Community Albums

“I wish all adults, and parents, and all guardians, would give respect to children because at one time in the future they’ll be big, and very useful people in our communities.” ~ This is the voice of Norbert, grinning as he speaks for the children of Kampala through his very own Community Album...

A month into my stay in Kampala, things are getting really exciting. Last week I had the opportunity to meet two guys who flew here from the UK to start something called Community Albums with our network projects. Through the group of 113 projects we have linked up here in Kampala, Viva is hosting Community Albums on its first venture outside of the UK.
What is Community Albums? It’s all about giving children the power to talk and the opportunity to be heard. Rob and Simon taught the children how to use computers, cameras, voice recorders and editing software. Then the children went into their neighbourhoods to record bits of their lives, compose songs, film plays and take pictures to share with the world on Community Albums’ website.

The training day was lots of fun. Children from different projects had a chance to meet new friends and work together to make their own videos. They learned how to mix beats, sang into a professional microphone, synthesised instruments, and edited the final product. One of the girls, an energetic 16-year-old called Cynthia, is actually working on a full-length play called ‘Made in God’s Image’ to produce through Community Albums.

The children also learned to edit photos and make videos. The excitement grew as they interacted with technology and saw how easy it was, and finally saw and heard the results of their work. On Monday morning it was especially exciting to show children how to use a computer. For some of them it was their first time in front of a monitor and holding a mouse. One of the girls was very quiet and very focused on the assignment. At the end she called me and whispered in my ear, “I want to keep learning, I want to do it again.”

One of the most important things that Community Albums offers is the opportunity to help the kids see that they are able to do great stuff for themselves. At the end of the training we saw many happy faces full of excitement to see themselves on the screen, to hear their voices and to see that they were able to create a film that communicates who they are.

Fifteen children from five projects came out, and took cameras and computers back to their own neighbourhoods to record a day in their life. And because of the individuals and churches that sponsored this first trip out of the UK, we were able to get real professional equipment that could be left at Viva so the children could keep using it at their projects.

The theme given to the kids is: “If you were on a stage, and the world was your audience, what would you say?” Here are some of the things they’ve come up with to say to the world, during their first day of training at the Viva office in Kampala.

“If the world was my audience, I would tell them to put Jesus first in your life. Yes, that is what my words would be.”

“It’s our right as children to be educated!”

“I have a message for you from Jeremiah 1:5. ‘God knew us when we are still in our mother’s womb,’ and that means that God cares about us, God gives us protection, and God can care for us everything we want. God can give us everything we need.”

“I have good news for you! That you should love one another as God loved you.”

It’s going to be amazing to see what other things these kids will say to the world as Community Albums rolls on in Kampala. Rob and Simon are going home this week, but Viva and the network will make sure Community Albums keeps helping children learn to use their own voice. I wish every child could have this opportunity!


~T. in Kampala


Please visit http://communityalbums.com/communities/children-at-risk-action-network to see all the photos and videos

To learn more about what Viva is doing in Africa, visit http://www.viva.org/