Lens On Africa Exhibit Captures Stories of Faith and Resilience

In a quiet church, a collection of photographs invites guests to pause, look closer, and reflect on what they think they know about the people and places of Africa. The Lens On Africa photography and storytelling exhibit, presented by Emma Fuller of SIM Stories, brings together compelling images and personal narratives that reveal the everyday beauty, resilience, and faith found in communities across the continent. Through intimate portraits and moments of daily life, the exhibit moves beyond headlines and stereotypes, offering viewers a more human and nuanced perspective that is framed through the lens of lived experience and meaningful connection.

Photography and video are powerful for sharing human stories that inspire connection and deep reflection. I recently caught up with Fuller to unravel the inspiration behind the exhibit. SIM is a missions organization that works with churches around the world to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in communities where He is least known. The Lens On Africa storytelling photography exhibit, held from March 13th to 15th in Kitchener, Ontario and I had the pleasure of attending. During our conversation, Fuller shared her journey of capturing the stories of people in the communities she serves, the impact this has made upon her life, and why others should care enough to get involved.

Please share a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo and worked in the corporate video production world for about six years before leaving to serve in missions. I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was about ten years old and I was obsessed with making movies with my friends. Even then, I believed that film and storytelling had the power to change the world. For me, story has always been about connection and giving people a glimpse into worlds they might otherwise never experience.

What led you to consider serving with SIM East Africa?

From the age of sixteen, I had this inexplicable draw toward missions and sensed that media might be a way I could serve. While I was in university, I had the opportunity to go on a short-term missions trip to Honduras, and that experience really sparked a deeper desire in me to pursue missions.

During that trip I filmed what we were doing and later put together a video to share with our church when we returned. That was one of the first times I saw how storytelling and media could help people feel connected to what God was doing somewhere else in the world.

After university, I began exploring what serving in missions might look like for me, and in 2022 God opened the door for me to go to Kenya to serve with the SIM Stories East Africa team. I was drawn to SIM as an organization because of the variety of ways missions was being lived out. It felt like there was no limit to where or how someone could get involved, it was all about following where God was leading.

How long have you served with SIM, and what countries have you travelled to during this time?
I served for 19 months on a short-term mission assignment, which was a season for me to discern whether God might be calling me to serve long-term. During that time, I traveled to Malawi, South Sudan, Northern Nigeria, and several places throughout Kenya.

You’ve encountered several people in Africa from different walks of life and have helped capture their stories. What are some of the things that have inspired you most about the people you’ve interacted with?

I’ve been most inspired by people’s openness to share their stories with me. Often when I went to film and interview someone, it was the very first time we were meeting. In those moments, people would share testimonies that sometimes included deep hardship or trauma, and I was always struck by their willingness to invite me into their world and trust me with their story.

As a storyteller, I’ve had the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, and it’s truly a gift to listen, learn from them personally, and then share their stories with others. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. What I learned during my time there is that the moments spent building relationship, connecting and creating a space where someone feels safe to share, gave me a glimpse of how God sees them. The openness people showed me was a true honour.

Tell me about the goal and intent of the Lens On Africa event.
The Lens On Africa event came from a desire to create an experience that reminds people of the power of story. After returning from Kenya and preparing to go back long-term, I was looking for a way to share moments that had personally changed me.

Many of the images in the exhibit are not from my formal work with SIM, but rather small moments I captured along the way, moments that stayed with me. I wanted to share them in a way that allows others to have their own experience with the stories behind them.

The Lens On Africa exhibit is designed as a storytelling experience. You’ll find photographs of animals, people, and landscapes. There is video footage playing on loop that brings some of the images to life, and a few audio moments where you can actually hear the places represented in the photos. The goal is to bring small moments to life and remind us that it’s often through story and connection that we are changed.

What roles do digital and visual media play in connecting the global church and furthering its mission?
In this digital age, media helps transform information into invitation. Visual storytelling provides context for people and places we might otherwise never see or understand.

My hope in sharing these stories with churches is that people would be reminded of their role in the global Church, whether that looks like praying for missions around the world, supporting missionaries, or reaching out to communities in their own neighborhoods. Media helps us feel connected to what God is doing globally and reminds us that we each have a part to play in His mission.

Do you have a favourite story from the ones you have captured?

It’s hard to choose a favourite because each story impacted me in different ways, but one that stands out is from the Dye Pits in Nigeria. I had the opportunity to photograph a man named Mahmud as he worked. Watching him create was incredible, there was such joy and focus in the way he approached his craft.

What stood out to me even more was the delight he had when he saw how interested we were in what he was creating. It was such a fascinating place to photograph, and I remember walking into the dye pits that day, seeing him, and thinking, “He looks like the very essence of this place.” It was a picture-perfect moment and a reminder of the joy that photography can hold.

Describe your creative process.
My process looks a little different depending on whether I’m working in video or photography, but one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of holding plans with open hands. I often start with an idea of the story I think I might tell, but when I go to interview someone, the story can take a completely different direction.

Over time, I’ve learned to leave room for the story to unfold rather than trying to force it into the box I imagined. Many of the moments in this exhibit became meaningful stories not just because they were beautiful images, but because I allowed space for God to teach me something through them.

More and more, my creative process is about listening, observing, and paying attention to moments that might surprise me.

Do people require special skills like yours to get involved in serving with SIM?

Anyone can serve with SIM. What matters most is being willing to follow how God is calling you and having a heart for His people.

One of the things I appreciate most about SIM is the wide range of backgrounds represented among those serving. There are teachers, doctors, bakers, artists, people using all kinds of gifts and skills. Missions is ultimately about building relationships with people who don’t yet know Jesus, and God often surprises us by using our skills in ways we never expected.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
One of the things I hope people experience when they walk through Lens On Africa is a reminder that story has the power to change how we see the world. These images capture small moments, moments of work, joy, beauty, and everyday life, but behind each one is a person, a place, and a deeper story of what God is doing.

My hope is that as people engage with these stories, they’ll be reminded that the global Church is deeply connected. The work God is doing around the world isn’t distant from us, it’s something we’re invited to be part of through prayer, encouragement, and sometimes even going ourselves.

Ultimately, I hope people leave the exhibit not just seeing Africa differently, but also recognizing the power of story in their own lives and the ways God might be inviting them into His story.

Reflecting on this interview and the Lens On African Exhibit, I can’t help but admit that Fuller’s story is truly inspiring and a great testament of what’s possible when we use our gifts to serve others. If you are in the Kitchener area this weekend, be sure to check out the exhibit. Otherwise, you can support Fuller’s work at her website: emma-fuller-sim-stories.mailchimpsites.com