It’s my third year now as a CM4K member. So it would be right to say that this first post is long overdue. CM4K has changed much in those three years but one thing has remained constant: the desire to empower communities.

As a kid growing up all I wanted was one day to be in a position to help the poor and the destitute. When our Dean at Rongo University told us in class about CM4K I very much wanted to be a member. Being a member of CM4K has been one of my greatest joys as a university student. I have learnt a lot from Peter Day the founder and director of CM4K, I have learnt from my fellow students at Rongo University and students from University of Brighton. It was Lewis and Elle from University of Brighton (CM4K 2016) who taught me how to use a digital camera to make professional photographs. It is Japheth (CM4K 2016-) who showed me the beauty of being a photographer. And yesterday Hafsa (CM4K 2018) taught me how to manually create wonderful images. Everyday and every year I learn something new from my colleagues and am always grateful.

But perhaps the best lessons have come from Peter Day. He showed us while helping is noble, empowering is divine. He has made me realise that everyone has the power and ability to change and impact a community positively. Yesterday I almost teared of joy when we visited Omweri Mixed Secondary School. A young girl told us – Japheth and I – that she dreams of being a journalist. I showed her briefly how to use the digital camera and asked her if she would like to take pictures of the other students. She did not only take some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen but she also started teaching the other students how to use the digital camera. I looked at Japheth and he was grinning. We were amazed how the students were so keen to learn and teach others.

From 2017 CM4K has embarked on a journey to set up a radio station in a place called Cham Gi Wadu. The community radio is one of the ways CM4K wants to empower the local community. Not only will it be a way of creating effective communication for Pamela Wesonga who heads over 150 women group, it will nurture the aspiring journalists from Omweri Secondary School and mostly importantly it will be a tool for bringing social justice. Cham Gi Wadu is a sleepy village with considerable amounts of resources which most community members seem unaware of. A radio station will be important in providing information and make the community discover new ways of uplifting their lives.

I aim to bring you stories and images from Cham Gi Wadu and any other project CM4K is taking with the aim of empowering communities and sharing knowledge. I promise it won’t be three years before you hear from me again😉.
Geoffrey.