Mastercard Enablement Programme Fellows - A Year On
Last February, we were delighted to announce the three inaugural fellows of our Talents Footprints - Mastercard Enablement Programme. Dedicated to doing well by doing good, the Mastercard Enablement Programme provides the fellows with mentoring, financial support and public awareness for their film-related social initiatives in their local communities.
Now, almost a year down the line, we are excited to share that our fellows have still been working hard to create sustainable change. We caught up with them in Peru, South Africa and Pakistan to see how their fellowships have been going so far.
Diego Sarmiento was selected for his work on The Seeds Project, an educational project for indigenous children in the Peruvian Andes. Through screenings and classes at rural schools, protagonists from his documentary "Mothers of the Land" pass on their knowledge of traditional organic farming practices and pride in their Quechua heritage.
Anam Abbas was selected for her work on the Documentary Association of Pakistan, a pilot mentorship and training scheme in the city of Quetta. Working with ten emerging documentary makers from the Hazara, Baloch and Pashtun ethnic communities, the project's aim is to overcome sectarian and ethnic division in an otherwise vibrant cultural centre of Pakistan.
Sydelle Willow Smith was selected for her work on Sunshine Cinema, a solar-powered cinema network with screenings in rural communities in Sambia, Simbabwe and Malawi. Young people are provided with mobile kits called 'The Sunbox' and are trained to become media facilitators, sparking conversation in their communities inspired by the power of African film.
