After spending ten days in Guatemala with the Fotokids team and other board members, I'd like to share my personal perspective on our visit and the program. About five years ago, the board started holding yearly board meetings in Guatemala. This was our first after a two-year Covid hiatus.
I'm more excited than ever about the impact that the program is having on the lives, families, and communities of those in the program. During the visit, we attended the opening of the 30th Anniversary Retrospective in Antigua and visited the school and families in Guatemala City and Santiago Atitlan. We also squeezed in the annual board meeting.
Fotokids serves hundreds of at-risk children affected by poverty and violence by giving them a chance at a better life using photography, graphic design, media technology, and vocational training as tools for self-expression, creativity, leadership, and future employment. - Nancy McGirr, Founder
The students come from some of the poorest neighborhoods in Guatemala. Fotokids delivers a multi-year program that provides a safe, nurturing, inspiring path out of violence and poverty. It uses photography and creativity as the hook to engage the students twice a week at one of two facilities. All students are also required to attend traditional schools the entire time they're enrolled with Fotokids. (In Guatemala, government schools only run through 6th grade. The Fotokids students attend private schools, which run $600/year).
What I love about Fotokids:
- Every donation makes a huge impact. A small donation goes a long way. Fewer than $4/day covers scholarships for the Fotokids program as well as mainstream school.
- Personal connection. Each scholarship donor has a connection with a specific student. (sample of what the students send)
- Strong track record. The program has been running for 30 years. All of the managers of the program, including the Exec Dir, are graduates of the program.
- Impacts lives. The program makes a meaningful difference in the lives and futures of hundreds of students, families, and communities.
- Committed Leadership. The founder, staff, and board are all passionate and committed to the program. The fact that nearly all of the senior staff came up through the program speaks volumes.
- Highly relevant and a model for other organizations. The mission relates to a larger, important story about building opportunities in-country. It also addresses the root cause of many of the immigration debates.
The 30th Anniversary Retrospective
Nancy founded Fotokids more than thirty years ago. Evelyn was one of her first students.
More than 250 photos from the students over the past 30 years were exhibited in a series of rooms with a stunning gallery in Antigua, Guatemala. The exhibit is up and running through early 2023. [address: AECID Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en La Antigua Guatemala 6 avenida norte, Antigua Guatemala]
A sample of the students' work that is on exhibition.
All of the photos are for sale. Profits from the photos are fed back into the program. For current students, a percentage of the profit goes directly to the family of the photographer.
A few shots from the opening evening
Visiting the families
One of the most rewarding -- and intense -- parts of the board trips are the visits to the family's homes. In nearly all cases, the Fotokids students will be the first member of the family to graduate high school.
One of the extraordinary things about Fotokids is that most of the teaching staff are ex-Fotokids themselves, who grew up in similar conditions, went through the program, graduated high school (and university for many), and then returned to teach in the program. This is important because they are able to relate to the daily challenges faced by most of the students.
All the homes had corrugated roofs, most also had corrugated walls. In some homes, children slept on the floor; in others, they cooked over an open indoor flame. Eleven people lived in one home, in what can't have been more than 300sqft.
Guatemala City
Berlin, on the right, is one of the leaders of Fotokids in Guatemala City. On this visit, he explains to a father how he grew up in a home in a very similar environment and, thanks to Fotokids, was able to graduate high school and get a job.
Between the men is an iron and an ironing board. It is important to the families that the kids show up to school in clean, pressed clothes.
Santiago Atitlan Families
The family visits are touching and uplifting, but also emotionally intense and challenging. Resilience and Optimism were the characteristics that stood out for me during the visits.
The Fotokids Program
While Fotokids provides a scholarship to ensure the kids can attend traditional middle school and high school, it is at the Fotokids' classes where the magic happens.
The students, ages 10 - 18, come to a Fotokids facility twice a week.
At the start of the program, students learn the history of photography, the basics of how a camera works, and how to think about light and the elements of their environment. They also being learning computer and digital skills in their first year.
Early on, they get to feel the satisfaction of creating their first photobook.
The classes get more sophisticated as the program advances. Computer and digital skills start around 13 years old, and by 18 students are working with clients and developing portfolios.
Throughout the program, they gain experience presenting their work to their peers and adults.
Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator are used extensively throughout the program.
Lake Atitlan -- An exhibit of the students' work
Why Fotokids works
The Fotokids program works on three important levels:
- Ensures Safety & Nutrition. Get the kids off the street, away from gangs, and give them something nutritious to fill their bellies.
