OPEN CINEMA’s Kenya Connection – The Mwelu Foundation

This post published on March 11, 2009

OPEN CINEMA founder and Director Mandy Leith recently spent time in Nairobi researching community media initiatives and the Kenyan film industry.

It was incredibly inspiring to meet so many talented and hardworking folks who are doing amazing things with video, photography, radio and print, despite extremely challenging living conditions and limited resources. I spent a few days with one group in particular, The Mwelu Foundation and I was so touched and impressed by their vision, talent, humour and the ways that they are empowering young people in the slums of the Mathare Valley, on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Founder Julius Mwelu and other members of the group have been winning international awards for their photography, and making short films with next to no resources. It is exciting to think what they might be able to achieve with support!

I encourage you to take a look at their website www.mwelu.org.

OPEN CINEMA will be developing support and exchange initiatives with this group, and other community media groups in Nairobi in the near future.

For more information please contact Mandy (info@opencinema.ca).