Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Cameras For Girls?
Cameras For Girls is a registered Canadian Charity that received charity status in September 2021. It was founded by Amina Mohamed, a Canadian who came to Canada as a refugee from Uganda in 1972.
What does Cameras For Girls do?
Cameras For Girls teaches photography and entrepreneurial skills to females in Africa who are endeavouring to become journalists. Our girls are either in their last year of studies, have graduated from a Mass Communication and Journalism program in the host country, or seek work after graduating but cannot find paid work due to their lack of skills and ownership of a camera, which is a gender-based barrier to employment.
We recognize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG #1—No Poverty, SDG #5—Gender Equality, and SDG #8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth, and allow them to guide our work across Africa.
Why do you choose to work with girls in the journalism field?
To make this program successful, we chose to work with girls keen to gain skills for working in male-dominated media spaces across Africa. Journalism is the primary career goal, and having the knowledge and ability to take photos helps these girls succeed.
According to UN Women, only 22% of the world's professional photographers are female. In Uganda, that number is even lower because they cannot afford to purchase a camera or attain the adequate skills to find work in a primarily male-dominated field. Cameras For Girls supports their aspirations by providing a camera to keep and a 4-phase photography and business skills curriculum to level up their skills and succeed in their chosen careers.
How did you come up with this initiative?
My family and I come from Uganda, having left in 1972 after then-president Idi Amin expelled all the Indian Ugandans. I grew up in Canada and had all the benefits of growing up in a country where, for the most part, women are treated equally. When I travelled back home in 2007 for the first time, I witnessed how different life was for a girl/woman growing up in a developed world country vs a developing world country, and I knew I had to do something to make a difference.
It wasn't until 2017 that the idea of transforming girls' lives using photography germinated. It took me a year to put all the wheels into motion, and by August 2018, we were in Uganda conducting our first training. To date, we have completed four in-person workshops in Uganda and are currently working with the 2nd cohort of students in Tanzania. We have assisted over 80% of our students in finding paid work in journalism. We are working hard to expand across Africa.
Why do you provide a camera to keep?
We give our students cameras to keep to give them a head start on their professional journey.
From financial barriers to gender and cultural biases, many girls cannot afford a camera, a tool often associated with gender bias in the male-dominated media space. By providing cameras, we break down these barriers and empower girls to pursue their dreams without limitations.
How do you afford these cameras?
We have found supporters (friends, family, strangers, and corporate sponsors) who believe in our cause. We accept old and new cameras, which we sell to purchase the Canon GX1 Series cameras we use for our training.
Do you have new or used cameras you would like to donate? Please fill out the form HERE.
Why do you work with an NGO in Uganda for your 4th day of the workshop?
Initially, our training in Uganda was a 3-day workshop followed by year-long online sessions. However, we realized the girls needed hands-on experience to apply the concepts, so we extended the training to four days. We partner with NGOs that share our focus on poverty alleviation, gender equality, and the right to education. Our program is about more than just teaching photography; it equips these young women with practical skills—both in photography and business—that can launch them into successful careers.
Where do you work?
We currently have programming in Uganda and Tanzania. We have plans to expand to 7 African countries, impacting 30,000 women, by 2030.
Do you want to help support our expansion? Please check out the various ways to donate.
Do you work with other photographers who wish to teach?
We are always looking for other photographers who wish to teach. If interested, please contact the Executive Director at [email protected].
Can I volunteer?
Yes, there are many ways to volunteer. You can fundraise for us, attend training and help us in Uganda, or even help us with marketing to reach more supporters.
Please fill out our Volunteer Form so we can see what suits you best.
How do you fundraise?
We use a variety of ways to fundraise.
We take monetary and security donations through Give Wise. - If interested in donating securities, kindly get in touch so we can make the process as smooth as possible.
We accept your gently used or new camera donations – if you have equipment to donate, please fill out our form HERE
We seek grants, both local and international.
We seek corporate sponsors. Please contact the Executive Director, Amina Mohamed at [email protected] to discuss the sponsorship levels.
We hold various fundraisers throughout the year—check out our Instagram or LinkedIn feeds to learn about what's happening now!
If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our Contact Form or by directly emailing the Executive Director at [email protected].