Portraiture

Knowledge of self is a key to personal progress.  I find that recently I have come into knowing who I am as a photographer more than ever. I seek to document the faces of the voiceless, the eyes of the dispossessed, which so often show much more joy than pain.



 
This photo is of a school girl in a village outside of kigali Rwanda in June 2009.

the play for hope tourney

The tourney @ amahoro stade was a smash success. Hundreds came out to support the 12 teams involved, and the kids played very well on the main stage of kigali's national stadium. Here's some of the highlight shots:

Kimisagara v. Rugunga Day 1

Day 1 opening match boys from Samuduha march around stadium

street boys from Busanza with Rwanda star striker Jimmy Gatete (in black), and Radio10's "DJ Shaka" (back left wearing button-up) on July 15, 2009

boys from Kanombe are psyched for their match on day 1! July 15, 2009

player from Gatenga scores against the u-20 boys from Kanombe

Coach Erasto from Kimisagara preps his team before the championship match vs Gatenga. July 16, 2009

sniffing glue to get by

It was an eye opening experience to say the least..last week our team traveled from Africa New Life's street children ministry program to visit a couple of the places where the children call home.

To aid with hunger pangs, many children on the street sniff glue. This bottle is used by the boys to escape their impoverished reality, while simultaneously harming their young growing bodies.

These three boys shown just outside the bushes they sleep in every night, located within a new expensive housing development.

This is the boy's home, all of their possessions amount to a few boxes inside tall bushes located surprisingly close to 3 story mansions just on the other side of the field where they fiind their shelter.

Hope for Life Home in Kabunga

We drew a huge crowd when we went to Kabunga's open market to play with the kids.

Last Saturday we took off for the second time to visit a home called Hope for Life. There are 14 boys in Kabunga, who have been given a second chance at life through the shelter that two college students helped establish just a four months ago.

Since March of this year these boys have been taken off the streets and given schooling, proper nutrition and love. In only this short time they have made great improvements in their health and outlook on life. While they act up at times, being in this environment has done wonders for them.

Its a simple example of how much change can be created by just a few individuals with a passion for the children of Rwanda. You can see more about this great project here: http://hilliarysart.com/HFL/index.html

within 2 minutes of showin up the the field we had drawn a crowd of over 200. The muzungu show was officially on!

Jess showin off her phenom heading skills

bike taxis look on to get a view of the action

bought some sukali at the local market, and tried our hand at eatin it

turns out they were a little more skilled than we were

our group at the kid's home

Rip MJ

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with." Michael Jackson

Some eerie silhouettes for an eerie day..I heard the news thats shocking the world while posting this pic..Michael Jackson died.

One of the best thoughts I heard recently regarding life's temporality was this quote by Steve Jobs "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

Following our hearts, our faith and our passion for children here has been without fear. It is with the children that so many of us come alive!

B's and G's

Its great working with kids, here's some fav's from the last couple months @ the Blaine Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County

freedom

Some thoughts for the day...

I inhabit a space where all are equal. Regardless of sex, gender, race, religion or other, the humans in my world all are given the opportunity to pursue their dreams. No one is incapacitaded by another. This space where I exist extends to those who I come around, or those that come around me. My love is unobstructed, ignorance is nonexistant. I can come or go at any time, because this space that I speak of is my own mind.

I've been quite challenged over the last couple weeks. Starting to work with kids has been by far one of the greatest challenges I've faced since graduating college. If anyone out there thought biking across the country looked difficult, try working with children!!

Anyways, here's a brief update, I'm working @ the Boys and Girls Club in Blaine, WA, teaching kids photography through a national B&G Club program called ImageMakers. Its been great to see the kids enthusiasm for the project, and I'm already blown away by how quick they can pick up a camera, memorize a couple of terms like "shutter speed" & "focal point", and go put the concepts into practice!

Don't take my word for it, see for yourself: