DEVIWO PROJECTS

Edward Chao uses camera to document how donations are spent on his high school education

2011-01-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

Adonten School Fees / Application

Adonten Exterior

List of compulsory items

Trunk for boarding

locks, cup, plate, calculator, flashlight, toothbrush, slippers, and school uniform

Boarding Fees

Bank Check from Edward to the school

DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

2011-01-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

TO DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND SUPPORT EDDIE'S EDUCATION CLICK THE DONATE BUTTON BELOW.

UPDATE AND LETTER FROM EDWARD CHAO

2010-09-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been almost five years since I returned home from teaching in Ghana with a bag full of photo negatives and writing created by my students in Ghana. Since then, with your help, we have generated a scholarship fund that has helped nine of my student photographers to pursue their education despite financial restraints. We've partnered with amazing youth organizations like Kodak SNAP Foundation, the School for International Training, and Global Kids to put on photo exhibitions around the world and have raised thousands of dollars to keep these students in school.

All of you have shown your support by helping out at events, making donations, buying prints, offering advice/resources, and spreading the word. We have built something together by being efficient and persistent, forming strong partnerships with educators, community leaders, and media-makers in both continents. In the purest sense, we are truly a grass roots organization-- we have no offices, no paid staff, no 4-wheel drive vehicles roaming the streets of Accra with our logo emblazoned on the door. Every dollar we have raised has gone directly to paying for school fees for our students in Ghana. This year, all eight girls on scholarship are scheduled to graduate from high schools around the country and this is an accomplishment.

Many of you have also been asking about Edward Chao, our ninth scholarship recipient, whose book of photos and writings entitled "I am the only one who saw" we released in 2007. Besides helping to raise money for Eddie's education, Eddie's book has had a real impact here in the States. Through outreach programs like "ABC Day" at Explore Charter School in Flatbush Broolyn, Eddie's book has been used in US. classrooms, affording thousands of children in schools around the U.S. an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a child in West Africa.

Eddie is now 15 years old and he has just completed Hannah Middle School, one of the best private junior high schools in his region. I spoke to him recently, as he was going through the process of applying to high schools through a national lottery, which selects the school he will attend based on his grades and BECE final exam scores. It has not been en easy road for Eddie to get this far in school. His grandmother is very dedicated to supporting his education, but the two of them have very limited resources and have been displaced more than once in the past few years due to land development issues. When I spoke to him last, he was excited to learn that he had been accepted into Adonten, which is a very good high school. He was also eager to know if my "colleagues" and I would continue to support him at this next stage of his education. I asked Eddie to write a letter to you, his supporters, to update all of you on his progress and to find out for himself. Here are Eddie's words.

To Whom it may concern:

I would like to thank you for the act of generosity all these years. By the grace of God he has given you strength to support me and send me to Hannah Junior High School, a private school in the Greater Accra part of Ghana.

Life at Hannah wasn't easy since my family is not financially sound to help but by the help of the almighty they were able to give the little support they could. The management and teachers of Hannah school were supportive and friendly. My favorite class was Form 3: Room 1 English and this is because it was the class of the best 40 students.

During my final examination, I had problems studying at home due to unavailability of electricity in our house. So I had to study with my friends in other schools. I couldn't always afford all the text books so I had to borrow from my friends. The following are my final scores. 1 is the highest score, based on the scores of all my other classmates.

English -1

Social studies -1

Mathematics -3

Science -2

Twi -3

French - 2

B.D.T (Pre-Vocational skills)- 2

For secondary school, I got Adonten Secondary school in the Eastern part of Ghana. It is a boarding school and I intend to read General Arts. After secondary school I want to go to the University to read performing arts since I want to become a professional actor and also a TV presenter.

I want to say a big thank you to every single person in the organization for their endless support, without you it would have been impossible for me to attend a private school like Hannah.

I can't pay you back but just to show my appreciation and God richly bless you. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Edward Chao

GET INVOLVED!

I write to ask for your support going forward with a commitment I made over five years ago to make sure that Eddie gets a good education. Fees for Eddie's high school will come to a little over $1200 per year. That includes boarding fees, field trips, and essential needs for boarding like a mattress, mess hall set (fork, spoon, knife), etc. Anything we raise above $1200 will go toward next year's fund.

