Tendo Racheal
UGANDA
Tendo (she/her)is a social activist whose journey of six years centers around the fusion of media production & advocacy. With a commitment to justice and human rights, she has emerged as a powerful youth voice for justice in Uganda. Using media as her canvas, Tendo weaves stories that illuminate societal issues and through compelling storytelling, she amplifies the narratives of marginalized communities. From advocating for disability rights to gender mainstreaming, her work inspires tangible change.
[after the screening] we had guests from the electoral commission of Uganda, who realized that they have been categorizing persons with [disabilities] unfairly when documenting voting rights and as we speak, we are less than 2 years away from election year and the electoral commission is running an inclusive campaign to ensure all persons with disabilities are fairly included in the voting process nationally.Tendo Racheal
What role do you think art can play in social change?
Think about how many things you learn, un-learn and re-learn while you are scrolling through social media. This is exactly what I am trying to achieve with digital inclusion for persons with disabilities. I want to share their lived realities, struggles and achievements in hopes to drive out the discrimination and promote social inclusion, and art and media is the best tool for that kind of advocacy.
How does your artistic practice amplify or support social movements?
After the screening event of my documentary 'Born to Run', most of the 120 guests that attended mentioned how the event opened their eyes to the lived experiences of persons with albinism. In a very special way, we had guests from the electoral commission of Uganda, who realized that they have been categorizing persons with albinism unfairly when documenting voting rights and as we speak, we are less than 2 years away from election year and the electoral commission is running an inclusive campaign to ensure all persons with disabilities are fairly included in the voting process nationally. These kinds of conversations warm my heart and to me, I have achieved exactly what I was hoping to happen while people watch the documentary.
What does this award mean for you and your practice?
This award adds credibility to my work, locally and globally, and I hope that through this credibility I can forge meaningful and long-term partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations to continue creating impact in our communities.
Featured work
