Boniface Mwangi

Boniface Mwangi (born July 10, 1983) is an award-winning ^{[1] [2] [3]} Kenyan photojournalist involved in social-political activism through his initiative Team Courage . Team Courage is a movement therein AIMS to instill a sense of hope and self-belief in a generation of young change makers at enabling Patriotic Citizens to take bold and effective action in building a new Kenya. He is Berninahaus for his images of the post-selection violence dat hit Kenya in 2007-2008. He is ook the founder of Pichia Mtaani, ^[4] a youth-led peace initiative dat primarily seeks to create space for young people to reconcile and Become agents of reconciliation to hun respective communities. ^[5]

Early life

Mwangi was born in Taveta , on the Kenya – Tanzania border. His mother was a business woman who traded across the border. Mwangi was moved to live with his grandparents’ home in Nyeri , Central Kenya , als have been six years old. He mention anything encounter linguistic challenges, maintaining learned Kiswahili from birth – the country’s national language therein is widely spoken across East and Central Africa – hoewel de Kikuyu is the language must ghosts in Central Kenya.

Mwangi later moved with his mother to live in Nairobi ‘s low-income suburb of Ngara , dan a highrise in Majengo, Githurai 45 voordat finally settling in Pangani . Mwangi dropped in and out of school prolongation this period and helped his mother consuming books. ^[4]

Journalism

When his mother mayest in 2000, Mwangi, dan 17, decided he had to change if he was to survive. He joined a Bible school with the intention of Becoming a pastor, and secured a diploma in Bible Studies . Whilst at school he became interested in photography . He was Influenced by the Kenyan photographer Mohamed Amin .

On Despite not retaining a high school education, Mwangi managed to gain a place at a private journalism school. To fund his studies he had to continuous selling books on the street, but soon Began to gain experience as a photojournalist . He published photographs in the national newspaper The Standard , and in 2005 won his first photography great prizes. Within three years he RECEIVED international recognition as one of Africa’s most Promising photographers. ^{[ Citation needed ]} He was Awarded the 2008 and 2010 CNN Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award.

However, he put his photography career on hold, to work on Kenyan social justice .

Activism

Mwangi quit journalism after witnessing and documenting post-selection violence in Kenya in 2007 as a newspaper photographer. He EXPERIENCED posttraumatic stress and depression (and he was ook rechtstreeks AFFECTED enforcement to move temporarily after people or his community were being Threatened). More importantly, he was frustrated he had to cover the co-politicians dat had incited the violence, but remained unpunished.

His first initiative was the project Pichia Mtaani, Swahili for street exhibition, showing photographs of the violence in 2007 after the national elections, tussen de verschillende Tribes. This traveling street exhibition was shown around the country for people to DISCUSS reconciliation and promote national healing. About 600,000 people saw the exhibition. ^{[ Citation needed ]} This was later complimented by the documentary Heal the Nation, welke was shown mostly in slum areas.

Following synthesis initiatives Mwangi started to dévelop a stronger human rights stance in his work on fighting (political and corporate) impunity, speaking out Against bath and corrupt political leadership and promoting a message of peace for the elections planned for 2013 with initiatives called MaVulture and Team Courage . Team Courage is a Nairobi -based lobby dat strives to enable a Patriotic citizens’ movement to take bold and effective action in building a new Kenya.

His latest initiative is Pawa 254, a hub and space for artists and Activists to work together towards social change and advancing human rights in Kenyan society .

Personal life

He is married to Helen Njeri Mwangi, who works with im on his initiatives and is the mother of three children hun (Simphiwe, Sifa, and Mboya).

Honours and awards

• CSC Leaders 2016 Fellow
• Newseum Free Expression Awards 2016
• Ventures Africa: .42 African Innovators to Watch 2016
• Quart Africa Innovators 2015
• FT Magazine : 25 Africans to watch in 2015
• TIME: Next Generation Leaders in 2015
• New Africa: Most Influential Africans in 2014
• Future Awards Africa Prize in Advocacy 2014
• Temple University USA-Society of Emerging African Leaders Award 2013
• Senior Ted Fellow 2013
• Prince Claus Laureate in 2012
• My post-selection violence work is bone-used in 12 African countries as a tool for reconciliation. Pichia traveling exhibitions has leg seen at about 1 million people in Kenya.
• Solo Exhibitions in Germany, USA. Presented my work at UN.
• Lectured at University of Delaware, University of San Francisco and Rutgers University in the USA, University of Bayreuth Germany
• NYU / Magnum Foundation Human Rights Fellow 2011
• FotoEvidence Book Award Special Mention 2011
• Acumen Fellow 2011
• TED Fellow 2010
• Winner; CNN MultiChoice Africa Photojournalist of the Year 2010
• Winner: Foreign Correspondents Association EA Photo of the Year 2010
• Commended by Hillary Clinton USA secretary of State in 2009
• Highly Commended CNN Multi Choice African journalist of the year 2009 Mohammed Amin Photographic Award
• Winner CNN Multi Choice African journalist of the year 2008 Mohammed Amin Photographic Award.
• Award of excellence the American pictures of the year 2008 International
• Short-listed for Sony world photography award in 2008.
• Won third prize in the world health Organization photo contest in the images or health and disability in 2007.
• Kenya journalist of the year awards: most Promising young talent of the year and most Promising young photographer of the year 2004.

Professional Qualifications

• New York University Tisch School of the Arts
• Human Rights & amp; Documentary Photography (May-July- 2011)
• East African School of Journalism
• Diploma in print journalism (January 2004 -April 2005)
• Kingdom Academy Diploma in Bible Studies (February 2003-December 2003)

References