TO MAKE AN ONLINE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO EDDIE'S HIGH SCHOOL FUND 2010-2011 CLICK HERE

You can also make checks payable to "Deviwo Project" and mail to

Deviwo Project
284 Eastern Parkway #5E
Brooklyn NY 11225

I've informed Eddie that since he got a top score in English, he will be taking over the letter writing campaigns, so you'll be hearing from him more often. What I would love most, if you choose to donate to Eddie's scholarship fund, is for you to include a message of some kind for Eddie. Please feel free to tell him what hopes or expectations you might have of him going forward and what it means to you to have read his words (either in his book or in this letter) and to be a part of helping him complete school. I will make sure he reads these letters and answers any questions you may have in his next correspondence, which will be at midterms this year.

For your donation of $200 or more, you will receive a limited edition signed copy of Eddie's book "I am the only one who saw" AND an 8 X 10 print of Eddie's photograph "Boy on a bike"

For your donation of $100 - $200, you will receive an 8 X 10 print of Eddie's photograph "Atee Heading the Ball"

For your donations of $35 - $100 you will receive a limited edition of Eddie's book "I am the only one who saw" (1 of only 2000 printed copies).

Please help us reach our goal of $1200 for the 2010-2011 school year. DONATE NOW.

Sincerely,

Sam Bathrick

Founder, Deviwo Projects

Global Kids Exhibit December 2008

2009-07-23T12:55:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK EXHIBITION DEC. 5, 2008

2008-11-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

Global Kids and Deviwo Projects invite you to an exhibition
of Youth Photography from Ghana, West Africa

When: December 5th, 2008 from 6-9 pm
Where: Global Kids Headquarters
137 E. 25th Street New York, New York 10010
Why: Come see photos from the Zongo Junction Youth Photo Program, made possible by the SNAP Foundation.
Prints and photo books for sale make
GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR A CAUSE

All proceeds benefit a high school scholarship fund for the photographers.

Why Everybody Was Sacked from Zone Ten

2008-10-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

by Edward Chao
Draft #2

This picture in which I am standing portrays the crisis of Zone 10, the very land where we lived which was bought and developed. The developers visited each and everyone living around our neighborhood. They informed us of the land and how it has been bought to build a Shell petrol station. People were asked to move from the land. They were astonished and felt hopeless. Before then, many people were moving from far away to settle at our neighborhood. There were shops and houses and families here. But after this news, buildings and shops were brought down without warning. Now each and everyone was moving towards the bushy area to settle at anywhere they found safety to live. With the money from selling my book, my grandmother and I were lucky to move to Ashale Botwe near St. Peter's School, where we are living now. Now, the present Zone-ten is cleared and ready for building. The developers have constructed a foundation and are about to set up a structure. That's the Shell petrol station. In fact, the way some people suffered, especially those with no choice, was very miserable.

"I am the only one who saw" is a collection of Eddie's photos and essays taken from 2004-2006 that documents life in the community Eddie writes about above.

Female scholarship recipients speak about issues facing women in Ghana.

2008-05-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am the only one who saw in Brooklyn Charter School

2008-05-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

I recently spent a morning with some remarkable kids at Explore Charter school in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Using Eddie's book of photos and essays as a guide, we talked about similarities in the experiences of children around the world. I was extremely impressed with these kids, their thoughtful questions and comments and their genuine interest in Eddie's story. ABC DAY at Explore is an opportunity for students to meet and interact with authors, illustrators, filmmakers, and other artists. It was also another amazing opportunity for me to share Eddie's story. Interactive experiences like this are shaping the development of an educational supplement / teacher's guide that will soon be packaged for schools.

Here are some more pictures from the day...

Recording Ewe Storytellers

2008-05-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Deviwo Co-founder and photo instructor Godwin Azameti has been commissioned to record storytellers in his hometown village of Klikor. The project, initiated by Anna Cottrell, is a follow-up to her acclaimed book Once Upon A Time in Ghana, a collection of traditional Ewe stories retold in English (Eastern Daily Press, 2007). All proceeds from the book are being distributed back into the communities where the storytellers live to support community generated projects. For instance, in Anyako, book profits helped buy new boats for fishermen. In Klikor, villagers are constructing a corn mill and cassava grater.

