Jacob Foko
Founder/Executive Director

As a Prince of the Baleng in West regional, Cameroon, Africa, Jacob Foko came to the United States in 2003 already a recognized photojournalist. He had become a staff photo reporter for Cameroon Radio and National Television, and Libre Afrique. His celebrated work, “Cameroon’s 100 Faces of Poverty” was shown simultaneously in the nation’s ten states. His list of humanitarian interests, documenting poverty, education and health issues led him to Africa Express Magazine, Africa International Magazine, and Jeune Afrique Economie, headquartered in Paris. He created the Cameroon Association of Humanitarian Photojournalists.

An invitation in 2002 by the U.S. Ambassador in Cameroon to speak about the challenges of being a photojournalist in an unfriendly political environment and a nomination for a photojournalism award by the Global Health Council brought him to Washington, D.C. He became a member in the American Society of Media Photographers. French-speaking Jacob mastered English before his move to California to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in Visual Journalism at Brooks Institute. Upon graduation he received the Outstanding Achievement Award and was chosen as the Keynote Speaker for commencement. More recently he has been selected by the Career College Association (CCA) to receive a 2009 GREAT Award in recognition of excellence, achievement and talent.

Jacob Foko, is currently a Visual Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker, and founder of the Global Humanitarian Photojournalists (GHP) under the umbrella of the United Nations Association, Santa Barbara and Tri-Counties Chapter where he is also serving as a board member. Through his work he continues his lifelong mission to raise awareness of social injustice and work towards viable solutions. It is part of GHP’s goals to seek local partnerships and projects that can provide real solutions to complex problems, to help eliminate suffering and improve lives around the world.