Echwalu Photography
Seeking to Creatively Document Life’s Passing Moments, One shot at a Time
Sustainable Agroforestry in Uganda and Tanzania
I spent a great deal of time in rural Tanzania and Uganda last month (April), documenting the works of We Effect, a Swedish NGO that seeks to empower the average rural farmer.
Formerly known as Swedish Cooperation Centre, We Effect has been promoting rural development focusing on sustainable agriculture, food security and local business development since 1958.
And by setting up micro companies, We Effect believes farmers can invest in their own farming operations.
Crucial in the organisation’s focus areas is the effect of Climate change, which is already too visible in Eastern Africa. A case in point is Somalia that has been baring the brunt of drought and famine, which has killed just under 300.000 people.
In Uganda and Tanzania, We Effect has set up farmer programs that aim at contributing towards an environmentally sustainable development as well as to decreased vulnerability to climate change.
My role was to document the challenges and success stories of some of these farmers. These images will take you through Musoma, Rorya (Tanzania) to Mubende and Mityana in Uganda.
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COPYRIGHT of all the images used in this blog post belongs to- We Effect.
Rock Climbing Challenge
I spent my weekend in a village in Buyende district, located east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
I was on assignment to shoot the launch of Kagulu Hill tourism site. Basically, it’s a village full of rocks. Rocks where traditional healers get their powers to perform healing rituals to their clients.
According to Busoga Expo, Kagulu Hill is a mystical wonder, which marks the first settlement area for Basoga of Bunyoro origin led by Prince Mukama. Although the cultural value of Kagulu extends to cover a wide area, the remaining and visible landmark is the Kagulu hill. The hill sits in between two roads that divide at the foothill to lead to Gwaya and Iyingo.
It is also among a handful of hills in Uganda that have been adapted for tourist climbing, with constructed steps all the way to the top. At the top is a spectacular 360 view with an expanse of green vegetation and Lake Kyoga.
I made it to the top in record time for any photographer. Take note. I made countless long stops to catch a breath and shoot those ascending and descending the hill.
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Local climbers take the final walk to the summit. The hard part, which is steep and slippery, has been overcome.
Local climbers take the final walk to the summit. The hard part, which is steep and slippery, has been overcome.
A friend who had climbed the hill before gave me this message before I started the climb. “Until I see a picture of you at the very top, next to the little building, I will conclude it as mission unaccomplished.” Well, I’ve nothing more to say.
There are those who could not let the sweat to the summit roll down for free as they resorted to using chalk and stones to put remembrance notes
A view from the top of Kigulu hill of people heading back to their homesteads. Beyond the hill, which I assume many of them have gotten enough of, President Yoweri Museveni who was the chief guest must have been the reason for these numbers. It takes a lifetime for some of these villagers to lay their eyes on the country’s number one citizen.
Descending the Kagulu Hill and appreciating the effort put in thus far. A local stares back at the hill top on his way down
And after safely reaching the foot of the Kagulu Hill, it was my turn to look back at the hill with one last departing shot. A lot of calories burnt but it was worth the adventure.
If the world thinks being kind is crazy, then Africa is the craziest continent
By now, some of you might have come across the video already or watched it in the comfort of your living room.
Last week, Coca Cola launched her first advertisement of 2013 for Africa, a Pan African campaign dubbed “Africa, Let’s Go Crazy” 
The advertisement gears towards inspiring and celebrating individuals who spread happiness on the continent by performing random acts of kindness in the daily lives of people.
“The idea of being kind and that kindness giving you happiness is something that transcends the boarders; so here in Africa because we believe that we are innately kind we are saying through this campaign that if the world thinks being kind is crazy, then Africa is the craziest continent,” said Rosalind Gichuru, The Coca-Cola Central East and West Africa Strategic Manager during the launch.
The campaign was derived from research done by BMC Innovation Company that revealed that, making other people happy is the key to own happiness and for the world to be a happier place, people need to be kinder.
My involvement comes from a blog post I did; “Extreme Poverty but Irreplaceable Smile.” With a group of friends, we set out for Kisenyi Slum in the capital, Kampala to take, print and return photos for free. It’s a practice I had always done sub-consciously.
I offer this service selectively though. I do this for people who can barely afford a meal. For people who have never owned a picture in their lives and for people who are extremely poor, yet so happy and they don’t even know.
As Edward, I am incapable of feeding hundreds and thousands of Africa’s poor.
