Social entrepreneur Bonnie Chiu has founded multiple businesses, but the one we’re focusing in on today is her photography venture: Lensational. Lensational is a social endeavor that aims to have an impact on the lives of women all over the globe. Chiu found that in many cultures there are still traditionally patriarchal structures in which women are illiterate – a dilemma which cuts out a lot of the means by which people express themselves – so she decided to start Lensational. This business impacts the lives of women in many different cultures (which includes 23 different countries) by giving photography lessons and cameras to the women. Taking photos allows these women to express themselves where they are unable to use words to do so.
One example of a woman who has been impacted by Lensational is Joyce, a woman from the Maasai culture in Kenya. She’s 22 and married – but illiterate. Photography allows Joyce to express herself, and also to grow confidence when it comes to using technology.
What I found inspiring about Bonnie Chiu’s Lensational is that she took a hobby and looked at it from a different perspective – she took something that already exists and found new potential. It makes entrepreneurship look a lot simpler than the stereotypically dramatic image that you often see – not every idea is going to flip the planet on its head – a lot of the good ones simply make the lives of a few people better than they already were.
Read more about Lensational here:
http://www.impactmania.com/im/bonnie-chiu-the-impact-of-a-camera/
Below is a photo of Joyce, a 22 year old woman from Kenya, and someone who found the ability to express herself thanks to Lensational.
I very much admire the mission of this entrepreneurial endeavor. I love how she is using aesthetics to give people voices and practical skills. She is allowing them to capture beauty and, through that, we are seeing the unique and individual beauty of the people she is helping. I also appreciated how you pointed how that this isn’t an ingenious invention rather it is a simple and sweet way of helping people express themselves when other factors of life keep them from doing so. Great job on this post!