In September of 2019 the startup Moja asked if I could capture their journey to Tanzania. Moja is a nonprofit organization that gives aid to regions in need of help. The startup works on a program near Arusha that helps with the local economy, healthcare, and education. Moja does this by producing underwear for children locally and handing them out to schools. This way they create jobs for production, teach locals new skills, and give health classes to the local schools. The project is led by their local partner Tumini Children’s foundation which is an organization that takes care of the community in Uza River. We agreed to make a (short) documentary of the project and take photos of the project.
Documentary
We made a documentary because we thought the way Moja helps the community of Moja River is very special. Most of the nonprofit organizations that operate in less developt areas give short-term help. Think of building a water well or handing out condoms. The help Moja gives is long-term, which means that they hope to help communities to be self-sufficient after receiving help. The project is also mostly run by the local organizations themselves because they know the area and culture better than any of the people at Moja could ever do. The documentary shows the inspiring story of a region that is battling with poverty and is trying to recover.
Photo’s
The assignment was to provide Moja with enough photo material for the coming year to launch their company and show their customers and investors the impact Moja made in Uza River. While making the photo’s we tried to capture the positivity in the schools and organizations we visited. Making the series of photos in such a way that people would have an understanding of the cause of Moja.
