Founded in 2016, Photo Start is a global 501c(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in New York. We are a network of photographers, artists, teachers, and volunteers worldwide, working to empower under-resourced young people (ages 12-25) to imagine, create, and choose their future. We partner with local community organizations around the globe to offer our digital photography programs.
Our photography curriculum integrates visual storytelling with digital literacy using applied learning to equip students with needed 21st Century skills to thrive as learners, workers, and global citizens.
Our Values
Our values define us and guide us in our decisions on how we impact the lives of others.
Empowerment
Teach that power lies within and instill confidence
Stewardship
Take great care of each other and our world
Integrity
Be honest and do the right thing
Excellence
Strive to be our best selves and set an example for others
Innovation
Welcome new ideas and unique approaches
Frequently Asked Questions
You have questions? We have answers.
Programs
Who is Photo Start?
Photo Start is a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses photography to teach under-resourced students digital and visual literacy with 21st-Century skills to catalyze their economic advancement, creative talents, & personal well-being.
Where does Photo Start operate?
We operate in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Iraq, Kurdistan, Bolivia and the United States.
Why does Photo Start use photography to teach skills?
Photography is a universal language that transcends barriers such as language, culture, social class, and location. It is adaptable and inclusive, providing a safe environment for all learners to participate. Through visual and kinesthetic learning, coupled with digital literacy and practical skills, photography empowers students to express themselves and navigate challenging circumstances. By facilitating photo exchanges, we foster cross-cultural learning and connections among program partners, encouraging dialogue and highlighting similarities and differences in their lives and communities. Moreover, photography instills essential 21st-century skills, known as the 6 C’s: Computer/Digital literacy, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Confidence.
What does the Photo Start program include?
Our 12-week program is divided into five steps. It focuses on bridging digital media, digital and visual literacy, and life skills to provide long-term benefits to enhance our students’ educational, vocational, and interpersonal development. Students also enjoy going for regular walks through the community, taking field trips, and putting their work on display in exhibitions.
Who are Photo Start students?
Our students are youth from our partner organizations ages 12– 25 who often live in communities where obstacles such as poverty, abuse, crime, and malnourishment are a daily part of life.
How does Photo Start connect students?
Photo Start partners exclusively with nonprofits, schools, and community organizations to deliver programming to their current and future students. These organizations provide students with necessities like food, water, sanitation, and education, and Photo Start complements their work with its programming.
Do Photo Start students have to pay for the program provide rent the equipment?
There are various program models we can offer, and we ensure no student is ever left out. For more information, contact [email protected]
Support
Can I volunteer with Photo Start?
One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time. If you have a talent or skill you would like to share for the greater good, please complete our volunteer form HERE.
Can I donate equipment?
Yes! Equipment donations are vital to our program. Please fill out our equipment donation form HERE.
How else can I help Photo Start students?
We are always looking for people to spread the word about our mission and to provide whatever support might be unique to YOU!
A really fun and easy way to help is to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and make sure to like, share, and comment on our posts. Find our links in the footer.
You can also host fundraisers or exhibitions, organize a donation drive, or even dedicate your special event to benefit Photo Start. Contact us for more information.
Funding
Where does Photo Start get its funding?
Photo Start depends 100% on cash and in-kind donations from individuals and other supporters.
How can I donate?
To make a one-time or recurring monetary donation, please click here. For other donations such as cryptocurrencies, stocks, bonds, and more, please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
Are donations made to Photo Start tax-deductible?
Photo Start is a registered United States 501(c)3 organization. Donations made within the United States are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
MISSION
We provide applied learning experiences that give students the courage to reframe their stories, develop as leaders, and become agents of change in their communities. We do this by engaging, educating, and elevating young people in marginalized areas around the globe by teaching the art and business of photography.
VISION
We develop creative visual storytelling and digital skills, and inspire confidence in young people, creating a greater impact now and for future generations.
OUR COMMITMENT
Our global organization is committed to empowering young people everywhere by providing them with the resources, chances, and abilities they need to reach their greatest potential. We achieve this by bringing about positive, permanent change in young people’s lives and organizations through our innovative programs, linkages to the local organization, and evidence-based methodology. Among our commitments are:
- Promoting an atmosphere of acceptance, diversity, and respect is one of our commitments. Additionally, we commit to continuing our efforts to enhance the lives of young people everywhere.
- Creating a team of effective workers who are valued and recognized for their contributions to our company.
- Implementing organization-driven programs that improve the lives of the people we serve, are effective, affordable, and supported by sound research.
- Constantly improving the services and course material provided to our program partners, participants, and students to maintain our leadership in the field of youth development.
- Upholding our ongoing dedication to improvement by monitoring our outcomes, drawing conclusions from them, introducing fresh ideas, and reporting our success to ensure we continue to have an influence on young people’s lives.