No, I am unable to.
But if I believe I can reach out to hundreds and thousands of these poor through my photographs and make a difference in their lives.
Through my photographs, am always looking towards encouraging them, spreading positive energy around them and encouraging them to discover and appreciate who they really are in those photos.
The Coca-Cola TV commercial also features Douglas Rori from Kenya, Corporal Sebul Audu from Nigeria, Edward Echwalu from Uganda and Belachew Birma (World Laughter Champion) from Ethiopia.
ALL IMAGES USED HERE ARE FULL COPYRIGHT OF COCA COLA INC. YOU MAY NOT USE THEM WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM COCA COLA
50 Tips for African Photographers
The expectations you carry as a professional photographer are immense.
On top of delivering on your personal projects, assignments and commissions, a string of colleagues, budding photographers are looking up to you for inspiration.
Over the past couple of years, I have responded to hundreds of Facebook , Twitter, sms, email messages with requests ranging from ;
“how do I become a photographer; teach me how to take nice photos; which camera do you recommend I buy to take better photos etc…etc “
I’ve physically met many. Some really genuine ones and others who honestly don’t know what they want to do in life. However it’s important to give everybody a chance to be heard.
I have thus come up with 50 tips for both professional, near professional and budding photographers, sourced from my personal experience over the years;
- Dress appropriately, depending on which assignment you are covering
- Always smile at the people you are photographing. It strikes a connection and at the same time relaxing them.
- Compliment their smiles, the colours of their cloths, how photogenic they are. Many people will tell you they are not photogenic even if they are.
- Know your camera. Read, understand and put into practice the different functions of your camera.
- Copy compositions you think cut it for you but don’t stop there, Perfect them
- A picture is as good as the story behind it.
- Sometimes, overly exposed shots are creatively beautiful
- Learn to genuinely criticize your work
- Never stop reading and learning new tricks. In this digital era, photography is evolving every day.
- “Edward, you ain’t as good as they claim. Focus!” is how I react to compliments/ praises from people about my work. Don’t get carried away.
- Even professional photographers have bad bad bad pictures. They choose only good ones for you to see. Don’t get discouraged.
- Always do backups. Budding photographers have this casual way of treating their pictures. For some reason they always think they are bad pictures. You need to have a record of how you started and maybe then you will appreciate how far you have grown.
- Never stop comparing your work with the best in the business, especially those who inspire you
- If you cant get your pants dirty, then you should try being a doctor, not a photographer.
- It’s safer to underexpose. But I would encourage you to find that perfect exposure.
- Never stop having a curious mind
- Develop your niche and perfect it. Others choose to specialize in war photography, wedding photography, wild life photography, Flowers, Stones..
- Once in a while, photograph for free. Its good to give back.
- Photography and alcohol don’t quite match
- Mistakes are twofold. At times, you get great shots my mistake and other times, a mistake can cost you a great shot.
- Move on from a bad day in the office. It should only make you a better photographer.
- The best camera is the world is your eye. Try outcompeting it.
- Learn to compose a perfect first shot. It sets your mindset towards the rest of the shoot.
- Many have said it before me. Allow me repeat it too. No picture is worth your life. If it is dangerous, move away immediately.
- LIGHT should be your best friend
- Try to be calm
- Share your work (Website, blogs, flikr, Google +, Pinterest etc). You never know who your next idol will be.
- Pray before any assignment
- Share your gear (Cameras) with people you ABSOLUTELY trust.
- Keep Time.
- If you haven’t got a good sunset shot before in your life, then you haven’t started photography yet.
- No condition is bad for photography. Its how you use that condition to your advantage that matters.
- Eat. Eat. Eat. It’s never a good idea to shoot on an empty stomach.
- Share your work with someone more experienced. They will point out your weakness and strength. It’s healthy for you.
- Your buddies should be the last to critique your work. They will always tell you how your pictures are amazing. And you cannot blame them. They are just being good friends. Friends support each other.
- Mobile Phone cameras have become the most widely circulated cameras in the world. Use them everyday.
- Take short breaks once in a while to refresh your mind and ideas.
- Don’t tweet and Facebook while photographing. That’s too much distraction. Trust me, you will miss a great shot while trying to maximize those 140 characters (twitter).
- Walk regularly. It’s unlikely that you will get great shots inside that Range Rover of yours.
- Take sometime to gym or do exercises. Stiffness limits your flexibility.
