Reuters: Students in Afghanistan “make light” of their struggle for education
April 3, 2008
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author’s alone.
NEW YORK (April 2, 2008) - Through the lenses of disposable cameras donated by supporters of Concern Worldwide, boys and girls in rural Eal Keshan, Afghanistan are sharing a view of their world with men and women they will never meet. While many of the children never have seen a camera before in their lives, they have photographed their “schools” - outdoor tents lacking insulation or plumbing - for an event in Chicago supporting school projects in Afghanistan.More… Intrigued by how the cameras could illuminate a room with their flash, the students who don’t have access to running water, much less Internet, called their project “Roshan Makunad,” meaning “make light.”More…
The project was initiated by the combined efforts of Concern staff in New York, Chicago and Afghanistan. Luke Stephens of Van, Texas, currently working as Country Director for Concern Worldwide in Afghanistan, joined with the boys and girls of Eal Keshan to document the school conditions and teach the children about their “light makers.” The cameras soon were sent back to Chicago, where the photos were developed, displayed and sold as part of a fundraiser for school projects in Eal Keshan and other rural towns of Afghanistan. Copies of the photos also were sent back to Mr. Stephens, who showed the pupils the results of their creative efforts. Now, the camera project has begun to “make light” in more metaphorical ways. The funds raised by Concern in Chicago have enabled the Eal Keshan community of parents and children to join together and, with the support of Concern, begin building a new school for 800 boys and girls. The school construction projects have mobilized the community to improve the infrastructure for their children’s education, says Mr. Stephens, 34. The light provided by new educational prospects, supported by Concern Worldwide, may be the brightest of all. See the Eal Keshan student slideshow online at www.concernusa.org/afghanistanphotos
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Original post
02 Apr 2008 19:38:00 GMT
“My Shanghai” as seen by migrants’ kids
April 3, 2008
“My Shanghai” as seen by migrants’ kids
BEIJING, March 22 — When outsiders try to put a lens on the lives of Shanghai’s migrants - a group receiving more attention these days - they may well encounter problems of access and privacy. After all, they’re on the outside looking in. Read more
www.theolympian.com: Photographer works for empowerment
April 3, 2008
Photographer works for empowerment
Diane Huber
Original post: http://www.theolympian.com/laceytoday/story/406793.html
Rebekah-mae Bruns spent a year in Iraq as an Army photographer. She returned shaken and consumed with stopping war.
“When I came home, the devastation became so overwhelming that I became almost obsessive about preventing it,” she said from her Lacey residence.
Bruns, 36, saw a connection between war and a lack of education — particularly female education.
She enrolled in Saint Martin’s University’s Master of Education program. Then she took her photography background to a village in southern Tanzania and spent three months teaching 14 teenage girls photography and video skills. Read more
Web Feature: Blind use cameras to capture their world
April 3, 2008
by Jane Lyons
March 28, 2008
WHEN Sue McLeod takes photographs, there are two things she can’t leave home without. Digital camera? Check. Seeing-eye cane? Check.
Blind since a meningitis attack at the age of three, Ms McLeod is aware of the raised eyebrows she receives. “Really? Really, Sue?” she says, parodying the sceptics. “Yeah,” she responds defiantly, “I can take photos.” Ms McLeod, 40, is part of Local Eyes - Our Community Through A Different Lens, a photography project that is equal parts self-expression, art therapy and social conscience.
To read the full article, please click here.
View finder . . . Helen Cross, a professional photographer, helps Sue McLeod come to grips with a digital camera.
Photo: David Jenkins
Nigeria: NGO Advocates Youth Participation in Democracy
April 3, 2008
Visit original post here: http://allafrica.com/stories/200804010540.html
1 April 2008
Posted to the web 1 April 2008
Moses John
Abuja
A non-governmental organisation, Youth, Media and Communication Initiative (YMCI), has called for a national integration that would enable young people play an active role in democracy and development. Read more
