Spartan photography School, Dandora
Spartan Photography School is a community-based photography training and mentorship program based in Dandora Slums, created to equip underserved youth with practical photography skills and pathways into employment.
Each cohort trains 20 youths over an 8-week intensive program per cohort, targeting young people who are out of school, unable to join college, and young mothers who have limited access to creative and professional opportunities. The program combines hands-on photography training, mentorship, career preparation, and access to professional camera equipment to ensure practical, real-world learning. Implemented in partnership with Spartan Photography Kenya, the program is led by founders Dennis Otieno and Kevin Ochieng , who serves as a lead trainers and mentors.
In 2022, the project was strengthened through a camera equipment donation from Toyota ED² (European Design & Development), significantly expanding hands-on learning opportunities.
— Shawn Odhiambo, Alumni
“The training and mentorship I received at Spartan Photography School transformed my skills and confidence. Today, I work as the Lead Photographer at Solar Mtaani Organization and as a Football Kenya Federation–accredited photographer.”
Framing Your Voices
Minority queer communities are often underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media, leaving their stories untold and their challenges overlooked. This participatory photography training program empowers queer and underprivileged individuals to document their own realities through photography and journalism. Participants gain foundational skills in visual storytelling, ethical reporting, and community-focused media, while building confidence to speak from lived experience. Through guided practice, they create powerful visual narratives that spark dialogue and raise awareness about issues affecting their communities. The program concludes with individual portfolios that position participants as storytellers, advocates, and agents of visibility, dignity, and social change.
Framing Your Voices
Framing Your Voices
Framing Your Voices
Power To Youth Videography Training
The Youth Videography Training initiative by Proportion Global and Power To Youth empowered rural youth to document their own communities and shape national narratives. Talented young people with smartphones were trained through a hands-on, seven-module program led by award-winning filmmakers, gaining technical and creative storytelling skills with mentorship and peer support.
The project produced three impactful documentaries highlighting youth-led action on gender-based violence in Kenya, political participation in Ghana, and sexual and reproductive health education in Uganda. Overall, the initiative built a new generation of youth storytellers while generating powerful, community-driven content that strengthens advocacy and social change.
