Biography

Edward Echwalu is freelance photographer based in Kampala, Uganda, with an extended reach across Africa. A graduate of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, his work has over the years been published in distinguished media outlets globally. While biased towards social developmental issues, Edward continues to cover a wide range of breaking news stories.

He is part of an exciting crop of photographers based in Africa contributing towards changing the negative image of Africa through the @everydayafrica instagram project.

A member of the Foreign Correspondents Association of East Africa and Foreign Correspondents Association of Uganda. 1st Runner Up in the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards 2012 (Muhammed Amin Photojournalism Award) and was Highly Commended at the CNN African Journalist of the Year Award (Muhammed Amin Photojournalism Award 2013). Also a winner of Uganda’s coveted Photojournalism price, The Cranimer Mugerwa Photojournalism Award 2009.

Below is a list of some of the clients Edward has accomplished commissioned assignments for; Disney, UN Uganda, AMEND, World Vision Uganda, Carter Centre, UNDP, UNFPA, Dan Church Aid, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, We Effect and USAID, London School of Economics, FIA Foundation, Al Jazeera, Reuters, GAME Stores, among others.

95 thoughts on “Biography”

  6. Beautiful pictures. I plan on being a photographer when I grow up and these pictures are very inspiring, I will also come back regularly! 🙂

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  7. Hi edward. I am looking for your contact info with no luck. I am the new editor of the Kampala Dispatch and need a good photographer. Please email me at info @ dispatch.ug. Cheers

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  10. Hello echwalu, did you submit your photo on the boy playing in muddy water, for a photo competition.I urged you to do so before and I do so again. With your permission, i would like to feature that picture on my blog, with credit and copyright to you under the label ‘just another day in Uganda’. it is just amazing. I await your permission.
    Cheers.

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    • Kabozi yeah sure. It’s discipline to ask for permission before actually plucking it. You can get it down. I hope to submit it for the CNN Photojournalism Awards for 2011. Already preparing my CV..Thanks for having that confidence in ur country mate

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  12. thanks for your photos and information about the riots. i`m from switzerland, voluntering in uganda, and it is hard for me to get informations about the riots! so i keep on reading your blog!
    greets joh

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  15. Love your work. I run a small NGO called Amend that has offices in Ghana and Tanzania. We work on road safety for children. I’m curious if we might be able to hire you (we are a small NGO and only have a small budget) to come down to Tanzania to photograph some of our work. If you are interested, please contact me via the contact form on our website:

    http://amend.org/pages/pops/contact.html

    Keep up the good work…

    Yours truly,

    – Jeffrey

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  16. Hi Echwalu, I stumbled across your blog while looking for pictures of the riots to send home to family members. I’m living in Makindye right now and I have a blog that my friends and kids at school (I work in an elementary school in the States) can follow. Would you mind if I used some of your photos, giving credit, of course? I would love to be able to show those at home the true face of the riots. Thanks,
    Shea

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    • Hello Shear, it was really nice meeting you yesterday.. Please, the photos are there for you. You have a go.I hope they will enjoy them!

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  18. Dear Echwalu,

    I’d like to speak with you about using some of your photography in an upcoming edition of Transition magazine. Might you be able to contact me at allen [at] post [dot] harvard [dot] com? Or perhaps pass along your email address? Many thanks,

    Elizabeth Allen

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  20. Hi Edward

    I hope everthing goes well.

    This is Nuria ($10 project)
    I contacted you via twitter a couple of weeks ago through Andy Kristian.
    I would like to send you more info about the project, would you mind to give me a personal email?
    In the meatime you can have a look at our blog: http://www.10dollarsos.org/

    I hope to hear from you soon.

    Many thanks and regards

    Nuria (info@10dollarsos.org)

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    • Hi Celine,

      i’ve tried to reply through email using this email celinebolton@unvolunteers.org but its bouncing. But anyways, below is what i had written.
      You could reach me on echwalu@gmail.com and commence with further communications.
      —
      I am responding to a comment you left on my blog regarding photo-submissions to the UN Volunteer Annual report.

      Depending on what you need, yes, i would certainly be interested to help.

      Looking forward to your feedback

      Regards

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  22. Hey man,
    I’m now in UG for 4 yrs, always wondering that there’s no good photographer here, but finally I found one. Like you way of seeing. Impressive. Even more, if one knows all these bad photographs that make it even in the newspapers, but pain the eyes (whereby for long that might have been a problem of printing, too).
    Slowly, slowly, I will look through all your pics, but I’m heading back to K’moja in a few days (so no network or internet), after that I’ll jump the plane for fundraising in europe end september, but when I’m back it would be a pleasure even to meet you one day. well, we shall see.

