Source: The Citizen
Photography is a profession that is dominated by men and the few daring women who have tried their hands on it are always met with skepticism as they are seen as some sort of outcasts. However, this stereotype did not stop Leah Samike from pursuing a dream that she began nurturing at a tender age while in Standard Five.

With no clear cut mechanisms of how to turn her ambition into reality Leah started off her career while at St Joseph Secondary School in Arusha where she would take pictures of her schoolmates at a fee.However, the road toward acquiring her first camera a Yaschika MF 2 almost ended her education after she used her school fees to acquire the gadget.

"I knew it was a mistake but I wanted a good camera, I thank God it didn't take me long to get the money with the new camera by taking photos of fellow students to repay my school fees," says Leah.Today she looks at this day with nostalgia and it is a mistake that she has never regretted as it gave her a challenge to double her efforts in her newly chosen career.

It was this background that influenced her career choice later on that she decided to become a photo journalist and upon her completion she was immediately attached to Majira as a Freelance and other media houses between 1996 and 2007.

This was followed with a series of training opportunities both locally and internationally such as the Photo Journalism training held in Nairobi in 1997, Women in Photojournalism in Zimbabwe in 1998, Training in Investigative Journalism-British Council in Dar es Salaam, and Advance Investigative Journalism at Bagamoyo.Today Leah owns an electronic equipment shop and a modern photo studio in Dar es Salaam's City Centre which employs five people.

Life in the newsroom
In the beginning it was such a tall order when she started at Majira because it was not easy for Leah to shine her photos were rarely published."Life in the newsroom was not easy for me, I was not able to breakthrough as most opf my pictures didn't make the grades. And besides it was also expensive as we used to print them using own money and take them to the newsroom." she says.

It was amid such setbacks when another opportunity came calling when a newspaper called Daily Mail inquired about the availability of her services.

According to Leah, it was at the Daily Mail where her true talent in photography was revealed, as her success at the new daily made her a hot cake with most newsrooms in the country.

"In 2000, I was offered a job at Mawananchi Communications Limited as Chief Photographer. It felt so satisfying as finally someone had recognized my ability and was ready to give me an opportunity to shine," she says. She later on had to work with different oganisations such as the Foundation for Civil Society, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and South African Embassy at different times in the same capacity.

Challenges
The 12 years as a press photographer, Leah says were, however, full of tribulations as she sometimes found herself on the wrong side during confrontations between the Police and CUF (Civic United Front) demonstrators in which her precious camera was broken.

On that fateful day they had gone to Temeke offices to get results of parliamentary elections, as they approached Temeke a gang started throwing stones at their car. "When I attempted to take pictures they turned on me, throwing stones and pouring sand on me. though I was able to take photos it was through some pain," she says.

After several years in the profession Leah who is a mother of two thinks she has inspired so many girls to hang cameras around their neck. However, there are not many in Tanzania as most think it is men's job and therefore lacks the necessary swagger.

Awards
Leah's work speaks volumes of her dedication to the profession in June 2000 she took part in an International Photo Competition in Germany where she won the third prize.

Her photographs which were shot in black and white and her topics, revealed a great sense of space and framing.
The portraits of the weird and strange characters that took part in the love parade festival are a spectacle to behold.
The cargo lifter company that primarily transports goods with hot air balloon provided a view of an unusual trade through her camera lens.While there she also covered many events and her achievements in Germany was a manifestation of her hard work.

What she thinks about female photojournalist
To her though the profession is considered as a challenge to women, she still thinks women have to fight for their rights at the work place to avoid favouritism because she believes in equality.

According to her, being successful as a female journalist needs extra efforts especially when one is married because children and the entire family needs you while at the same time you need to attend to duty.

Even with a business that enables her to make ends meet she still misses life in the newsroom.
"Photography is in my blood, that is why I have come up with the business which has same nature with my career," she says.

• Tanzania