Stuart Tibaweswa

Back from the roof of the Rwenzoris. Exhausted, but even more inspired — carrying new stories of ice, people, and the incredible ecosystem of these mountains. This was the toughest physical challenge I’ve ever faced, but also an unforgettable journey full of beauty, discovery, and learning. Huge thanks to @rwenzoritrekking for their incredible collaboration, and to the amazing guides Edison, Moses, and Amos, and the 15+ porters whose strength and spirit made every step possible. Big shoutout to @col.roddyrosco , partner in crime on this mission, for capturing every moment BTS. And ofcourse @insidenatgeo for believing in this dream and bringing it to life.

The African golden cats at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park end the year with a smile. As part of the African Golden Cat Conservation Alliance's monitoring system for the African golden cat, we installed trail cameras, also known as “camera traps,” to assess and monitor the population of the African golden cat in Bwind. Outside of the national park, in the adjacent local communities, we made 245 new friends for the African golden cat through our 5th edition of the novel 'Smile for Conservation' (S4C) program. Through the S4C, we use mobile dental clinics to provide free oral and dental healthcare treatment to local families residing near the African golden cat forest habitat, serving as an incentive for their support of conservation efforts. Then, our dear friend and friend of the African golden cat, Kenneth Mugabi @kennethmugabisings , the storyteller, joined us to engage with and inspire youths’ support for African golden cat conservation through music. Our dear friend and fellow National Geographic Explorer, Stuart Tebaweswa @stuart_tibs , the storyteller, was there to capture all this on photos and film, and created so much content. Special shoutout to all our friends who have made the year 2025, a successful year for African golden cat conservation: the local communities living adjacent the 30 African golden cat forest habitats, all the AGCCA conservation partners in 19 countries of the species range, all protected area agencies in the 19 countries of the AGCCA, Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation, National Geographic Society through the Wayfinder Award Presented by KIA and the Wayfinder Project Funding, Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Indianapolis Prize, re:wild, Panthera, Embaka, Uganda Dental Association, Rugarama Hospital, Kenneth Mugabi, Ark Wildlife Park, CTC Conservation Education Center, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, the local Governments of Rubanda, Kisoro and Kanungu. We thank Mongabay, the Big Biology Podcast, and CNN for sharing our conservation stories with the world. Let's do it all again in 2026. Forever grateful 🙏🏿

I’m officially a certified Open Water Diver, and I couldn’t be more hyped! The underwater world is a whole different planet, and I’m thrilled to be exploring its depths. I had the privilege of doing this alongside one the best - @shamier_ocean , the master of the water, and @slie.sile.5 , my rock-solid instructor who guided me throughout this journey. Their expertise and passion were contagious, and I’m grateful for the knowledge and skills they shared with me. But this experience is about more than just a personal achievement - it’s about being part of a larger movement. @newfcommunity is breaking barriers and opening doors for African scientists, researchers, and storytellers to explore and protect the oceans. They are facilitating the largest ocean access program on the continent, and empowering a new generation of marine conservationists and knowledge keepers. Access, certification and gear are no joke, and I’m super grateful to the NEWF crew for the opportunity. Video fingers: @shamier_ocean

Today I had the honour of speaking at the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Johannesburg — sharing my project Ice in Transition: Voices of Rwenzori on stage, in just 3 minutes and 3 slides😬. It felt big. And it was big. Getting to share a glimpse of that work on that crowd from across the world was powerful. Being on such a stage has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone. Used to staying quiet and behind the lens, but I’m learning to take these moments too — to speak for the work when it asks to be spoken for. And I enjoyed it more than I expected. To many more moments of stepping forward when the story calls. One thing that surprised me was how many people in the room were shocked to learn that Uganda has glaciers. These glaciers are disappearing, and so are the memories, traditions, and identities tied to them. Telling this story is not just about climate change — it’s about making sure people know what is there before it’s gone. Grateful to everyone who has supported throughout the preparation for this presentation, @jahawibertolli , @esther_mbabazi , @neumers , @narwhalidays , @kaityarnall , and the entire @insidenatgeo crew behind the preps.

🇸🇸 South Sudan’s blind football team—the Bright Stars—began humbly, with just two players, in 2020. In five years, head coach Simon Madol Akol (@bhad_boy_betwiin ) grew the team to 40 members, representing a cross section of tribes and ethnicities from across the world’s youngest nation. * This week, eight of them took the bus to Kampala to compete in their first international championship, hoping to remove the negative perception of blind people and spread a message of peace and unity back home. ✨ * They went on to win the tournament, bringing South Sudan one step closer to the 2028 Paralymics. * What a joy it was to meet these amazing athletes and write this one for AFP (@afpnewsagency ). Photographed by the supremely talented Stuart Tibaweswa (@stuart_tibs ). Swipe for images. Link to text in bio. * With big thanks to Light for the World, an NGO supporting disability rights and inclusion!

