In the heart of Northern Tanzania lives one of the world’s last hunter-gatherer tribes, the Hadzabe. Numbering only a few thousand people, they live much as their ancestors did for tens of thousands of years: hunting with handmade bows, gathering wild honey, and foraging seasonal fruits and tubers. Their deep knowledge of the land, passed down orally through generations, is a living library of survival, ecology, and culture. This way of life, fragile yet invaluable, faces pressures from modernisation and shrinking land. Today, however, their voices are finding new ways to travel beyond their homeland, thanks to the power of storytelling and the lens of a camera.
Meet The African School of Storytelling (AFRISOS). Founded in 2020 and based in Arusha, Tanzania, AFRISOS believes that authentic narratives told by local people are essential to capturing the true essence of Africa’s diversity. Its mission is to preserve Africa’s natural and cultural heritage through community-driven storytelling.
A Partnership with the Hadzabe
For the past three years, AFRISOS has been working hand in hand with the Hadzabe community. The journey began with a 10-day hands-on photography training, where 10 Hadzabe participants were introduced to the fundamentals of photography, from aperture and ISO to composition. With cameras in their hands, they began capturing their lives, traditions, and environment from their own perspective.
The success of this program led to an expedition filmmaking workshop. Five international filmmakers from across Africa joined forces with the newly trained Hadzabe photographers. Together, they created five powerful short films, intimate stories told with a rare authenticity. These films were later screened within the community, celebrating the Hadzabe’s own voices on screen.
The Hadzabe Media Center
Since then, the collaboration between AFRISOS and the Hadzabe has grown into something lasting: the Hadzabe Media Center. This hub for storytelling, photography, and filmmaking is designed to give the community the skills and resources they need to document their own heritage for generations to come. It is more than a training space, it is a cultural archive, a creative laboratory, and a bridge between the Hadzabe and the wider world.
Interested in supporting this initiative? Every contribution, whether in the form of technical expertise, resources, or financial support, helps ensure that the Hadzabe can continue to tell their own stories, on their own terms. By supporting this project, you are doing more than donating equipment or funds, you are empowering Indigenous voices, preserving cultural heritage, and creating sustainable opportunities in film and media. Get in touch via Afrisos or hit the button below.