    I’m still a newbie in photography, started 2 yrs ago, even though it was always a dream of mine. But I would appreciate some advice. doing photographs in Africa is quite more tricky than in europe…

    Anyway, I wish you the best,
    kind regards,
    miriam

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  27. I can honestly say that i want absolutely everything you have done in your life. Photography+journalism+travelling and then so much more. Also, your pictures are brilliant! 🙂

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      • Hahaha i can’t do that at the moment. I’m in high school right now but yes, one day, it’s on my list. I’ve always wanted to travel to Africa, there is such a HUGE platform there for photo journalism. I love traveling as well, though unfortunately i don’t have the same exposure as you. For obvious reasons. :p

  32. Hello Echwalu.. your pictures are stunningly superb.. simply awesome.. 🙂 🙂

    Just wanted to say something, why don’t you put you’re watermark on the pictures.. This will avoid being copyrighted.. else great job Echwalu..

    Best of luck in your career.. 🙂

    Asmi
    Mauritius

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  33. Just wanted to say something, why don’t you put you’re watermark on the pictures.. This will avoid being copyrighted.. else great job Echwalu..

    Best of luck in your career..

    Asmi
    Mauritius

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    • Thats a very good suggestion. A number of people have advised me to do the same. I think i will now look at it seriously. very seriously…Thanks for the suggestion.I hope Mauritius is great!

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  34. Incredibly moving work sir. I am very inspired by what I have just looked at. Please, please, please, POST MORE! I found you on Flickr but it looks like you haven’t been doing much on your account. I will add your blog to my roll. Keep Shooting!

    Cheers,
    Colin

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    • Hello Collin, indeed, i have not been active on twitter for quite a number of years now….I promise to be posting as much as possible…Thank you for visiting my blog and i hope i will keep you as a regular visitor!

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  37. You are an AMAZING photographer! Absolutely, great! I’m new to Word Press but I can already tell that I will be back here, looking at your daily pictures! 🙂

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    • Its good to know that…You are welcome to wordpress. There thousands of smart photographers out there.am glad you bumped into mine first and i hope to see you around often…Welcome

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  41. We would love to use your photos on certain pieces to promote agricultural growth in Africa both for our program Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System throughout Africa (ReSAKSS Africa). If you could get in contact with me, Ahdrea at a.romero@cgiar.org, it would be we would love to get permission to use certain photos. For more info on ReSAKSS Africa: http://www.resakss.wordpress.com

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  44. Pingback: School Dropouts for Sand-Mining in Uganda « africanperspectivesblog

  45. Outstanding work! And to think that you only just started. Selfishly, i confess that i was really pleased (still really pleased) to find an excellent UGANDAN photographer.

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  47. Was stuck here al morning,more like astory of the past events,from presidential swearing in,AU Summit that featured mainly the fallen hero,Ghadaffi,to kiryandongo lightening disaster,walk to walk,scars of the LRA war in northern uganda…….soccer,and the ‘heartbroken uganda n african woman wit apot on her head are some of my best pics…and the child with atyre reem arnd hs face(N.ug)..ilyk

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  48. The quality of your photographs is indeed exceptional and the stories you tell have immense importance. Keep it up. I shall enjoy following this blog ( though I’m not sure enjoy will always be the right word! )

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  53. Hi there,
    the pictures are stunning. They are wonderful and your work is amazing!
    I´m sure I´ll be back.
    Thanks and many regards,
    Anna

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  58. I have only been following your blog for a short time, but every time I come for a visit I learn something new, whether it be inspiring or sad but always incredibly moving. I think it’s very important that people see not everything is puppies and rainbows and that there is human suffering, but there is also hope. Thank you so much for sharing your photographs and stories to the world.

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  59. Congratulations for such wonderful aesthetics and moving subjects. Very impressed. What I have seen keeps me wanting to see more. Keep up the good work and that single eye you have on life, on your surroundings. Most importantly, thank you for sharing beauty and emotion with the rest of us.

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    • Thank you France. Suck kind comments get me going forward indeed. They keep me aiming to tell more and more stories. i hope i won’t disappoint you in your other visits to my blog. Welcome one again to my blog!

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    • It can’t be more candid that that Evez. Its a beautiful continent. Many fail to enjoy this continent because they are brainwashed before jetting in. If you come with an open mind to this continent, you have have amazing experiences to share back home. Thank you for taking the time to visit and leave a generous comment as well. Cheers

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    • Well, i have always been that person! Photography i think fits those characters. I prefer to take a backseat in silence and let the camera click away. Thanks Deus for bring back the memories as well. I haven’t seen those guys in a very long while now….Esp Chris! I hope they are good. how are you?

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