Beginning in 2013 I started a photo project with children in Kalungu, a community in rural Kenya. The goal was to let them show their daily life through their own eyes, challenging stereotypes of our western perception of “poor Africans”. I created a book where I let them tell and show their stories. Two years later I returned to Kalungu to continue and deepen the work with the children. With the proceeds from the book and some other donations it was possible to finish a school kitchen and to build a much needed new latrine for a school, all done with local work force and local material. The children were astonished and happy that their photos had helped to improve life in their community. Ongoing project.

My little heros, the kids that participated in the photo project. From left to right front: Joshua, his two year old sister Mwende who loved to be photographed, their brother Caleb, Kavesi, Safari. Back: Kioko, Muthoki, Mwende (Kavesi's sister), and Kasiva (Safari's sister). Munyiva was still too shy for a group photo, she joined us later. After some basic camera and composition instructions, they took off and created photos that in a wonderful spontaneous way reflect the life in their families as well as in their community. You can look at some of their photos and stories in the book "Rise and Shine" (see under "Book", English or German)

Kioko, Caleb, Joshua, Munyiva, Safari and Kasiva are at the Rise and Shine school, our project base camp, to talk about the next photo assignment.

Kasiva is taking photos of her family's kitchen.

Caleb (front) and Kavesi explore a trek of ants with their cameras.

While Kasiva is taking photos of her mother grinding cornflour, the other kids are hanging out at Kavesi's and Mwende's home.

Munyiva running over a large boulder, chasing for her next photo.

Farewell to Muthoki (right) and her family.

After several weeks of intensive work with the children, seeing their creativity, curiosity and their desire to learn, I knew I had to come back to the kids in Kalungu.

I returned in summer 2015. It was great to meet the children again after two years. This time, I worked with 20 children, but fewer cameras. This would not have been possible without the tireless and patient support of Edward Ngui, the local community leader and my interpreter. While the native language is Kikamba, the older children also learn Kiswaheli and English in school. Mwende (front), a very talented photographer, this time also was my assistant, here helping to set up the camera teams.

The kids having fun looking through the book that was created with their photos (see also under "Book").

With the proceeds from the book and other donations it was possible to finish the school kitchen, that will provide the school kids with a meal and will also serve as a community kitchen for a nearby church. Here, Mr. Patten, Joshua's and Caleb's father who already helped to build the school, is working on the frame for the roof.

The other much needed project that was funded with the children's photos was the new school latrine. All construction work is done with local workforce and local materials,

After a long day of school and this meeting for the next photo project, the kids are exhausted.

Recharching in the school yard.

Another instruction done for the final project.

Girls' power!

Little Mwende is chasing a tire, Caleb is showing off his latest photos to other kids while his father is working on the school kitchen. A perfectly normal day in Kalungu.

At the end of the photo project, the participating children received a solar lantern that they can use to walk at night or doing their homework or chores without using the polluting kerosine lanterns that are most familie's only light source. 

Even after sunset the kids, now equipped with their new solar lanterns, kept taking photos. Another two years until hopefully I'll meet them again.

If you are interested in the project or want to support it, don't hesitate to contact me.