A camera can freeze a moment, but 90 Kenyan creatives proved that it can also open a window into lives being transformed. From classrooms and healthcare facilities to small businesses, the Capture the Good Challenge has turned everyday community stories into powerful narratives of impact.
Launched in May 2026 by the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations, the nationwide initiative invited photographers and videographers to document real stories of transformation across Kenya. The challenge focused on three key pillars: education, health and economic empowerment.
The response was far beyond a small creative competition. A total of 6,285 applications were received from content creators across the country. Following the vetting process, 2,185 participants were approved to proceed to fieldwork, giving them an opportunity to venture into communities and capture stories demonstrating how Foundation programmes were changing lives.
The fieldwork phase eventually produced 1,155 entries submitted for judging. From this pool, 360 entries advanced to the regional stage, where creativity, storytelling and the ability to demonstrate meaningful community impact helped determine the winners.
The regional competition produced 90 winners, comprising 45 photographers and 45 videographers. But the initiative was designed to offer more than recognition and prize money. It also sought to invest in the professional development of the creatives behind the cameras.
The regional winners participated in the Capture the Good Masterclass, a two-day programme led by experienced professionals in photography and videography storytelling. The masterclass allowed the creatives to sharpen their storytelling skills and strengthen their ability to communicate social impact through visual content.
The regional winners were also rewarded for their work. Thirty Gold winners received KES100,000 each, while 30 Silver winners were awarded KES75,000 each. Another 30 Bronze winners received KES50,000 each, recognising different levels of achievement while giving the creatives financial support to further their professional journeys.
At the heart of the challenge, however, are the communities featured in the stories.
The education pillar of the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations highlights efforts aimed at creating opportunities for learners and improving access to education.
The health pillar focuses on initiatives that seek to strengthen healthcare access and improve the wellbeing of communities.
Meanwhile, the economic empowerment pillar shines a light on programmes that help individuals and communities build livelihoods, develop skills and create sustainable economic opportunities.
Through the three pillars, the challenge shifted attention from simply producing attractive photographs and videos to telling stories with a deeper human meaning.
The competition has now entered its national finale.
After the 90 regional winners resubmitted their work during the masterclass, 18 finalists were shortlisted to compete at the national level. The final stage has placed the public at the centre of determining the ultimate winners. Voting ran until Sunday, August 30, 2026.
From thousands of applications to hundreds of field stories, 90 regional winners and 18 national finalists, Capture the Good has demonstrated the power of visual storytelling to document impact.
More importantly, it has given Kenyan creatives a chance to show that behind every statistic, programme or community project is a human story waiting to be seen.