Impact

Through the Lens: A Day at the Museum
Ten young people from Mwelu Foundation set out one August morning for what looked, on paper, like a simple field trip. What they came back with was something closer to a new way of seeing their own country.
Their destination was the National Museum, home to a striking photo exhibition titled Through The Lens — a visual journey through Kenya's political history, told frame by frame through the eyes of the journalists who lived it. Walking through the exhibition, the participants weren't just viewing history. They were learning how photography and journalism could freeze a single moment and hand it down for generations to study, question and learn from.
The day held one more surprise: a meeting with former Justice Minister Martha Karua, a name many of the participants recognised from their civic education classes but never expected to meet in person. She spent time with the group, encouraging them to approach their futures — and their voices — with boldness, and to never shrink away from the causes they believe in.
For ten young people from Mathare, it was a rare kind of afternoon: one where history, journalism and a little courage from a respected leader all came together in a single visit. They left the museum with more than photos on their phones — they left with a bigger sense of what their own stories could become.


