Photowaka Africa set to empower 500 young females

Renowned photographer and founder, PhotoWaka Africa, Eti-Inyene Godwin Akpan is set to empower 500 young female photographers through his Project 500 initiative. This, according to him, is due to the disproportionate number of photographers in Africa, which are considerably men.

“Photography shouldn’t still be considered a man’s world in this age and time, hence this 2020, my key focus is on empowering the female gender. We will be bridging the gender gap in the photography industry thereby addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5 and 10, which are gender equality and reduced inequality respectively.

“We strongly believe in quality partnership and collaborations and we plan on achieving this by partnering with organisations who will support this great cause.

To implement project 500, PhotoWaka Africa will organise intensive photography workshops for female beneficiaries across various locations.

“Furthermore, with support and partnership from organisations, we will provide donated cameras to these female beneficiaries, organise exhibitions, where these female beneficiaries can express their thoughts and creativity to the world, even as we launch them into the marketplace to create positive impacts in their various communities,” Inyene explained.

PhotoWaka Africa is a registered social enterprise under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), focused on youth empowerment, creativity, job creation and creating a sustainable value chain in the photography and creative space in Africa.

Founded in 2018, PhotoWaka Africa, has impacted thousands of youths in Nigeria and Africa through photography and visual storytelling. Through the platform’s workshops and masterclasses over 200 youths have been empowered and this in turn has generated more jobs and created more social impact in Nigeria.

“Our photo walks have been one of a kind and in August 17th, 2019, the PhotoWaka Africa Community attempted the Guinness World Record by converging 1,118 photographers in one spot for a photo walk. This event drew the attention of enthusiasts from the global community; from Texas, America, to Ghana in Africa as well as other locations around the world. Through our impact and numbers, we pride ourselves in being the largest photography community in Africa.

“PhotoWaka Africa has grown exponentially in number, impact, and influence. But we aren’t stopping here. We believe as a movement, there are still more grounds to cover and with the support from some organisations, we believe we can do much more.”