Thoughtful, technical, transformative: Canon’s Certified Trainers

Speak to any educator and every single one will have a memory of a special moment in their classroom. Those times when struggling students shine or learners grow in confidence. They might think back to the pride they felt as a student’s hard work is rewarded with results. Our Canon Certified Trainers in the Miraisha Programme are no different in this regard – even though, for many of them, teaching is a happy addition to their careers.

You see, it takes a certain kind of person to be a Canon Certified Trainer in the Miraisha Programme. Someone who is already a photography or filmmaking professional but who can also see the bigger picture of Africa’s creative industry. Because every person who undertakes our rigorous training programme does so in the knowledge that, by teaching the necessary skills that create careers, they are also putting the local narrative back into the hands of young African storytellers. They join us knowing that this is a responsibility that extends way beyond the classroom – the images and films of the people they teach can, will and do travel.

As a result, the people who jump at the chance to be a Miraisha trainer are as passionate about bringing new voices to the fore as they are about their own creative practice. It’s simply an additional way that they live and breathe life with a camera. Take Austen Udoh, for example. At first, he was known in his local community as the go-to person for all things photography, never without his trusty Canon EOS 7D, which he happily used as a teaching tool with his friends and peers. Eventually he was appointed as technical team lead at a professional photography studio in Lagos Nigeria, taking his expertise to the next level. And this is where he met the team from Canon and took the plunge to become a Canon Certified Trainer with the encouragement of his boss. “It was a dream come true for me,” he says.

The training programme is no walk in the park – even for someone as experienced as Austen. It’s a combination of in-classroom learning, one-to-one coaching and observed live training which can take up to a year to complete. Each prospective trainer must demonstrate expert presentation skills, while also being in tune to the learning needs and experiences of their students. They must be able to plan and structure lessons and be an exceptional communicator, while applying the principles of active learning, allowing students to independently problem solve, collaborate and explore.

The key to Miraisha’s success is that it is not simply technical skills training. It connects students with their visual voice and provides a safe space to explore subjects that are meaningful and sometimes deeply personal. So, in this respect, each Canon Certified Trainer must also have sensitivity in abundance to be able to guide their students when they step into themes that may be challenging. “The most interesting part for me,” says Austen, “is where you talk to the students, and find out why they really want to do this.” Understanding the motivation of learners is incredibly important for our trainers. It’s the basis of any tweaks and adjustments they make to ensure that student needs are being catered for. While Miraisha has structure, it also offers space. 

‘Paying it forward’ is also a very real thing for the Miraisha programme. In 2018, a young man from the Ilaje Bariga community named Tore Oraise was a student in Austen’s classroom. He was in awe of his new teacher, who showed him kindness, patience and a new way of learning. So, Tore decided that wherever Miraisha was, he would be there too. “When I love something, I give my all to it,” he says. Today he is a successful freelance photographer, Canon Certified Trainer (delivering sessions for both Miraisha and Canon Academy programmes) and a role model in his community. “Canon never saw me as a boy from a slum,” he says. “I want to take that feeling and it spread around.”

Tore isn’t the only one to have taken this path. Watsemba Miriam fell in “love at first sight” when Canon Certified Trainer John Wambugu first put a camera in her hand and, in her own words, “my photography, career and life changed completely!” During her time with Miraisha, Miriam was also taught by Georgina Goodwin and the late Sumy Sadurni. “Georgina showed me how to become a documentary storyteller and Sumy was my inspiration – she helped me to master my camera like a pro, and I made it my goal to become a Canon Certified Trainer, like her,” she says. “I met so many wonderful people through Miraisha.” Today, she teaches and inspires others through the Miraisha Programme and is especially happy to guide women and girls on their path to creative careers in her home of Uganda and beyond.

When you are used to being behind the camera, it takes courage and commitment to be the face at the front of the classroom, but those who do so never regret it – simply because seeing the results of their work is so powerful. Watching their students’ confidence soar with every new and exciting task, and seeing their work grow in skill, sophistication and maturity is a huge thrill that every one of our 21 Canon Certified Trainers shares. “I feel like I’m preserving photography and handing it to the next generation,” smiles Austen. “That gives me fulfilment.”

Learn more about the Canon Miraisha Programme.