They Don't Just Hire You. They Have to Believe in You.
A behind the scene moment of Viola a Cotton on Supported student in Rakai giving back to her community as a secondary Teacher.
I sent a proposal once to an NGO based right in Kampala. Good work in my portfolio, fair budget, nice show reel, I knew their subject matter inside and out. They hired a production company from Nairobi.
No explanation. Just "we went in a different direction."
That is the reality of being a documentary filmmaker in Uganda. You understand the stories better than anyone they will hire instead of you but clients still look outside. If it comes from abroad, it must be better.
So you become the fixer for the person who got the job you could have done better. And it is exhausting.
But when a client actually believes in you? Everything changes. Last year someone gave me a proper brief, a fair budget, and said: "We trust your vision just tell the story." What we made was the best work of my career. Because I was free to actually see the people in front of my lens of my Sony Camera.
And honestly this was never about getting rich. It is about being part of the impact. When a story changes how people see a community, when it moves someone to act, when it preserves something that would have been forgotten I want to have had a hand in that. My name on that film is not just a credit. It is proof that I was there, that I contributed something real, that my expertise shaped the way that story was told and felt.
That is what gets taken away when you are overlooked. Not just the income, the meaning.
Hiring a local filmmaker is not the cheaper option. It is the smarter one. I don't need a translator. I don't need two weeks to understand context. I already know that you don't point a camera at a grandmother in Busoga or Buganda without first sitting down and greeting her properly.
That knowledge took years. It shows in the work.
Support local creatives not as a favour, but because you will get a better film, told by someone who is part of that community.
From Being Supported to Telling the Stories
Filming a secondary school Teacher.
Recently, I had the opportunity to film a student who was supported by the Cotton On Foundation in Rakai Southern Uganda. As I stood behind the camera, listening to her share her dreams and experiences, I felt so happy about it.
It took me right back to my own school days, when journalists would visit our classrooms to capture stories just like this stories of hope, resilience, and the power of education. Back then, I was one of the students receiving support from a charity organisation called Plan international. I remember how exciting it felt to know that someone cared enough to share our journey with the world.
Now, years later, I find myself on the other side of the lens in southern Uganda telling stories instead of being part of them. But the feeling is still the same a quiet pride, a deep gratitude, and a belief in the power of education to change lives.
It’s truly heartening to see how organizations like the Cotton On Foundation continue to empower young girls and transform communities through access to education. I’m honored to play a small role in helping share these stories because I know firsthand just how much they matter.