She is Miss Ejatu Shaw, the brilliant niece of Abu Shaw, the editor of the Organiser newspaper. Ejatu is enjoying her photography discipline, which she cherishes. Ejatu has always admired her camera, growing up despite her talents in other disciplines. (Photo: Ejatu Shaw and her late, lovely father, Mr Abdul Karim Shaw, RIP).

During her recent CNN television interview on the African Voices programme, the talented Ejatu was asked what she could tell other Africans who want to become doctors or pursue creative passions. Ejatu answered: “I’m always going to say, just do it, approach it and apply yourself and pick up your camera.

“And I always promote this idea of feeling over format. So if you feel like making photography, if you feel like making a piece of work, do it,” says plain preacher Ejatu Shaw. CNN asked further, “When all this is done, look back on your body of work, what do you want your legacy to be?

Eloquent Ejatu said: “I’m drawn to education, and I want to keep making photography accessible and keep making, I guess, creative arts accessible. And one thing I really want to do is develop a photography degree or module or something in nature back home in Sierra Leone.

“And yeah, just teaching photography, like there’s just so many interesting ways, um, to make money nowadays. And I want to reinforce that and remind African parents out there that, you know, your children can pursue these things and it can work out,” Ejatu told CNN.

The hardworking Ejatu Shaw has made her family proud. To photograph big stars like UK musician David Craig, US star Usher, and other stars in the US and Europe is a monumental success. It is no small feat. Words are not enough to describe the big-time achievement of Ejatu. God bless and protect you.

The progress of Ejatu in this discipline is admirable and unsurprising. It explains that when you love something positive in life, go for it, and at the end of the day, you will be the first person to enjoy it. This is precisely what the talented Ejatu Shaw has done and continues to do.

The ace photographer Ejatu would have gone into medicine, as she had the grades for studying medicine. Even her late father, Mr Abdul Karim Shaw, a brilliant Chemistry teacher in the UK and in Kenya, had wanted Ejatu to pursue medicine at university.

But the determined young lady had her own dreams of pursuing creative photography, something she had loved doing since she was young. I still remember during family gatherings in London, young Ejatu would suddenly appear with her camera and proudly give us one or two photos.

Moreover, Ejatu could have pursued journalism as well because her brilliant writing skills and choice of words to describe scenes are second to none. In high school, Ejatu’s late father, Karim, happily showed me Ejatu’s award-winning poem published in a book years ago.

It was a proud moment for the quiet Ejatu. And her late father Karim was even proud when he showed me the poem. I was astonished at her high level of creative writing skills and rhyming poetic stanzas at that tender age. Karim said: “She has her uncles’ journalism traits in her.” (Photo: Singer David Craig and US rapper Usher).

Yesterday, Ejatu confirmed her poem when her namesake and aunt, Mrs Ejatu Renner, contacted her: “This means a lot. Yes, from what I remember, I won a competition to have one of my poems featured in a poetry book. I believe it was a poem about knife crime,” Ejatu said.

Today, at the age of 29, Ms Ejatu Shaw, a Master of Arts (MA degree in Photography Art at Westminster University, said she is truly enjoying what she loves most. Listening to her on CNN television on African Voices, Ejatu exhibited maturity and happiness in her new role.

However, the CNN interview had some emotional attachment when she recalled her late father, who had done everything to see Ejatu and her siblings succeed in life through education and hard work. Ejatu truly missed her lovely dad. May his soul rest in perfect peace. (Photo: Ejatu and her papa Karim, RIP).

Mr Abdul Karim Shaw was a talented scholar. He was Head of Chemistry in a London school and had private tutorial classes that helped so many of his old students achieve top grades in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, which helped them gain admission to Oxford and other top universities.

Young brother Karim was a nice guy, kind-hearted, generous, and helpful. He sadly passed away in Freetown under dubious circumstances over four years ago. He was the Director of Education at the Education Ministry when the useless Dr David Sengeh was Minister of Education.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Mr Karim, a product of Kay School and CKC, was laid to rest near our mother’s grave in Kenema. Bravo, Ejatu, for making the Shaw family proud. Your father in heaven would be very proud of you, too. The entire Shaw family is proud of you. Keep up your inspiration 24/7.