- Develops Skills: Teaches the skills necessary to find jobs. This includes hard skills like computers, design, and software combined with soft skills like presenting, client management, and collaboration
- Cultivates a Growth Mindset / Motivation / Confidence: The Fotokids process helps cultivate a belief within the students that they are able to create a better future. Part of this is due to the fact that the teachers serve as role models showing that there is a way out of poverty.
A personal note. As a father of a son and daughter, I was impressed with how Fotokids breaks down gender stereotypes and strives to develop young men of character. In many of the communities where Fotokids works, there's a strongly patriarchal culture despite the fact that there's a high rate of paternal absenteeism combined with rampant alcoholism. Domestic abuse is a common theme too.
Because the teachers come from the same economic backgrounds, they are living proof that there is a better way.
The Origins - It started in the dump
The program started with Nancy McGirr teaching photography to kids in the dump. She had been a Reuters photojournalist covering wars in the 1980s across Central and South America. After witnessing too many people being killed, she wanted to give back. From this, "Out of the Dump," the precursor to Fotokids, was born. Many of today's students have siblings and parents working in and around the dumps. The program's current executive director, Evelyn Mancilla, was one of those kids from the dump.
A short video I shot of people scavenging the dump looking for food and items to recycle.
The Graduates
It's about creating a better life for the students. I've been fortunate to have attended several graduation ceremonies. The pride and happiness of the parents and grandparents are touching. There are prideful tears as they see their children head off for a broader life filled with opportunities they never imagined possible.
How you can help
In 2023, we are planning on 70 new students. Each student requires a scholarships for the Fotokids program plus a scholarship for the traditional School. Combined these are $1,200/year (or just over $3.00 per day). If you are in a position to help, your donation will have a major impact. Even a small donation will have a significant impact on these students and their families. The goal for this season is $82K (70 students X ($600 = $600)).
- Fotokids Scholarships. ($600). We are seeking sponsors who will sponsor the core Fotokids Media Arts/IT and vocational training program.
- Educational scholarship ($600). There is a lack of government funded schools beyond the 6th grade. The education that exists is substandard with a high drop-out rate. Fotokids require students to be enrolled (and performing) in a traditional school.
- University Scholarship. ($3,000). We are proud to say that several students have an opportunity to attend university. They need our help to fulfill that dream.
- Ongoing Costs. This includes the costs of cameras, computers, supplies, and teachers. During Covid, some of these costs were used to purchase food baskets to ensure the families were able to feed their families. A contribution of any size will have an impact and be appreciated.
Fotokids is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
If you'd like to join for a live Zoom update with me and Nancy McGirr, Fotokids founder, please join on
- Monday, November 28th
- 6:30PM (Pacific)
- Zoom = https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3981175721
Thanks for stopping by.
Many thanks to our donors for your generous support over the years.
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We have a very engaged board of directors and advisors:
Current Board Members
- Daniel Huecker (President) School Superintendent, Ed Tech Innovator, MIT Media Studies, Peace Corp in 🇬🇹
- Austin Lau (Vice President) Partnerships & business development executive from Google, YouTube, WordPress.com, GoPro.
- Mark Cratzenberg (Secretary) Telecommunications executive with extensive international experience.
- Matt Strain (Treasurer) Technology executive from Apple and Adobe with extensive international experience, marketing, and technology experience.
- Douglas Farah Expert with U.S. government agencies and development threats/risks across Latin America.
- Georgiana Young Senior executive w/ international sales, marketing and business development non-profits.
- Mykell Winterowd Independent Mental Health Care Professional with global and in-country experience with the Peace Corp. 🇬🇹-based
Prior board members and current advisors
- Nancy McGirr Founder. Photojournalist who started working for UPI in the 1980s across Central America specializing in war photography. Nancy won the Lucie Humanitarian Award, and her work has been recognized by the NYT, BBC, ABC, the Guardian, and many more.. 🇬🇹-based for 35+ years.
- Evelyn Mansilla (Exec Director) Fotokids Graduate, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, 🇬🇹-based
- Royce Nicolaisen Chairman and CEO at Otis McAllister, global food distribution company with 🇬🇹 expertise. (prior board member)
- Dr. Logan Robertson Educational consultant, workshop facilitator, and grant writer. Logan earned her doctorate in education. (prior board member)
- Walt Trask International banking executive with extensive Latin American experience (prior board member)
- Deborah O’Grady Accomplished Fine art photographer and videographer with cutting edge, commercial work on soundscape design (prior board member)
Please contact me with any questions or comments (including travel tips for Guatemala)
mjstrainsf @ gmail . com