The storytellers project was born in 2006 when Anna, a retired teacher and former cross-cultural solutions volunteer, met Agbotadua Kumassah, retired head teacher and Agbotadua (Deputy Chief) in Dzelukope, who was then running a radio program on Jubilee FM in Keta. (Kumassah currently works alongside the newly enstooled Chief Togbi Tay Agbozo V). With Kumassah's knowledge of Ewe history and traditions, the two began meeting with elders in communities in the Volta Region of Ghana, home to the Ewe People. Once Upon A Time in Ghana is an English recreation of the stories they collected during this period and in Anna's subsequent visits.

This year, Anna has returned to Ghana and has commissioned Godwin to produce sound recordings of storytellers in Godwin's hometown village of Klikor. Anna says she hopes to make these latest recordings available to Ewe speakers in the Diaspora. "I believe its equally important that Ewe speakers can also hear these traditional stories," says Godwin who is collaborating with The SChool for International Training's Academic Director Gavin Webb to engineer the recordings. Godwin's passion for storytelling and the preservation of Ghanaian culture was at the heart of the Zongo Junction Youth Photo Program in 2006.

When I recently spoke to Anna about why she began this project she spoke of wanting to help portray a different side of the Africa she had come to know in her travels--something that for western audiences could transcend the stereotypes of Africa as a land of people in need. "I was interested in looking at the other side of the coin."

Be sure to pick up a copy of Once Upon A Time in Ghana, available on Amazon.

Flood Crisis in N. Ghana: Children of afffected regions photograph their surroundings; SIT student Amanda Sperber reports.

2008-01-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

Following six months of drought, intense rainfall over a frive day period in late august 2007 caused major flooding in the Northern Regions of Ghana (Brief by Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Alhassan Samari 31 August 2007). Ghana's President John Kufour visited the sites on 11 September 2007, declaring the regions disaster zones and launching an appeal for international assistance (Ghanaian Times, 2007).

According to a bbc.com published on 15 September 2007, the flooding killed at least twenty people, and impacted over two hundred thousand. Former head of National Disaster Mobilization George Azi Amoo declared that entire villages had been washed away,

The impact on Ghana's Upper East Region has been tragic. In a statement by the Upper East Regional Minister Alhassan Samari, 12, 200.17 hectares of farmland were destroyed, as were fifty – eight bridges, twenty-nine highway roads, fifty-four feeder roads and 13, 800.55 metric tons of food stuff. The destruction of farmland, crops and the death of livestock presents a major problem for a region already plagued my malnutrition and a population dependent on their land. (Daily Graphic, 2007).

It was explained to me by a community member of Zorko in the Bongo district that until about March, the villagers would normally subsist on locally-produced foods, but because the flooding destroyed so many crops before they could be harvested, people are selling what little assets they have, and buying food from the local market at expensive prices. Citizens have taken up weaving baskets, a tedious craft that normally produces very little income, or have made the decision to send their children South to look for work. As the next harvest won't be until September 2009, the people of the Upper East will be facing food shortages for a long time. This has caused many relief workers including the Regional Secretary of the Ghana Red Cross Joseph Abarike to suggest that famine is imminent.

Reporting by Amanda Sperber
Photographs by Children of the Bongo and Zorko Villages

Deviwo Projects' aspiring journalist, published in Independent Youth Newspaper

2008-01-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

Click the image to read Stella's essay.

Deviwo Projects Scholar Stella Apeke, who is currently enrolled at Adonten Senior High School, writes the 50th anniversary of her nation's independence. Apeke, who aspires to be a journalist, is featured here in Indy Kids Newspaper, whose distribution reaches children throughout the world. To read the entire paper, visit Indykids online.