- Avoid dressing in bright colours. You are always trying to be invisible as a photographer in order to capture scenes in the most natural of ways. Bright Colours will be surrendering you every time.
- Trust your guts
- Never lack time to listen to and inspire budding photographers. Create the time. You were once as bad, if not worse.
- Never be afraid to charge what you think is worth your price. As long as you can deliver of course.
- Be ethical. Respect your profession and the people you photograph.
- Every camera, including you phone can take award-winning photos. The key is to first photography before you complain about how your camera sucks.
- Avoid repetition of shots. In other words, avoid being predictable in your composition.
- Allow criticism too. Sometimes your work really sucks and you’ve got to know it however much it hurts. It should catalyze you to shoot better images the next time.
- Photoshoping is no sign of weakness as a photographer. Hundreds have racked millions out of photoshoping. If people indeed disapproved of their work, they wouldn’t have earned even a penny.
- Have as much fan as possibly you can. Photography is beyond just a hobby; it should be a life style. Enjoy it.
Share your experiences in the comments section please.
Big Dreams for Ugandan Female Slum-based Boxers
The once bleak careers of four budding female boxers has got a surprise lift now that good Samaritans have offered to fulfill their dreams.
“Morine Nakilyowa (23), is a mother of four and has won two of her five fights.”
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Morine Nakilyowa (23), Lydia Nantale (17), Hellen Baleke (24) and Diana Tulyanabo (20) live an impoverished lifestyle in the Kampala slum of Katanga. Without permanent shelter or jobs, Tulyanabo is pursuing her education as a nursing student but the rest are school dropouts.
It’s on the backdrop of this upbringing that the quartet resorted to boxing a few years ago as a way of surviving the harsh conditions of crime-ridden Katanga. Over the past two years, they have featured prominently in local tournaments representing Katanga-based Rhino Boxing Club. Still, they are yet to get the deserved recognition like their male counterparts.
“Lydia Nantale (17) (Right), has won one of her two fights to date. Here, she warms up for her training in Katanga Slum”
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At the 2011 East African championships, Tulyanabo won the welterweight title while Baleke triumphed in the light welterweight division. The closest they came to realising their dream was when they trained so hard for last year’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in China only to be let down by government’s lack of funds. It didn’t help matters that local boxing is entangled in administration wrangles and, therefore, couldn’t mobilise support for them.
“The four girls are seen here warming up at the start of an afternoon training session”
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Since then, the fighters have struggled to make an impact due to the absence of a functioning amateur boxing body as well as the limited number of credible opponents. To keep active, they seek opponents from across the border and feature on the undercards of locally-arranged professional fights. In extreme situations, they take on each other at catch-weights.
Despite the setback and dire situation, the foursome still harbours big dreams of representing Uganda at future major international events. Indeed, that could become a reality following the timely intervention of Lori Steinhorst, the president of Classic Women Warriors Boxing (CWWB) and Eddie Montalvo, vice-president CWWB.
Touched by their story, which appeared in the Canadian National Post, Steinhorst and Montalvo have offered to help the female boxers with logistical support and any other form of educational assistance to develop their skills.
The duo say they are just “acting out of the love we have for the sport and all the girls/women who practice it ” are coordinating this effort with the help of The Observer.(Newspaper)
“The four female boxers share two pairs of worn out boxing gloves.”
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Steinhorst says they were not moved because of their gender but by the will and spirit of the young girls: “While this happens in many parts of the world, this has been our first look at how little these women have,” she says. “Yet they continue to make every effort to reach their dream as Olympic hopefuls. This is evidence to us that their poverty is circumstantial, as their spirits are rich and have no boundary.”
“Here, Hellen Baleke (24), the most experienced of the lot with 11 wins, four draws and a single loss goes through some boxing sessions with her coach in Katanga slum.”
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To spice up the drive, CWWB product Mary ‘Merciless’ McGee has pledged a portion from her International Boxing Association (IBA) female light welterweight title fight against Holly Holm on May 11, 2013 to the project. “Whatever it takes, we must do something, anything, to help these women,” she says. “They deserve so much more.”
Tulyanabo and company are excited by the news and efforts of Steinhorst and Montlavo and have promised not to disappoint the efforts and sacrifices of the benefactors. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that we have always longed for,” says Tulyanabo. “Like all sportsmen, we want to compare ourselves with the best in the world to realise our potential and abilities. We shall do anything within our abilities not to disappoint.”
