A wise man once said, “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end, then begin again.” 

This is exactly what 2019 was for us; a new beginning with additional team members and partners for the Photo Start Kenya Program. We experienced the joys of learning new skills. We accompanied our students as they journeyed to discover their creativity. We witnessed attitudes shift towards the positive. We saw students grow right before our eyes. We experienced all these and so many more wins. 

We have been overwhelmed by the generous giving of our donors and partners, and all we can say is, “Thank you! Your support has enabled us to reach and give a fighting chance to so many vulnerable children. It is because of you that we exist, and the impact of your generosity is clearly visible through the work of the Photo Start kids. Thank you for helping us keep our doors open. Thank you for ensuring there is a camera in a child’s hand, and that the light of their creativity and curiosity never dims.”  

As we look back on the year that has been and walk into the new year, we gratefully count our wins. We are proud to highlight a few of our achievements, including but not limited to:

Students from two partners, Inua Mimi Rescue Centre and St. Mary’s, Silanga, each got to go on a field trip that they really enjoyed.

We were able to hold two major exhibitions showcasing pictures taken by our students:

Kibera Kids AI- See the Future

St. Mary’s: We Are Here Exhibition

We were featured in the Zambian Daily Post newspaper.

The Kibera Kids AI- See the Future exhibition got a mention in a Kenyan newspaper, People Daily.

TV47 Tv did a feature on Photo Start’s work in Kibera, Kenya.

Finally, to usher in the festive season, we held a Christmas party cum graduation party.

Above and beyond that, the students have really taken the photography and Life Circle lessons to heart and we, both the teachers and parents, have seen a tremendous change in their demeanor. It is safe to say we are not who we were when we started the year 2019 and neither are our students in the various centers across the African continent. 

Thank you 2019!