Get to know us
We are an international group of photographers, artists, educators, business leaders, and non-profit experts who are dedicated to a common goal: Helping youth in various circumstances find their voice and gain skills that will spark positive change in their world.
Our Team
Our Board
Our Advisors
Our Students
Since 2016, we have provided more than 1,700 students with 130,000 hours of theoretical and practical classes to 61 Program Partners in 8 countries. To date, 91 students have graduated to become trainers and mentors in the Photo Start program. In addition, many of our students have been able to apply their newly acquired skills as employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders in their communities.
Our Partners
Photo Start has partnered with over 60 organizations in 8 countries since 2016.
Are you interested in becoming a program partner? To see if your organization is eligible, take our quiz.
Global Vision Achievers
Initiated in 2020, the MAMITO (Mama Mimi na Mtoto) project by Global Vision Achievers (GVA) aims to empower teen mothers in slum areas through education and skills development. Spanning 12 months, the project targets young mothers aged 15 to 22, recognizing their vulnerability due to school dropout rates after childbirth. Participants are trained in entrepreneurship, string arts, soap making, and bead art, receiving certificates and job connections upon completion.
Despite initial success, GVA identified a need for sustained support post-graduation to prevent graduates from returning to challenging circumstances. Partnering with Photo Start, GVA introduced a 12-week photography program incorporating marketing, branding, and sales training. This addition did more than just boost the students’ self-esteem; it enhanced their ability to sell products, fostering financial independence and sustainability.
One of the students, Rosemary Syonzau, had this to say as she graduated, “I am confident enough that my merchandise will be accepted out there on social media platforms since I will share amazing photos.”
Cifros Wera, who gave the vote of thanks after the graduation ceremony, stated that she had decided to become a full-fledged photographer. “Considering we have very few female photographers in the slum and the country at large, I believe this places me at an advantage above the rest.”
The collaborative efforts of Global Vision Achievers and Photo Start represent a significant step forward in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by teen mothers in Kenya’s slum areas. Through the MAMITO project and subsequent partnership with Photo Start, these young women have been equipped with not only practical skills but also the confidence and resources needed to pursue sustainable livelihoods. By empowering them with education, entrepreneurship, and photography training, this initiative not only breaks the cycle of poverty and exploitation but also fosters a sense of agency and empowerment among the participants. As we celebrate the success stories of graduates like Rosemary Syonzau and Cifros Wera, we recognize the transformative impact of investing in the potential of marginalized communities.
Kids Rank
CHICAGO, IL
In the Fall of 2021, Photo Start and Kids Rank joined forces in a partnership to empower military children. The first cohort, consisting of students aged 12-15, embarked on the program in Winter 2021 and continued through Spring 2022.
By providing structured classes and independent photography sessions, Photo Start leveraged the power of visual storytelling to help students navigate the challenges and disruptions of military life. The curriculum equipped the students with essential social and life skills while enhancing their academic proficiency in digital literacy, visual thinking, and digital media. Furthermore, the students had the opportunity to document various military-connected events and actively participate as community members, developing marketable skills and boosting their confidence as leaders.
Throughout the year, the students honed their photography skills by “going on assignment” to various events, including the Pritzker Military Museum and Library Event, the Bring Your Own Veteran Dinner (BYOV), and the Deason and Gonzalez Collections. Their collections were also showcased at the 2022 Kids Rank Ball, which drew a crowd of 250 attendees.
The second cohort, which kicked off on February 3rd, 2023, will leverage the skills acquired through the Photo Start curriculum to drive their entrepreneurial endeavors. The students will utilize their photography expertise to capture compelling images that tell the story of their company and its members, document the production process, and create powerful marketing materials.
About Kids Rank: Kids Rank is a 501c(3) service-based organization developed specifically for military children. Through membership opportunities, Kids Rank engages military-connected children and youth in hands-on, skill-building projects and volunteer opportunities designed to encourage resilience through our core pillars of CONNECT, LEAD, and SERVE. Our military children serve their communities just as their parents serve (or have served) our country. The program is open to school-aged military-connected children from all branches of service, including active duty, reservists, retirees, veterans, and Families of the Fallen.
I3 Impacto Social
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
In Spring 2022, Photo Start was approached by a well-regarded Bolivian organization to take on six interns for various purposes. The interns were assigned to establish Photo Start Bolivia by identifying potential partner organizations in their country to run our programs.
The interns identified two organizations in La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia, that were extremely qualified and well-suited for partnership. This year we are thrilled to work again with i3 Impacto Social (La Paz, Bolivia), implementing our Photo Start Visual Storytelling & Self-Expression Course.
We aim to teach and prepare 20 students to become Peer Trainers and, eventually, Photo Start instructors who will help run the program annually with other cohorts.