Grateful to have collaborated with celebrated writer, @nickkristof and photo editor, @jmwender of The New York Times on this powerful story about resilience, hope, and transformation. The feature follows @chantalzuzi , whose life journey from hardship to empowerment reminds us what strength truly looks like. Stories like this remind me of the power of storytelling — its ability to shed light on lives and voices that are often unseen or unheard. Working with marginalized and underrepresented communities continually shows me the depth of strength, beauty, and courage that exists even in the face of hardship. It’s a privilege to help share their truths with the world from this perspective. Published in the @nytimes International Edition. Read: /2025/10/01/opinion/congo-refugee-us-albinism.html

When the summit marker finally came into view 😆

In just 2 days, I begin the most physically demanding part of my @insidenatgeo -supported project, ‘Ice In Transition: Voices of Rwenzori’ I’ve spent weeks preping, planning, and imagining what it means to summit the Rwenzori Mountains — and to listen closely to the stories of the Bakonzo people, the Indigenous guardians of this landscape. This is where the real work begins! Ohh, shoutout to my hypeman in the background 😅 #natgeoexplorer #uganda🇺🇬

A few weeks back, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Geographic Storytellers Summit in Washington, D.C. It was a truly fulfilling experience —absorbing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and connecting with brilliant explorers from around the world who are working on groundbreaking projects. Being in a room filled with videographers, photographers, cartographers, and all kinds of visual creatives reaffirmed to me the power of storytelling in shaping how we see and understand the world. I left super inspired, with new perspectives and appreciation for the role we play in documenting change. Huge thanks to @insidenatgeo for bringing us all together — what a week it was😩! And ofcourse, shoutout to @davidylee and @sanauphoto for your work and making this experience even more amazing! I celebrate y’all. This year, I’m working on an exciting project supported by @insidenatgeo , one that means a lot to me and speaks to environmental challenges. I can’t wait to share more when the time is right.

📍Rwenzori Mountains - Kasese, Western Uganda. The next couple of months, I’ll embark on a critical story with the Bakonzo people who are indigenous to this natural wonder. I’ll share details and experiences along the way. #climatechange #glaciers #indegenous #natgeoexplorer

We are excited to congratulate Stuart Tibaweswa (@stuart_tibs ) on being selected for mentorship through the @Vital.Impacts 2023 Environmental Photography Grants program! Tibaweswa is a Kampala-based Ugandan documentary photographer and storyteller whose work often focuses on marginalized communities and their relationships to wider societies. He aims to contribute towards correcting misrepresented narratives. Tibaweswa’s project, “Shifting Seasons” documents the unpredictable rains throughout the Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda, which have disrupted pastoralist people and their livelihoods. Here, a Karamojong boy digs a small hole for freshwater at the River Loidiri bank. The boy and his brothers were herding their livestock when they stopped by the river to take water. Upon reaching the water underneath, he poured out the surface water, leaving fresher water to bubble up seconds later. With this method, the pastoralists collect drinking water that is not contaminated. Learn more about the @vital.impacts mentorship recipients and grant winners at the link in the bio and vitalimpacts.org. #vitalgrants #vitalimpactsgrants #photography #uganda #water #river #karamoja

After a year of working on the project - ‘Shifting Seasons,’ the local community in Karamoja will finally get to see the photographs in a pop-up exhibition next week. Looking forward to giving them an immersive experience, while engaging on issues to do with their environment and climate change. Thanks to @infonile_ for making this happen! . . #REPOST @infonile_ with @get__repost__app Shifting Seasons" by Stuart Tibaweswa is a photo-story that documents the impact of climate change on the traditional lifestyle of pastoralist communities in the Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda 🇺🇬 The changing climate has also influenced the decisions of some pastoralists, leading to a rise in "dropouts" who have transitioned to crop farming or small-scale businesses. Join us, as we delve into the challenges faced by Karamoja's pastoralists in the face of shifting weather patterns. We are taking this stories back to the community 🖼️ We are amplifying awareness about climate change and the challenges faced by biodiversity. However, we recognize the importance of starting at the source—the communities that hold these narratives. By returning these stories to their roots, we aim to actively engage and empower the community, fostering transformative change and catalyzing impactful conservation initiatives. Read full story at the link on our bio. #CommunityExhibition #ClimateChange #KaramojaExhibition #BiodiversityStories #repostios #repostw10