Monica Marura: Lamu woman paving the way for female videographers in remote island

Monica Marura, a 30-year-old mother of two, is breaking barriers and paving the way for other young women in one of the most conservative communities in Kenyan society.

As a female videographer, Monica has faced numerous challenges since she started working in the field seven years ago.

Her journey began when her husband who is also a videographer, could not cover a wedding event that was strictly for women due to Islamic rules.

This particular event was for the women of Lamu, and they needed a female videographer to capture their precious moments.

He introduced Monica to the field, and she agreed to take up the opportunity, even though she had no prior training or experience.

For Monica, it was not an easy journey. Being a woman alone, she faced many challenges in a male-dominated industry.

Moreover, as a Christian, she was required to camouflage herself by wearing a hijab while covering Islamic functions.

This would confuse her clients, who often expected her to perform prayers with them, thinking she was a Muslim.

Despite these challenges, Monica managed to become one of the few women in the field of audiovisual media in Lamu.

Monica is determined to take her career further by training more girls in the field.

She believes that many young girls have an interest in videography and photography, but they lack role models to guide them.

By training more girls, Monica hopes to empower them to make a living by following their passions.

Monica encourages young girls to pursue their dreams and work hard to achieve their goals.

She believes that this is the only way to change their lives and pave the way for others in their communities.

''My dream is to young girls from lamu embrace this field as day go by we are becoming old and of we don't creates opportunity for young girls then this field will be only dominated by men I believe in what a man can do a woman can do better,'' she said.

Monica remains optimistic that the field of photography and videography will have more girls from Lamu and improve their economic prosperity.

With her determination and positive attitude, Monica Marura is an inspiration to many young women in Kenya and beyond.