Exclusive interview with Penjo Baba

Alison: Hi Grand frère, thanks for agreeing to this interview. Penjo: Thanks so much, pleasure is mine.

Alison: First off, who is Penjo? (Full names, age, occupation & background)

Penjo: Hahaha Alison, you really want to know my real names and my age? Well my name is Peter Njodzeka. I am 38, a Cinematographer, Photographer and a Philanthropist.

My background; I grew up in Nso with my family, and after school in 1997 left for Yaoundé where I started the real life through ICT training and learning from my older brother. You can imagine how tough and challenging the computer world was at that time. Since then, my passion for ICT and electronics moved on until this moment.

Alison: If you were to describe yourself in three words, what will you say?

Penjo: I’m learning everyday.

Alison: Please can you tell us about your educational background?

Penjo: Like I said earlier, I did my education in Kumbo and later moved on to the new technology and community development world.

Alison: What made you go into photography?

Penjo: Wow! This is the question I love so much. To me, photography and cinematography is not something I ever had in mind before when I was growing up. But through my computer works, I came across a United State NGO (Engineers Without Borders) in 2005. After taking time to read what it meant, I developed the passion for community service.

I contacted them on several occasions where we exchanged a series of emails until when God blessed me with a long term partnership with them to carry out a community water Project in Nkuv Cameroon. We received different trainings on water project, realizations, management and health on hygiene and sanitation education.

Thereafter, I continued with this community drive and later came across another US based NGO, Thirst Relief International still in the same sector. They funded some projects for different communities in Cameroon for over 6 years, which my NGO Life and Water Development Group Cameroon executed.

As part of evaluating these numerous projects, I was required to send monthly report for the implemented projects. This was where I had to send in photographs of the projects at each stage. Then, I could not lay hands on a personal camera for the above use; rather I went on borrowing a regular analog digital Camera from friends to make do with the photos that I so badly needed for my project.

The Chairperson, Jim Hicks of the Thirst Relief NGO who was a photographer at the time so much appreciated my photography. That was when I realized that I could develop that talent and l started researching and reading a lot on Photography online, and from friends whom I came across.

By so doing l intensified my savings to buy a professional Camera for myself. Today, after acquiring all what l have and called Penjo Entertainment, I fine more pleasure in the job I do. I call it my Passion.

Alison How does it feel being one of the biggest professional photographers in the industry? And what are some of the challenges you face?

Penjo: To be sincere with you, the beginnings are always tough. Maybe I didn't see mine as tough because I did not start off as a photographer but as a philanthropist.

I am self-trained and self-employed by learning everything by myself; thanks to the Internet tutorials I got on Youtube until this moment. So at this point, I keep aiming higher because I see the possibilities of growing more with the technology we have everyday.

Most of my challenges are simply marketing my works. But I’m good at working with clients from different backgrounds. Another good thing with me is that I try to specialize in just more than one option in photography and cinematography, and it gives me the opportunity to learn more and shoot everything.

I also try to be more creative in my jobs. Alison: Who are some of the artistes; models etc. you have worked with as a photographer, cinematography and who (plural) will you like to work with in future.

I have worked with so many of them that I won't be able to mention names. But I have done lots of movies with different international and national actors, producers, and directors. I have shot so many national and international beauty pageants, fashion shows, designers, weddings, documentaries etc.

In the future, I will like to win bigger projects that will change and improve the entire face of the Cameroonian entertainment, well-recognized personalities and with those aspiring talents that need my push. Especially organizing training workshops, entrepreneurial workshops as we have done before and to facilitate many more uprising talents to realize their dreams

Alison: You have produced a couple of short films and documentaries, will we be seeing you diverting into big movies and music?

Penjo: I’m very sure. I’m working so hard in producing feature movies and why not music. It's always best to expand what we do but take time to do it best. That's why I haven't done a movie of my own yet because I have to take more time to prepare very well for the best outcome, and it's coming soon. Alison: You are also part of a couple of charity projects. Can you please tell us about that?

Penjo: Yes, that's the best part of me. I cannot be comfortable without these charity projects no matter how much the cinematography and photography pays the bills. Charity work is where I started everything from; so it is part of my life to give back to the community. Alison: What other projects are you working on?

Penjo: Right now, am working on my upcoming feature movie. Short movies, water projects in some communities in the West and Center Regions of Cameroon and of course the every weekend wedding shoots in different towns of Cameroon.

Alison: What is your dream for the Cameroon entertainment industry?

Penjo: Good question. Everyone in this growing industry should strive to learn more and more and accept the fact that we learn everyday and also the need to share information that can help our colleagues and the industry to grow. Alison: What can be done to improve the current state of the industry?

Penjo: We need more education especially on our morals. We need training workshops that can help everyone know his or her stand in the industry. People must also chose specialties and perfect their ART in them to be masters of their trade or jobs.

Alison: What’s next for you?

Penjo: What's next for me is to learn more everyday and win more projects to make more money and to learn more and improve in my creativity. Also to see and make my boys as well as the people around me happier.

Alison: Where do you see yourself in a couple of years?

Penjo: I see myself as that person who will always work hard to improve our communities through entertainment and charity projects. Investing gradually as usual into equipment that will always give us the good images in every project I lay my hands on.

Alison: Baba, thank you for this interview. It was such a pleasure doing this with you. Thanks for all you are doing to make our country a better place and wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Penjo: The pleasure is always mine Alison. Thank you for doing it this way and contributing your own quarter in making our talents/carrier grow.