On the ground and running

Catherine here, Greetings!
After 2 days of travel, I landed in Kisumu this morning. It is 1pm, I have already visited the orphanage and played with the kids (actually they played with me. Apparently I'm a jungle-gym), I've been to the market to buy timber for our exhibition, I've visited our home, rode in a tuk-tuk and now am the Internet Cafe about to get a samosa. I feel like it should be dinner time now, or bed time. I'm exhausted!
While my experience here is new, I was happy to get here and find the project in full swing. Our living room has stacks of the kids' pictures, the walls are covered in program ideas and kids' profiles. The others are so immersed in this project, they can't even see it anymore.
So, take it from me, it's all very exciting.
Tomorrow is a huge photo day. I am teaching a workshop in the morning. The plan now is to do a seeing exercise with abstract pictures. Using patterns, colours, shadows, movement, blur, etc. to expand from how they are using the camera now. This is probably extremely overzealous and the kind of naive idea you laugh back on later, but it's worth a shot!
We'll let you know how it goes...
In the afternoon, we are going to write letters with the kids to Canadian students that wrote to them earlier. Very sweet.
Ciao for now,
catherine

Kisumu rebuilding after violence

A burnt out building still stands near Kisumu's town centre.

On December 27, 2007, Kenya held its in the middle of a controversial election campaign. The two main candidates were the incumbent Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. Now, this would seem to be a pretty typical election except for the fact that each candidate were representing quarreling tribes. Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe is smaller in population but historically, the one who has maintained government and business. Meanwhile, Odinga's Luo tribe is known to have more members but situated lower on the economic ladder.

Some might say that economic divide isn't the only thing keeping these two tribes apart. Like several other African countries, Kenya's national language is Kiswahili. In this part of the country though, I'm told tribal alliances and the baggage connected to them reveal themselves in spoken accents. The native Luo language is also spoken by many people here but it could cause tension if spoken to the wrong person so it is important to be a little careful.

To make a long story short, Kibaki won and his opponents, particularly those living in Odinga's home province of Nyanza, revolted. As a result, January saw many violent clashes between Luos and Kikuyus. The situation peaked when local Luos began setting fire to local Kikuyu businesses until Kikuyus fled to seek refuge in their home villages.

Heading north out of town, the highway is lined with damaged storefronts.

Around Kisumu, pro-Kibaki sayings like like "Kibaki Tena" (Kibaki Again) can still be seen spraypainted on the walls. Some people I spoke to about this said that even attempting to do this during the day would be to "dig your own grave."

Violence was felt pretty much all over town and the major shopping centres came under police protection as citizens scrambled to stock up on supplies before locking themselves in their homes until things calmed down. Some areas were so badly hit that they earned nicknames like "Dafur" and "The Gaza Strip".

If you follow Kenyan politics, you'll know that the situation calmed down after a coalition government was formed, Raila Odinga coming into power as Kenya's second Prime Minister. It wasn't until 1000 people died, including two Members of Parliament and nearly 600 000 displaced before this agreement came into effect, however.

In Kisumu, there is a collection of graffiti in favour of both Odinga and Kibaki. This particular slogan echoes feelings that unless Raila Odinga was offered a major position in Parliament, the situation would have escalated beyond control.

We're told that this is the first time Kenya has seen conflict of this nature and from the looks of it, things have calmed down considerably. However, Kikuyus have not yet returned and burnt out buildings and IDP camps still speckle the Kenyan landscape, reminding people of what they experienced a few short months ago.

Project Update

Wow - I cannot believe how quickly our time here has gone. Today is my last day with the project... I do not know how I will say goodbye to the kids this afternoon. I'm excited for my students in Canada to correspond with the kids at St.Claire's and to continue to do what I can from Canada to support the kids here. I look forward to seeing them again and hearing through Sister and Julie how they are all progressing. In such a short time, one can become so easily attached.

Catherine arrives tomorrow at 8:50am to sleep in my bed! The timing is perfect as the week will be quite busy and Catherine's photography and curating skills will be essential.