“An invite for Rhino Boxing Club for a local tournament.”
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CWWB also set up a special project dubbed Women Boxers of Kampala Project (WBKP) to raise funds and awareness of the quartet’s plight.
“We will travel to Kampala in an effort to determine exactly what these athletes need to be successful,” adds Steinhorst. “We will take with us the equipment we know they are lacking. Once we are able to determine from these women what their needs truly are, we will return with the mission to raise additional funding to meet those needs.”
“There are no professional punching bags. They cannot afford to buy one. As a result, the four girls use discarded car tires as replacement. Here, Hellen Baleke (24), the most experienced of the lot with 11 wins, four draws and a single loss punches away.”
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Fast facts
- Nakilyowa is a mother of four and has won two of her five fights.
- In six fights, Tulyanabo has one win, a draw and four losses.
- Nantale has won one of her two fights to date.
- Baleke is the most experienced of the lot with 11 wins, four draws and a single loss.
Story by Kisakye Frank
Photo Of the Day: DR Congo Refugee
A REFUGEE is defined as; “A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.” For this particular picture, it is to escape a war. DR Congo (DRC) is synonymous with war. It is possibly the country with the most internal conflicts in the world.
I took this photo in a transit refugee camp in a border town of Kisoro, some 500km west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. She was one of several thousands of Congolese who were fleeing in Uganda when the ongoing conflict between the M23 rebels and the DR Congo government intensified in the eastern part of the DRC. Over 800,000 have since fled their homes since the rebellion started.
It’s quite a distance between her hometown and Kisoro, as such; I would imagine she would have preferred to carry her entire house with her but one head and two hands could not. I can see with her is money pass hanging around her neck, her baby’s basin and possibly clothes, saucepans and a few other necessities on her head.
She’s faced with two rather “dark” destinations and ordinarily couldn’t pick either if she had a choice. One is the war back at home, which she chose to run away from and then other, Nyakabande Refugee camp, a very crowded camp which The Independent News Magazine (Uganda) right sums; (Nyakabande )
“Plagued with poor sanitation and rampant illness. Malaria is taking its toll, especially on children, and women are forced to give birth without proper aids. The first aid clinic in the camp is constantly without drugs due to the swelling numbers.”
Amidst these challenges, she wears a very strong candid face. One that has accepted the challenging environments she’s surrounded with. An environment of a homeless woman.
Imagine a Uganda Without Fish…Yes, Without Fish!!
Fish as a meal might soon be a luxury for an ordinary Ugandan if the fish stocks on most water bodies across the country continue to dwindle.
“A worker feeds the fish at the pilot project site in Jinja, located 80km east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. There are approximately 50 cages containing in excess of 400,000 fishes”
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And it’s not just the populace; over 50% of fish processing factories along the shores of Lake Victoria have already been closed to protect the scattered remaining fish on the lake. Those in operation are operating below capacity.
“Fishing has always been on the increase leading to the disappearance of some fish species, which has been worsened by the Nile perch feeding on many of these species. As a result, fish processing factories are operating below installed capacity,” Said Dr John S. Balirwa, Director of Research, National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI).
“The pilot program is a joint agreement between the Ugandan and the Chinese government. Here, a Chinese cage expert feeds the fish at the pilot site in Jinja, 80km east of Uganda’s capital, Kampala”
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There is a lot of pressure being exerted on the 20% of surface water (lakes, rivers, swamps, damns) in Uganda, a country with a 256.000 square miles size of land, which has negatively impacted the different fish species. Uganda has a total of 500 different fish species. Of these, the Nile Perch has turned out to be the most commercially viable fish.
“Floating cages where fish is confined”
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“Fishing intensity has over time increased because more ore people are eating fish than before. Through more than 50 years, fishing intensity increased with the introduction of Nile Perch on Lake Albert and Lake Victoria; it exploded to become a commercial product of interest where fish processing factories started,” according to Dr John S. Balirwa.
It was followed by a period of boom, where more factories were set up to absorb the high numbers of fish, local fishermen caught fish unselectively using wrong nets and the desire to satisfy foreign markets also increased.
“Some of the caged fish jump around during feeding time. It takes about 45 days to harvest these fish in the cages.”
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Dr. Balirwa also attributes the declining number of fish on Uganda’s major water bodies to the increased population, from 20 million people in the 1970’s to approximately 35 million today.
