loud that it was something I wanted. I didn’t even know it could be something I wanted.

So, like many others, I kept the camera close but the dream silent.

Looking back now, I realize that what I was missing wasn't passion. It was permission.

And that’s exactly what so many young women across Africa are still facing today.

They’re talented. They’re smart. They have vision.

But they’re told the same story I was told:
“That’s not for you.”
“Photography is not a career.”
“Media is a man’s world.”
“Focus on something safe.”

That kind of messaging doesn’t just block dreams, it buries them.

Image of Amina Mohamed, taken by Fun Love Photography

The New Year Brings Reflection and Responsibility

As we step into 2026, I find myself reflecting on the journey, both mine and the journeys of the girls we work with at Cameras For Girls.

Since launching this program in 2018, we’ve trained 200 young women in Uganda and Tanzania. Over 80% of them have gone on to secure paid work in photography, journalism, and media-related careers. Many of them had never even touched a camera before the program started.

But the truth is, we’re not just handing out cameras.

We’re creating space.
We’re planting confidence.
We’re saying, “This is for you.”

At the start of every year-long program, each girl receives her own camera. For some, it’s the first thing they’ve ever truly owned. I’ll never forget the look on one young woman’s face when she asked me, “You mean I get to keep it?”

That moment reminded me of myself at ten years old, how sacred it felt to hold that camera. But the difference now is that I know what’s possible.

And I want them to know it too.

This Is About More Than Photography

We teach photography, yes. But more importantly, we teach how to tell stories with dignity and ethics. How to ask for consent. How to stand in your truth. How to take up space.

Because the media space isn’t always a neutral one.

For too long, the stories of African women have been told about them, but not with them.

At Cameras For Girls, we’re changing that, one student, one camera, one story at a time.

Confidence Is Not Born. It’s Practiced.

One of our graduates once said to me, “I used to think confidence was something you were born with. Now I know it’s something you build.”

That truth hits home.

Confidence is not loud.
It’s not about being the center of attention.
It’s about standing behind the camera, or in any space, and knowing you belong there.

I’ve watched girls come into our program shy, hesitant, unsure if they deserve to be there. And I’ve watched them walk one year later with portfolios, jobs, and a voice they know how to use.

That is the power of INpowerment.

Looking Ahead

As I reflect on my own story, starting with that first camera my dad gave me, I realize just how many girls are still carrying invisible cameras.

They’re carrying perspective.
They’re carrying creativity.
They’re carrying dreams that haven’t yet been named.

But this year, and every year forward, we’re working to make sure they don’t have to carry them alone.

There is space now.

There are tools.
There are mentors.
There is a growing sisterhood of storytellers who are reclaiming the narrative.

So as we begin this new year, my question to you is this:

What space will you create? What story will you help bring into focus?

If so, stand with us.

Become a monthly donor today and help us continue to equip young women with the tools, training, and INpowerment they need to own their stories and shape their futures.

👉 https://the-creators.camerasforgirls.org/

Together, we’re not just giving cameras.
We’re creating change, one girl, with one camera at a time.