No, not that kind of rat! 

You see, we have been at Inua Mimi Rescue Center (IMRC) for almost three years now, and in that time the kids have learned photography practically (which, in my humble opinion, is the best way to learn), taken some amazing photos and even held 3 exhibitions. This year, however, we decided to take their training a notch higher and introduced indoor theory lessons. The reasoning behind this was driven by the fact that as photographers, we do need a basic understanding of what we do, how and why we do it. In this case, the kids at IMRC needed to put names to the functioning parts of a camera they regularly use, know what it takes to get that great picture and most importantly, be able to replicate the results.

To be honest, this was a not-so-painless transition, getting these super energetic kids used to the idea of a 25 to 30-minute indoor class. But with time they adjusted to it and the lessons went on smoothly. It was rewarding to see the kids putting names to the actions they so effortlessly use while taking pictures and even more so when they finally connect the dots and can replicate pictures they have taken. As a trainer, nothing warms your heart more than seeing the intersection of the theory and practical lessons and the amazing results this intersection yields.

So after almost 3 months of indoor lessons coupled up with outdoor practical sessions and photo reviews to track their progress, we had our first ever R.A.T (Random Assessment Test). A total of 27 kids from the senior class (10 to 14-year-olds) tackled the R.A.T. As it is when you’re doing something for the first time, they were a bit shell shocked to begin with, then it quickly dawned on then that they knew this stuff. It was smooth sailing from there, and I can comfortably say that they most definitely came out victorious!