Train The Trainer Program
We Build Sustainability Into Our Program.
In June 2024, Cameras For Girls launched our Train the Trainer program in Uganda to prepare four accomplished graduates of our 4-phase program to become the next generation of skilled trainers.
The Train the Trainer program supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on gender equality (SDG #5), poverty reduction (SDG #1), and decent work (SDG #8). By preparing women to be trainers, we challenge traditional norms, dismantle gender-based barriers, and provide tangible examples of female leadership in the African media industry.
These trained educators will mentor new cohorts, creating a ripple effect that promotes social progress, economic development, and a more inclusive media landscape across Africa.
This initiative supports these women and ensures they earn a livable wage, contributing to economic stability and gender equality.
Meet Our Trainers
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Sheilla Clara Apio
Photojournalist and Cameras For Girls Trainer
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Joyce Mollan
Photojournalist and Cameras For Girls Trainer
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Miriam Najjingo
Photojournalist and Cameras For Girls Trainer
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Melanie Joyce Nabukwasi
Communications Professional and Cameras For Girls Trainer
The need for our work.
Too often, young women are denied opportunities to lead and advance in Africa’s male-dominated media industries. Despite their talent and potential, systemic barriers limit their access to higher positions, perpetuating gender disparities.
Our programming addresses this disparity head-on: We provide young women with the skills and resources to become paid trainers within our organization and develop their leadership capabilities to excel in any media-related role.
Cameras For Girls graduates emerge from our intensive 8-month program as skilled leaders ready to challenge the status quo, break through barriers, and drive meaningful change within the media industry and beyond.
Our graduates will also be role models, inspiring talented and ambitious women to enter and thrive in male-dominated media spaces across Africa. Each new cohort will build on the successes of those who came before, ensuring the program's sustainability and amplifying our reach and influence.
How we choose our trainers
We select young women for our Train the Trainer program based on their demonstrated potential, passion for media, and commitment to personal and professional growth. They display a drive to succeed, a desire to make a difference, and a willingness to share their skills with other young women who enter our 4-phase flagship program.
Our Train the Trainer participants graduate with leadership and training skills they can use in various areas of their lives and situations.
We give our students consistent, comprehensive support
During their eight months of intensive training, our Train the Trainer participants:
Receive a Canon DSLR to keep
Cultivate advanced photography skills, increase their confidence, develop leadership skills, and refine their public speaking abilities.
Learn essential teaching and mentoring skills through a hybrid model of in-person and online workshops facilitated by Cameras For Girls and a network of experienced mentors and trainers. Each trainee is paired with a mentor who will help her stay accountable, navigate any learning challenges, and become the best trainer she can be.
Our program includes leadership training through a partnership with Phenomenal Women Global, public speaking training with Toastmasters Lubowa Club, and advanced photography and ethical storytelling practical skills with Canon Trainer Miriam Watsemba and Amina Mohamed from Cameras For Girls. They are paired with a mentor from the media industry in Uganda to support their growth and keep them accountable.
A crucial aspect of our program is that we compensate our students during and after their training to give them a head start at establishing their livelihoods. During their time in our program, we want our students to focus on learning and developing their skills without financial worries to distract them.
How the Train the Trainer Program Advances Gender Equality
By challenging traditional norms and providing tangible examples of female leadership in the media, our graduates dismantle gender-based barriers in journalism and broader societal contexts, one woman with a camera at a time.
One of our trainees, Melanie Nabukwasi with one of her mentees.