About i3 Impacto Social: i3 Impacto is a social company that advises, promotes, and invests in innovative ventures to improve the quality of life of socio-economically disadvantaged communities. The organization seeks to optimize the social impact in implementing projects with a multiplying effect and with self-sustaining management models. Consulting services focus on the development of social strategies, investment with impact, the relationship with stakeholders, and the administration of social projects.
Simama
NAIROBI, KENYA
In 2022, our 16-week photography classes at Simama CBO offered a comprehensive learning experience for individuals interested in developing their skills in the field. During the course, four of our trainees were able to secure regular paying gigs, demonstrating the practical skills and knowledge they gained.
We also invited professionals to host masterclasses and offered some students internships to enhance their learning experience further. Additionally, we had top-performing graduates teach kids and teens photography at a month-long holiday camp held at Simama.
Our training has proven to be valuable not only to the individuals who participated but also to the community-based organizations in the area that have offered employment opportunities to our trainees due to their newly acquired photography, storytelling, and content creation skills.
Our partnership with Simama continues with two new cohorts in 2023. The first cohort comprises young female football players who use photography to document and share their journey as female footballers (in a male-dominated sport) while imparting other marketable and transferable skills that they can use on and off the field.
About Simama CBO: Simama CBO is a non-profit, grassroots organization that uses sports to impart social and economic skills and promote peace, education, development, inclusion, better governance, and accountability among the youth of Kariobangi Slum, Nairobi. The mission is to use sports to empower the holistic development.
Kibra Films and Creative Hub
NAIROBI, KENYA
We welcome our new program partner, Kibra Film and Creative Hub. In 2019, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kibra Film and Creative Hub was born to protect youth in the Kibra community from engaging in social vices by nurturing independent creatives in photography, film, and music who will tell Kibra’s story with dignity.
Despite the challenges faced by the community, Kibra has many positive stories that rarely see the light of day. The Kibra Film and Creative Hub aim to change this by empowering young people with photography, filmmaking, and acting skills, eradicating the dependency syndrome in the community. The Kibra Film and Creative Hub operate from Mchanganyiko Hall in Karanja estate, Kibera.
Photo Start’s visual storytelling curriculum is a critical part of Kibra Film and Creative Hub to tell Kibra’s story with dignity. The Photo Start program has students aged 18-25 and aims to create a group of independent and creative photographers who will value their work and earn a living from their skills. The Kibra Film and Creative Hub see the Photo Start program as a way to increase the number of creative women street photographers from Kibra and link students with opportunities in the industry. By doing so, the Kibra Film and Creative Hub promotes creative expression and creates economic opportunities for young people in the community.
Art and storytelling are powerful tools for social transformation, and the Kibra Film and Creative Hub recognizes this. By empowering young people with photography, filmmaking, and acting skills, the organization is promoting creativity and enabling economic growth. The organization’s positive impact is already being felt in the community, and with continued support, the Kibra Film and Creative Hub will undoubtedly change many lives.
About Kibra Film and Creative Hub:
Kibra Film and Creative Hub was born to protect youth in the Kibra community from engaging in social vices. The organization’s vision is to use art as a tool for social transformation. Its mission is to nurture independent creatives in photography, film, and music who will tell Kibra’s story and the challenges youth face in the community from a positive perspective.
Cinelab Akademie
UGANDA
Photo Start and Cinelab Akademie have been in partnership since 2021. Cinelab Akademie is a social enterprise promoting talent in the arts industry through filmmaking and photography training. Through the partnership with Photo Start, Cinelab Akademie has trained over sixty (60) young people in mobile photography and editing skills to date.
The aim of the training is to empower the youth to use the newly acquired skills to improve their individual and social life by increasing their employability and starting businesses to boost their income. The students are also encouraged to share these skills with their peers in line with Photo Start’s motto of Each one Teach One.
After going through the training, Cinelab finds internship opportunities for the learners. This helps them put their learned skills to practice, inspire work-based learning, and acquire ethical values and principles that would launch them into the marketplace and prepare them for life. In 2023, ten learners from the first cohort of the year were placed in different organizations for internships. Of the ten interns, four were retained to work for the companies where they were placed for internships. These are;
- Michael Mujaasi
- Theofista Aber
- Tchomba Jonathan
- Elly Chris Obua.
Another student, Jonathan Opul, is actively involved in film production sets for TV dramas. Martin Rasmava is involved in documentary productions for NGOs, Theofista Aber is a camera operator at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). Christopher Aliginyira is a wildlife photographer and cinematographer in western Uganda. Others work in church media teams, major photo studios, and film companies.
About Cinelab Akademie:
Cinelab Akademie is a social enterprise offering both production and youth empowerment training in the fields of filmmaking, TV production, and photography. Their social objective is to empower youth from various backgrounds and those who cannot afford college or university education with employable creative and technical skills in how to conceptualize and produce compelling audio-visual works in the form of documentaries, digital storytelling, TV drama, TV talk shows or even online content in form of vlogs, and or involving them through digital photography.
