Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Cameras For Girls?

Cameras For Girls is a registered Canadian Charitable that received charity status in September 2021. Cameras For Girls 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, 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 the lack of skills and ownership of a camera.

We recognize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and recognize SDG #1 - No Poverty, #5 - Gender Equality and #8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth and allow them to guide the work we do 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 undertaking journalism careers. Having the knowledge and the 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, and that is 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, females are treated equally. When I travelled back home in 2007 for the first time, I witnessed how different life was for a female 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 to transform girls' lives using photography germinated. It took a year for me to put all the wheels into motion, and by August 2018, we were in Uganda conducting our first training. To date, we have completed three in-person workshops in Uganda and assisted over 60% 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?

Unlike in North America, the tools, like a camera, are not provided to do your job in Uganda and many other developing nations. Hence, providing a camera and teaching the girls how to use it empowers them with new skills and helps them compete for a job in their chosen field. Not only do the girls learn how to operate the camera successfully, but they also learn how to use the camera to tell stories that matter to them. 

Furthermore, for most people living in the developing world, a camera is not affordable after considering the insurmountable living costs.

 

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 cameras we use for our training, the Canon GX1 Series.

Do you have new or used cameras you would like to donate? Please get in touch with us HERE.

 

Why do you work with an NGO in Uganda for your 4th day of the workshop?

Originally, the training was only 3-days in Uganda, followed by the year-long online training; however, without field training, the girls could not take the concepts and put them into action, so we added a day. Our chosen NGOs work with the same themes as Cameras For Girls: the alleviation of poverty, gender equality and education as a right. Our training aims to teach the girls more than photography. It aims to teach them to use these skills, whether photography or business skills, to catapult themselves into a career.

 

Do you only work in Uganda?

Currently, we only work in Uganda but are working hard to fundraise so we can expand our programming across Africa. 

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 reach out to the Executive Director at  [email protected].

 

Can I volunteer?

Yes, there are many ways to volunteer. You can fundraise for us. You can come along on a training and help us in Uganda or even help us with marketing to reach more supporters. 

Please touch base 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 smooth.

  • We accept your gently used or new camera donations – please reach out directly to the Executive Director at [email protected]

  • We seek grants, both local and international.

  • We seek corporate sponsors. Please get in touch with the Executive Director at [email protected] to discuss the various sponsorship levels.

  • We hold various fundraisers throughout the year - check out our Instagram or Linkedin feeds to learn about what is happening right now!