The block party where we are celebrating the children's photographs, art and stories is in 9 days! (Saturday July 26th). Members from the community who have supported St.Claire's as well as family members of the children who are able and surrounding neighbours are invited to celebrate the children and our MC, who is HIV positive, will lead some discussions around HIV and its effects. There will be many games, lots of food, music and of course the children's photos! All of the kids at the orphanage have contributed in some way -- through murals, crafts, decorating the frames for the photos or taking the pictures. Everyone is quite excited about the party.

9 days! Lots to be done...

Today, Alyssa is off with Obeto getting the boards for the frames to be posted on. Paul is working on the Block Party Budget -- we are hoping Celtel sponsors us (they will let us know today or tomorrow) and Jenny is busy labelling photos and deciphering which of her kids' photos should be blown up for the show. I am tying up last minute details - trying to help prepare crafts for the remaining days and other little errands.

This afternoon we will all head to the primary school for the children's second last time journaling. After our time at the primary school we'll meet again with Obeto and Jops to discuss the Block Party budget and in addition continue to go through the many photos selecting what is best to be blown up for the Block Party and for the World Youth Congress in Quebec where Alyssa will be doing a workshop in August. Saturday will be the children's last day to shoot.

Sooo much to do, I should sign off and get to work!

Thanks everyone for your support.
- joanna

Meet Sister Philomena of St. Claire's Orphange.

Sister Philomena is one of the original founders of St. Claire's Orphanage, which was started in 2005 with 8 children. The Orphanage now has just over 90 children -including 27 of the children who attend the primary boarding school.

Sister has an amazing, jovial, and loving spirit. She always greats us with a huge smile and has been very helpful towards our project and our stay here in Kisumu.

She loves the children very much and it is a joy to watch her interact with them. (I caught her skipping the other day!!) At the beginning of the project she sat in on a couple of our lessons to ensure the children were understanding our accents -as she put it. She is an outstanding teacher and was excellent in conveying the photography lessons...again a joy to watch!!

She is a very open, loving, and caring woman and her door is always open for a chat...it has been wonderful getting to know her.

Thank you for everything Sister Philomena!!


(As you can see from these photos -little Dan is always on by her side!!)

The Children's Excitement of Seeing Their Photos!

One of my favorite parts of the project is when I get to watch the children in my group look at their photos from their previous shoots. The very first time they saw their photos developed was an incredible to experience for all. The excitement, happiness, and satisfaction has not wained. At least I don't think it has by their reactions

each time we bring back their developed photos -their entire faces glow, their eyes widen, and their smiles gleam.

Also there is no doubt or questioning that they know what images they have taken on their camera. Last session I mistakenly mixed up 2 of my children's packs of photos -and they instantly corrected me saying that they were not the photos they took!

They are often so excited that they naturally start speaking in their mother tongue, I quickly ask them what they are saying so I can also understand how they are feeling in that moment.


Ok I admit it, this is my favorite moment of them all.

It is pure joy.

A plan to build a new dormitory

Meet Felix. He's one of 30-odd from St-Claire's Orphanage who study at St-Francis Academy. Felix is also one of the best students in the entire school. He's skipped a grade and we expect that he might skip another.

Some of the orphans studying at St. Francis' though are sick. Some have ringworm or even HIV. Others simply have younger siblings at still at the orphanage and could use help from their older brothers and sisters.

Since St-Francis Academy is a boarding school, it's difficult for people at St-Claire's Orphanage to provide daily care for these orphans but unfortunately, since St-Claire's is overcrowded as it is, they have to attend boarding school.

The Tumaini Children's Project hopes to build a new dormitory soon so that the orphans studying at St Francis' can return and attend local schools. This way, kids like Felix can receive more adequate care and needed medical attention.

We need about $10 000 more to build a new dormitory on top of what's already been raised. This might seem like a lot of money to some but when free education is available closer to the orphanage a new dormitory is really the best long-term solution for these kids.

If you think this is a worthwhile project, I think the two biggest things you can do to help are to make a contribution to the Tumaini Children's Project and to also just tell others about what's going on here.

Thanks for reading.