Imarika Youth
KENYA
To help the youth in Kibra and its surroundings, the Imarika Youth founders, Ken and Gracie, realized that the people of Kibra need a sustainability program that involves learning a marketable skill. They came up with the Daraja program, which trains youth in different skills, including public speaking, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, computer skills, character building, volunteering, and many more. The running of the program was a huge success, but at completion, the students still did not feel properly equipped to venture into the business world. And so the question was, what’s next?
In comes Photo Start. Joseph, the project manager at Imarika, had heard about Photo Start and the programs offered. He felt that equipping their students with a skill that would enable them to document and tell their stories might be the missing link. This is how the partnership between Photo Start and Imarika Youth was formed. Students were now required to go through the Photo Start training in order to graduate from the Daraja program.
The Photo Start training has helped wrap up everything that is taught in Daraja. Students are now able to document their journey in class, out of class, and in their society through the lens, be it a camera lens or a mobile lens. They have storytelling knowledge, they create beautiful reels, they document everything, and their communication skills have improved greatly.
The mentality of the youth has changed. They are now thinking about self-employment. Walking around their community and documenting what was happening gave them ideas for their own businesses. Sports and events photography were embraced largely.
Employment opportunities also came along. One of the best students from the first 2023 cohort, Victor Otieno, went through the Photo Start training and then signed up for a Train of Trainers that was offered as an add-on. Victor went back to Imarika Youth as a peer trainer and helped train the second 2023 cohort. His talent was spotted in the process, and he was offered an employment opportunity. Victor is now working with Memory Verse Hub, a creative hub center that is funded by Facebook. What a success story!
As an organization, Imarika Youth has benefited greatly from its partnership with Photo Start. Their management team was able to participate in the photography and storytelling classes, and they are now applying the acquired skills to the organization. As a testament, their social media pages are filled with beautiful photos and videos with wonderful captions, thanks to their training through Photo Start.
About Imarika Youth:
Imarika Youth is a CBO based in Kibra, Nairobi, Kenya. Their vision is to help youth in Kenya see their lives holistically empowered for engagement in a self-sustained society for the glory of God. They have a beautiful tagline: Nurturing success and enriching lives. The Imarika Youth founders are Ken and Gracie, who are Christians and teachers of the gospel.
Photo Start has rapidly cultivated a circle of brand supporters including multinational corporations and industry titans in photography and technology. We are grateful for the ongoing support of all our backers and supporters, whose generosity has been essential in enabling us to continue our important work. Their contributions not only help us sustain our programs but also inspire us to do more to create a positive impact on the lives of youth.
In addition, we have Memorial Funds established, which are a special initiative established by our nonprofit organization to honor and commemorate the memory of individuals who have made a significant impact. This fund serves as a lasting tribute to their legacy. Donations made to the Memorial Funds directly support our programs and projects, ensuring that their passion and dedication live on through the meaningful work we undertake.
Eric’s Circle of Light:
Eric’s Circle of Light was established to honor our beloved friend, Eric Spencer Richenstein (1982 – 2020). Your donations enable us to expand and enhance our online programs, empowering students in marginalized communities worldwide. Join us in honoring Eric’s memory and helping young people build a brighter future.
Our Beginnings
Founder and Executive Director David Lehman has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by under-resourced youth in the digital age. As a professional photographer and experienced attorney working with disadvantaged youth in New York City, he has seen first-hand the obstacles that young people from marginalized communities face in accessing technology and gaining the necessary skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
David’s travels and experiences in Kenya further opened his eyes to the stark inequality that exists in access to digital technologies and the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to navigate them. He realized that without these essential tools, under-resourced youth can be left behind and struggle to thrive in a society that is becoming more and more digitally driven.
In 2016, David became involved with an organization that used photography as a means of teaching invaluable skills to young people. Inspired by the impact that photography had on the students he worked with, David decided to use his own talents and passion to create change. Together with his sister Abby and friend CJ, he founded Photo Start, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for young people with limited exposure and access.
Through Photo Start, David and the current team are working to level the playing field for under-resourced youth, providing them with the tools and skills they need to succeed in the digital age. The innovative programs focus on cultivating creative talents, developing personal well-being, and catalyzing economic advancement for young people who might otherwise be left behind.
Contribute to the Solution
One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time. And that warm, happy feeling you get when helping people is contagious. By volunteering, you inspire others to get involved. Let us know if you have a talent or skill you would like to share for the greater good.
Get Involved“
“I’m expecting to use these skills in my business and be able to take it to the next level.”
-Ebenezer E. Byiringiro, Cinelab, Uganda
