Case study: Kibera Stories

My name is Brian Otieno and I’m a documentary  photographer from Kibera slums in Kenya   and I run this instagram photography  project it’s called Kibera stories.   I always look around my community and looking for  interesting moments or just ordinary moments and   then I will capture them and share the  story with my audience on social media.

My stories I share them from an insider’s  perspective I was born here, I know my neighbourhood   and the stories that I share at this  story is that also a part of my life.

Yeah I just don’t go around my  camera pointing it at people’s faces   between the neighborhood they know me and  sometimes they always call me for to tell their   stories whether whenever there’s a birthday people  will call me to come and take photos even funeral   when there’s uh there’s fire people always  have my contacts and they call me oh there’s   a big fire come and take photos and I feel  like I’m also part of the community. You   know I feel like I’m a very important  part of the people that I represent.

I am, I’m a contributor to everyday Africa  which is a collective of photographers   all around the African continent who are  sharing images and stories which defines the   negative stereotypes about the continent. People  always have this thing about Africa there is a   is a place of war crime farming insecurity  hunger poverty you know children walking   shirtless people don’t have clothes you know  all the same people people are so uncivilized.  Those are the negative stereotypes but when you  come to everyday Africa you see a different Africa.  

Social media has enabled me to reach an  audience which I never thought I would ever   reach you know nowadays you even see my work in  the New York Times, the Guardian even Al Jazeera.