Dreaming Big With Cameras began not as a grand initiative, but as a quiet hope—that a child, armed with a simple camera, could reclaim the right to dream. To laugh out loud. To see their world—and themselves—differently.
Since 2007, I’ve travelled with 10 to 20 compact cameras tucked in my bags, partnering with local NGOs, grassroots charities, and schools. Together, we’ve run informal photography workshops for children who’ve lived through war, poverty, displacement, and silence.You might ask—why photography? Aren’t there more urgent needs? I’ve asked myself that too.
But here’s what I’ve seen again and again: when a child is given a tool to tell their own story, something shifts. Photography becomes more than a creative outlet—it becomes a declaration of self. A child who may struggle to find food, or carry the weight of their family’s survival, is suddenly invited to see the world through a new lens. And to imagine that they belong in it.
This project isn’t about cameras. It’s about confidence, curiosity, and reclaiming joy. It’s about hope. About giving children the chance to be children—if only for a moment—and to carry that spark forward.
Since its first days in Zambia, Dreaming Big With Cameras has travelled to Tanzania, Namibia, Mexico, and India. And with your help, it will reach many more.
I still stay in touch with many of the children and organisations from those early days. Their stories continue—evolving, growing, thriving. And that, more than anything, is why this work continues.Because one small moment of joy… can ripple for years.