Deviwo Projects Awards High School Scholarships to Eight Female Students from Madina

2007-10-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Bushiratu Abubakar

Memunatu Jumada

Victoria Adisenu

Selina Apeke

Stella Apeke

Aishatu Tijani

Dorcas Amatepe

Patricia Asantewaa

Exhibition at the E-Cong in Atlanta

2007-10-06T12:08:00.001-07:00

September 29, 2007 6:00 to 9:00 pm
The event raised over $3,000 for the Deviwo Projects Scholarship Fund...
Prints and books were for sale...
Thanks to all who attended
Photos by Alex Cullen

Upcoming Events in Atlanta, GA

2007-09-12T07:58:00.001-07:00

Click the image to view a flier detailing events coming to Atlanta at the end of september...

-- Thursday 9/27/07 --
Book Release @ Charis Books in L5P. 7:30-9 pm

---Saturday 9/28/07 --
Exhibition @ the Existentialist Congregation 470 Candler Park Dr. 3-6 pm

Deviwo Projects Scholarship Fund Application in Progress.

2007-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

J.S.S. graduates of the Gina International School

This Scholarship, generated from book and photo sales, supports "brilliant but needy students" in Madina, Accra to attend Senior Secondary School. Scholarships are awarded as partial-assistance, whole-assistance, or in-kind support (books, materials, etc.) Graduating Junior Secondary School (J.S.S.) students from the Gina International School in Lybia Quarters are invited to apply in 2007.

The application proccess includes --
1. Review of students' academic history, teacher reports, and B.E.C.E exam scores.
2. In-class essay exam
3. Referrals
4. Meetings with families to assess financial need and committment continuing their child's education beyond J.S.S.

The essay exam was held at the Gina School on Friday August 28th from 8-10 am. This year's questions reflect Ghana's 50th year of independence from Colonial rule.

1. What does Ghana's independence mean? How do you understand independence and what is the impact on your generation?

2. What are some of the issues facing Ghana and what are some of the solutions you have to offer?

The scholarship committee is panel of five. It consists of Gina International Scool teachers and administrators as well as foreign and local representatives from Deviwo Projects. Scholarships may be renewed annually based on academic and social conduct reports.

Scholarships and certificates will be awarded on Friday September 14, 2007 at 10 am in the Gina International School compound.

Exhibition and Book Release at the Bogardus Mansion in New York

2007-08-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

On July 25th, 2007, we held an exhibition of Ghanaian students' photography from the Zongo Junction Youth Photo Program in Madina, Accra 2005-2006. The event celebrated the world release of "I am the only one who saw", a book of photos and essays by a twelve year old boy in Ghana. Proceeds from book sales and prints in the silent auction went to the Deviwo Projects Scholarship fund in Madina, which supports dedicated students to continue their education.

We passed around disposable cameras, the same ones that the students used in Ghana, and guests documented the event.

The Bogardus hall was made available to us by the Aprile family. We hung the student's photos with their writing on clotheslines....

The silent auction was a huge success.

Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to those who helped me remember what I wanted to say by yelling it out when I got stuck in a long pause during my speech.

My dad worked the bar while my mom , the daughter of a traveling sunglasses salesman, was in charge of selling the books.

Live music from "Living Traditions" cultural group, also known as "Grasscutter."

Special thanks to
the Andrew Aprile, George and Christiane Aprile, Will Swofford, Jesse and Richard Bathrick, Tiffany Iung, Sam Franklin, Marnie Andrews and Jeff Jacobson, Brian Mckenna, Brendan Bathrick, Lauren Gertzman, and Sheila Aminmadani for helping to make this event so wonderful. It was a room full of amazing people. And big thanks to all of you who took pics at the event and then sent them back to us...
-Sam B.

Student Photo Exhibition and Book Release

2007-07-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

On July 25th, 2007, Deviwo Projects will hold an exhibition of Ghanaian children's photography at The Bogardus Mansion in Tribeca, NY. The event will be the official release of the book "I Am The Only One Who Saw", a collection of photographs and essays by Edward Chao, a twelve year old Ghanaian student living in Madina, Accra. All proceeds from print and book sales will benefit the Deviwo Projects Scholarship fund, which supports children in Madina to further their education.

When: July 25, 2007 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Where: The Bogardus Mansion: 75 Murray Street in Tribeca, New York

See you there!

