Sibomana Femia Samuel

NAME: Sibomana Femia Samuel

AGE: 23 years old

NATIONALITY: Burundian

INTEREST: Fashion Photography

"My goal is to become the superwoman of photography, focusing on fashion while also using photography to show the beauty of my country, Burundi, to the world."

 My interest in photography began with my love for doing photoshoots. I used to hire photographers in the community, such as Raiya Photography and MC Touchez, to take photos of me. Watching their work inspired me, and I thought, if I can hire others to take pictures of me, why can't I do the same and be a photographer myself? Whenever I had the opportunity, such as during school holidays, I dedicated myself to learning about photography. I would visit a studio run by Abdul, a member of the Burundi community in Kakuma, where he would teach me the basics of using a camera, such as how to focus or frame an image. After completing high school and learning the basics of photography through friends, I discovered the FilmAid media class and saw it as a great chance to improve my photography skills further.

After the class, I want to continue sharpening my photography skills and pursue a career as a fashion photographer. I am drawn to fashion photography because it has a significant market, but my biggest inspiration is my close friend, Nimbona Nadia. She is a beautiful model, but unfortunately, due to a leg injury, she has faced limited opportunities in modelling. I promised her that after completing this class and as I continue to improve my photography skills, I will capture stunning images of her and make her a worldwide trend!

 In Burundi, we have beautiful people, culture, and nature that are not seen by the world due to a lack of photographers. My goal is to change that by using photography to show the beauty and uniqueness of my country. Burundi's lack of female photographers inspired me to return there someday to inspire and empower girls by showing them they can be photographers!