INTRODUCTION OF CAGECULTURE
As the demand for fish both for exports and local consumption continues to rise, starring a need to bridge the gap, innovative ways such as cage culture have been introduced on Lake Victoria, in Jinja through a pilot partnership between the Ugandan government and her Chinese counterpart to boost the shrinking number of fish.
“Some of the biggest challenges faced by NaFIRRI is birds such as these that prey on the small fishes. Keeping them away from the project site has turned out to be a full time job”
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A cage is constructed, floated in a researched clean water body where fish is confined and fed. The cage can be floated in a river, a lake or even a dam.
“Use of illegal fishing nets has been among the major factor in the dwindling number of fish on major water bodies in Uganda. These nets capture immature fishes”
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Every cage, which is usually two and a half meters deep, should be placed at least five meters above a body of good water quality. Polluted water suffocates the breeding process of the cage fish, a reason, not all water bodies in the country qualify for this kind of invention.
“In the background is one of the factories located at the shores of Lake Victoria. Most of these are now operating below capacity due to the decreased number of fish”
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Cages are stocked with so many tiny fish, after a period of 40 to 45 days; they are graded before being separated for harvest. Each of the 50 cages in the Jinja pilot cage project accommodates approximately 8000 small fishes.
“Fishermen are seen fishing on Lake Victoria. They have been largely blamed for indiscriminate methods of fishing, leading to reduced number of fish on the Lake”
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Dr Balirwa further notes that, with recovery of cages, Nile perch is responding positively and it has stabilized at a certain level, which in total quantity stands at about 300.000 tones, but mostly young fishes.
“NO MORE EXPORTS: This railway line leading to the dock used to be a busy port where fish used to be exported to both, the local and the international market.It no longer functions”
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Other forms of aquaculture, such as fishponds currently harvest a combined 90.000 metric tones annually. Presently, the total annual fish production in Uganda stands at 450.000 metric tons.
NaFIRRI hopes that local investors who can use simple materials such as bamboo and nets, easily accessible in the local market, take up this technology.
“A fisherman is seeing pulling his “catch” on Lake Victoria. They have been largely blamed for indiscriminate methods of fishing, leading to reduced number of fish on the Lake”
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“We are looking at encouraging Ugandans, local investors, and the local fishermen/communities to join in as an alternative where by if they can pick a leaf from this technology and they practice it somewhere, they can also reduce on the pressure where many fishermen are getting into the lake,” Barry Kamisa, a staffer for NaFIRRI Concludes.
My Favorite Photographs N°13: Edward Echwalu
"To select FIVE images in a career of about 7 years is not easy," Ugandan photographer Edward Echwalu writes in his email. "It was probably the most challenging editorial decision I have ever come across." I took it as a gentle reminder we might be asking photographers the impossible in our "favorite photographs" series. That said, and after many tough choices by previous photographers, …
Before It’s “GOLD”…..there’s “MUD”
A gold miner is seen mixing muddy soil at a gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A gold miner is seen extracting sandy soil from a gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
Gold miners are seen extracting sandy soil from a gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A gold miner is seen sieving gold crystals from Muddy water in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
Gold miners are seen sieving gold crystals from Muddy water in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A gold miner packs sandy soils inside a from a tunnel, about 60 feet below the ground at gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A miner carries a sack of sandy soil on a bicycle to be ground and sieved for gold crystals in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A gold miner displays a bottle of mercury which is used to attract gold crystals from the excavated sandy soils at a gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A miner stands at the top of a gold mining pit. The gold pit sites scattered across the different villages of Bugiri from where sandy soils are extracted measure up to 60 feet down. When the soils are extracted, the miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
A gold miner displays gold pallets at a gold mining pit in Bugiri 348km (216miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital on February 5, 2013. The miners pound the excavated soils, dissolve it in water and mix the content with mercury to attract gold. It’s later heated to separate the gold. The gold is sold to local brokers who in turn market it to the international market.
Photo Of The Day: Refugee Mother
A refugee mother stands next to her house at the Rwamwanja refugee resettlement camp located about 350km west of Uganda’s capital, Kampala on November 16th, 2012. At the peak of the conflict between M23 and the DR Congo government, approximately 1,000 people arrived at the camp weekly. The camp now has more than 30.000 refugees .The situation in eastern Dr Congo has made remarkable progress due to the ongoing peace talks in Kampala where the M23 rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire last week. (Copyright: UNFPA Uganda )