Godwin Azameti, notes from Accra

2007-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

I remember vividly in 1974 when a cousin of mine, for the first time, gave me a small Kodak 110 camera to shoot him. I remember him instructing me to go down on my left knee, hold the camera firmly—and my breath, of course—close one eye and look through the view-finder with the other, compose and frame my subject, and press the shutter release with my right fore-finger. In fact, the instructions became so confusing to me that while I was still holding my breath with one eye closed, I started shaking and before I realized it, I had already fallen flat on the ground with the camera still held firm on my face. What an interestingly overwhelming experience? Today all these instructions have become my second nature.

The role of a photographer is significantly broad based. His or her work is useful on the scientific, economic, political, cultural and spiritual fronts. A good photographer is the one who, with appropriate tools and skills, carves or reproduces his perception of an object, subject or situation. He tells a better story of an event, establishes factual substances of evidence and demonstrates different perspectives of an argument. The photographer, as a matter of fact, is not very appreciated in this country of ours, Ghana, though he contributes a lot to the politico-socio-economic development of the nation. People sometimes see him as a threat to their privacy and security. My personal experiences as a photographic documenter span from being chased away by market women, sustaining physical injuries while shooting on location, clients’ refusing to pay me in full, and event organizers closing gates in my face or demanding unreasonably high fees for accreditation.

Traditional beliefs about photography in Africa are diverse. Each ethnic group has its own beliefs. About four decades ago, in some parts of the country pregnant women in Ghana were not supposed to be photographed. The simple reason or belief was that the fetus could be seriously damaged by an imaginary vicious ray, which was believed to penetrate the human body, get hold of its soul, pull it out and place it on the film. Many presumed the element that formed the image on the film was a kind of laser beam that emanated from the camera. The aged, holding firm to this mentality, also normally refused to be photographed. For the more they were photographed, the more they believed their life span declined.
So, why should we Ghanaians take photographs at all? There is already an array of pictures of Ghana available for us to sample from. Veteran western researchers have been particularly concerned with showing us pictures of our ancestral treetop houses. Unfortunately, it is not only a misconception that we live in the trees, but one that has been duplicated far too many times. An American can only document Ghanaian culture in American sense; a European uses a distinctly European approach. But it is only an African that can write African history in an indigenously African sense. It is very important for Ghanaians or Africans to document their own culture with the tools they have at their disposal.

The rate at which Ghanaian youth are falling under the yoke of foreign cultures is quite
alarming and should be a major worry to us all. Western movies and advertisements, as a matter of fact, are vigorously penetrating and dismembering the once intact moral fiber of our society. If quick checks in terms of policies are not put in place by our opinion leaders and legislators, Africa will soon become culturally bankrupt. We have a big challenge now to go to work in documenting the rich cultural and traditional values of Ghanaian society in particular and Africa in general before the western cultural tsunami swallows us. It is a Ghanaian who has all the cultural and spiritual capability and understanding to present and preserve his culture authentically. If you are not born on a Thursday how can you consciously respond to when the name Yao is mentioned?

Africa has different ethnic traditions and cultural practices. In as much as it is a cultural belief in some parts of Ghana that pregnant women should not be photographed, so it is also an issue for children to take to photography. In our society, children are taught to be humble, obedient, trustworthy, hardworking and respectful both at home and in school. They are not to make decisions without first consulting parents. Their rights are controlled and monitored by their parents. It is a pride for every African parent when the child takes after him or her. The child plays an important role within the family. Domestic chores such as house cleaning, washing, fetching of water, and running errands are normally reserved for children. Children also help on the farms when the parents are farmers or by weaving if the parents are weavers. If the family can afford it, then the child will attend school.

But children have a special way of looking at things, especially when it comes to photography. Their perspective is quite unique and often adults see it as funny. But that is where the trick is. Children can see things that we as adults have forgotten to see. They are quite literally shooting from a different angle. African children need to be given opportunities to shine. Ways must be paved for them to ride on. Noble tools must be provided for them to work with. And that is what we have done here with this book.

