THE MISSION
Pronounced ‘KEY-oh,‘ our name means ‘mirror’ in Swahili and reminds us about the power of reflection—literally and figuratively.
We believe girls are innate leaders. This is how we prove it.
We exist for the moment when a girl looks at herself and sees her own power, and just as importantly, when a boy looks at a girl and sees a leader.
Why
Gender equality doesn’t happen by working with girls alone. Real change requires boys to witness and accept girls as leaders. That’s the world we’re building toward.
How
We teach photography to girls, who then teach it to boys. Girls step into their power. Boys learn to follow. Communities witness girls lead. The script that keeps gender inequality in place flips.
What
A camera. A curriculum. A peer-to-peer model designed for underestimated communities. Simple tools that create permanent shifts in how girls and boys see themselves and each other.
The Founding Story
I was walking through Cité Soleil, the largest slum in the Western Hemisphere located in Haiti, one of the poorest places on Earth. Trash littered the streets and dirty stagnant rainwater was often used as latrines. The sun pulsated directly overhead, bleaching the blue sky to a blinding white. Sweat droplets raced down my spine and pooled at my lower back. Children dressed in rags, or for some, in nothing at all, played a spirited game of soccer with a half-inflated ball. I snapped a picture of a group of rambunctious kids, only to have eager young hands grab at my camera to see the image captured on my screen.
The novelty of the reproduction faded and most darted off between the shanty houses. One remained, diligently pointing at each face on the screen, as if ticking them off in his head. He stopped at the last one. His own. He let out a burst of pure, innocent, giggling glee and scampered off. Alone, I realized that for people who have next to nothing, a mirror is an unattainable luxury. This child only met his reflection by process of elimination. For he knew which ones were his friends and which one was the stranger.
I stood there, dumbstruck. I never realized a person could walk through life without knowing her own physical self. But photography can change that. It lets a child see herself and her world through different eyes. By learning tangible skills and creating new avenues of self-expression, she can contribute to her life and her community.
And thus, the seed for KIOO was planted.
Babita Patel
Founder and Executive Director
JOIN US
Put a camera in a girl’s hands and see her be a leader.