The Baraza Lens
The Baraza Lens is a national network of Kenyan documentary photographers supported through training, archiving, and professional development, designed to cultivate inclusive documentary photography, strengthen local visual storytelling infrastructure, and elevate underrepresented voices from Nairobi’s informal settlements, particularly Mukuru and Kibera. Building on the Baraza Photo Sessions (BPS) program, this project will expand opportunities for emerging photographers who often face barriers such as limited access to equipment, mentorship, and institutional visibility. By creating an open-access archive, community exhibitions, and regional photography research outputs, the project will support photographers, educators, NGOs, researchers, and global media partners.
WHY
Kenya’s visual history is often told through fragmented archives and unequal access to opportunities for local photographers. The Baraza Lens exists to support documentary photographers across the country by strengthening training, archiving, and professional networks while ensuring that communities—especially those historically underrepresented—can document their own realities. By building a national open-access archive and collaborative network, the project helps preserve Kenya’s visual memory and expand who gets to tell its stories.
The Baraza Lens Categories
