Page 71 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 5

AFRIKAN ARTS

which I regretted very much. Later I to be drawn to young boys who cohorts stick together and
found out that my partner in the produc- have money, but these boys are work together to create
tion company was trying to cheat me out getting money through crime. It projects and they also at-
of money, so I stepped away from that was sad to see 20 or 30 people tend subsequent training
company and from film and photography who I knew by name who were sessions. We have a stu-
altogether. I decided to focus on playing suddenly no more. That’s why dent on internship at one
soccer. I was supposed to join PSG Un- at ShutterfilmFoundation we de- of the TV stations; we are
der21, but I had an injury, so I was out. cided we were taking anyone in, hoping he gets a job. Most
whether they were school drop- of our students have at-
Please tell us about Shutterfilm- outs or whether they stopped at tended a film master class
Foundation, when it was founded Class 8. with Robert Munuku and
and why it was founded The skills we teach are technical others are called on set
On August 22nd 2018, Hashim Musta- skills that they can use; photog- with Imor (of Artivhub) to
fah Aljab, my co-founder and I decided raphy and film making. We man- gain some experience.
to open a film school that would benefit aged to train at least 70 youths Our students haven’t been
the whole community. What motivated in a period of one year. We’re paying a fee but we want
me to do this was in 2016, in a period just trying to help them under- to find a way to sustain the
of 8 months, 112 youths lost their lives stand that life is not just about small projects for the stu-
in Kibra; five of them were young girls. going to school and that even if dents and now in our ap-
They were shot dead in a they fail, their lives aren’t over; plication form we say our
crime sweep. We they can still do something that commitment fee is KES
have a high rate of can change their lives. We tell 2500 (US$ 25) which is
unemployment, drug use, them that failing school should payable in installments,
we have a big number not be the reason to get in- because after every co-
of school drop- volved in crime and other neg- hort we go on a retreat
outs due to lack ative things in their community; with them to see what they
of school fees and that they need to be in a position have gained in the three
we have so many where they can use their skill to month sessions. We also
girls getting bring something home to their want them to understand
pregnant, some families. that they have paid for it
of them while and therefore to value it.
still in primary Once they leave, what hap- Our aim, long term, is to
school. Why? pens? bring them to the stage
Young girls who They don’t leave. With each where they can do their
are looking for a successive cohort we are get- own film projects.
way to get sani- ting people who are genuinely
tary towels tend interested in the craft, not just How do you fund it?
coming for the sake of it. These Most of the time I get some

BRIAN (YASSIN)

BWIRE

KENYAN CINEMATOGRAPHER & CEO OF

SHUTTERFILMFOUNDATION, KIBRA.

Msingi Afrika Team

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