Boniface Mwangi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boniface Mwangi
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Mwangi in 2018 holding Nanjala Nyabola's book
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| Born | 10 July 1983 |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
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Boniface Mwangi, born on July 10, 1983, is a Kenyan photojournalist, politician, and activist. He is well-known for his strong photos of the violence that happened in Kenya after the 2007 elections. Mwangi works hard to bring about positive social change in his country.
Contents
Early Life and School
Boniface Mwangi was born in Taveta, Kenya, a town close to the border with Tanzania. When he was six, he went to live with his grandparents in Nyeri, in Central Kenya. His mother was a businesswoman.
Later, he moved to Nairobi to live with his mother. They lived in different neighborhoods. During this time, Boniface sometimes left school and helped his mother sell books.
His Career Journey
Becoming a Photojournalist
After his mother passed away in 2000, when Boniface was 17, he decided to make a change in his life. He joined a Bible school and earned a diploma in biblical studies. While there, he became very interested in photography. He was inspired by a famous Kenyan photographer named Mohamed Amin.
Even without finishing high school, Boniface got into a private journalism school. He kept selling books on the street to pay for his studies. Soon, he started working as a photojournalist. His photos were published in The Standard newspaper. In 2005, he won his first photography awards. Within three years, he became known internationally as one of Africa's most promising photographers. He won the CNN Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award in both 2008 and 2010.
Working for Change
Boniface Mwangi stopped working as a journalist after seeing and taking pictures of the violence that followed the 2007 elections in Kenya. This experience made him feel very sad and stressed.
His first big project was called Picha Mtaani, which means "photos in the street" in Swahili. This was a traveling exhibition of his photos from the 2007 violence. It was shown all over Kenya to help people talk about peace and healing. More than 600,000 people saw the exhibition. A documentary called Heal the Nation was also shown, mostly in poorer areas.
After these projects, Mwangi became a strong voice for human rights. He spoke out against bad leadership and corruption. He also promoted peace for the 2013 elections with projects like MaVulture and Team Courage. Team Courage is a group in Nairobi that encourages citizens to work together to build a better Kenya.
In 2011, he started Pawa 254. This is a special place where artists and activists can meet and work together. They aim to create social change and improve Human rights in Kenya.
His Political Path
Boniface Mwangi started his own political party called Ukweli Party. He ran for the member of Parliament seat in the Starehe Constituency during the 2017 Kenyan general election.
Family Life
Boniface Mwangi is married to Hellen Njeri Mwangi. They work together at Pawa 254. They have three children.
Awards and Recognition
- Time magazine named him one of their Next Generation Leaders in 2015.
- In 2020, New African magazine listed Mwangi as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans.
Images for kids
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Mwangi in 2018 holding Nanjala Nyabola's book
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Mwangi (left) at the 2017 Halifax International Security Forum
