About Us
Lensational is a non-profit social enterprise, founded on the International Women’s Day of 2013,
with the mission of equipping women from underrepresented groups and communities with cameras and photography
training so they can express themselves and represent themselves with dignity.
We believe in empowering women through photography. This includes:
- Emotional Empowerment: Gaining access to cameras gives women a new way to express themselves freely and to retain memories. Therapeutic photography is also a proven counselling technique to overcome social isolation.
- Economic Empowerment: Our students will receive 50% of the revenue once their photographs are sold through Lensational’s online platform and partner agencies. With photography skills, they can also pursue freelance photography opportunities.
On March 8, 2013, International Women's Day marked the birth of Lensational, a registered Non-profit Social Enterprise in Hong Kong. The inception of Lensational was founded by Bonnie Chiu from personal encounters that inspired the recognition that, in situations where language acted as a barrier to communication, photography could serve as a universal language. Furthermore, in a world where women are frequently constrained by biased stereotypes, photography emerged as a means for women to articulate their own voices and authentically portray themselves. Our initial programs were launched in Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Myanmar.
The period spanning from 2014 to 2019 witnessed remarkable and rapid expansion for Lensational as we piloted our approach in new countries and contexts. Collaborating with a dedicated network of volunteers, we successfully extended our training initiatives to encompass 16 new countries across Asia, South Asia and Africa. Furthermore, during this phase, Lensational achieved official registration as a charitable organization in the United Kingdom
At the onset of 2020, we made a deliberate choice to transition to a bottom-up approach and streamline our operations to cover fewer countries. This pivotal decision coincided with the appointment of our current CEO, Lydia Wanjiku, as the first full-time Global Director for Programmes. This strategic shift was driven by our belief that organizational leadership should be in closer proximity to the regions where our programs are active.
When COVID struck we set out to ensure the safety of both our volunteers and storytellers. Additionally we committed financial resources help in supporting visual advocacy campaigns around health messages, especially targeting women with low income which encompassed majority of our photographers.
In 2021, we were well-prepared for the commencement of innovative collaborations aimed at enabling our photographers' stories to reach policy makers and foster meaningful dialogues. In May 2021, we initiated an ongoing partnership with the National Adaptation Plan Global Network (NAP GN), with the overarching objective of amplifying the voices of underrepresented women in adaptation planning under an initiative called Envisioning Resilience.
In 2023, we have witnessed a multifaceted impact and significant progress. We have launched the "Envisioning Resilience" initiative in Jamaica and are on the verge of commencing a similar project in Rwanda. we have witnessed a surge in interest in the work of our photographers, with both individuals and institutions expressing a desire to commission these photographers for various assignments.