The boy Eddie’s flare for art in general is overwhelming. Sam Bathrick never thought introducing the “poor, African, Ghanaian, Madina, Zongo boy Eddie” to photography could be so rewarding. He, I think, was just playing a big brother to the boy. Sam did not know he was turning the key to an engine of sporadic talent. If Eddie, trying his hands on the camera for just a couple of days, could come out with such wonderful pictures as exhibited in this book, then one can imagine the class of photographer he will grow to be. Remember that children’s talent can be shaped in many ways. What if Eddie, instead of a camera, was recruited as a child soldier, strapped with rifles, grenades, hard drugs and taught to shoot and kill humans? Flipping through the pages of this small but invaluable book, one breathes the air of love, peace, joy, solace and excitement. I hope the book touches many a heart and soul willing to support our young photographer through his formal and creative education.

Godwin Y. Azameti

20th March, 2007.

Edward Chao Featured in Firstride.com V. 2

2007-03-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

Edward Chao, a 12 year old boy involved in the project in Ghana, is featured in volume 2 of the New York-based Online Mag Firstride.com

Pics from my first day as a teacher at the Gina School November 2004

2007-02-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

I am the only one who saw : Photographs and Essays by Edward Chao, 2004-2006

2007-02-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some sneak peaks at layouts for the book of Eddie's work, set to be released ASAP.

Edward's Family Photos...

2007-01-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

I came across these pictures of Eddie, his sister, grandmother, and father taken in the mid nineties before his sister and father passed away. Eddie's grandmother wanted me to have the photos to keep them safe. Before I left Ghana I gave her back the originals but scanned them first. I never knew Eddie when he was this small...

Edward and his sister

Edward's Grandmother, Elizabeth

Edward's Father, Vadis Chao

Edward with his grandmother and sister

Deviwo.org is in orbit, Thanks to Saturnalia

2006-12-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

This week our website was officially launched thanks to the ice cold web skills and fluffy warm generosity of my friend Will Swofford here in Brooklyn, NY.

Film on Students' Photo Exhibit at Univ. of Ghana

2006-12-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Shot by Godwin Azameti in January 2005, this two part series documents the event like only Godwin can. Includes speeches from parents, teachers, students and visitors, musical performances by Agorsor, student photos, and candid shots from throughout the day. You had to be there...now you are.

Part 1

Part 2

Why We Are...Where We Are

2006-12-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

"The naked babies stare back at you, but does that mean they have consented?"
-Dale Massiasta. Founder of the Blakhud Cultural Research Center in Klikor, Ghana

Ghana Through a White Man's Lense

In 2004, when I moved back to Ghana, one of my favorite places to go in Madina was after social welfare Taxi Rank, on the edge of the community where the houses stopped and the bush began. It was the closest my little town of 50,000 came to feeling like a village. There was a bench looking out at at a distance on an area of razed land where people dumped and burned trash. The rising smoke always gave it this kind of eery other-worldliness. All the structures were piece-mealed together. Scraps of wood and tin were bound together to form houses, fences, chicken coups, gin shacks.
I often went and sat back there alone to watch the people coming in from their farms in the evenings. At dusk, the sounds of the pentecostal church choir floated through as children carried buckets of water to their homes.
No one ever questioned me as to why I was there. Sometimes I sat alone quietly and wrote. Other times, my Ghanaian friends in the area would pull out a bench and we would share a smoke and some conversation.
Once, I brought my camera out at dusk. The smoke was rising off the trash yard and the goats were milling around. Someone had thrown out this giant television and I loved seeing an instrument of technology, this living room centerpiece so out of context--no place to plug it in and even if there were one, you had this sense that the screen would display this very yard, the smoke rising up.

I started taking pictures. I wanted to capture the order and beauty of a place where pieces of things are discarded, found and re-formed. Old car tires lie buried in the soil to mark the beginning and end of perfectly swept clay back yards. Refrigerators run on car batteries. A television is a box of glass.
That evening, a man approached me and asked me why I was taking pictures of such a dirty place. I recognized him immediately as the pastor for the church adjacent to the palm farm.
"This is why the world believes we are uncivilized," he said. "Because this is the photograph that you white people always want to take. You don't snap us wearing our nice dress, sitting in church, building schools, in our congress halls. You don't want to see us that way."
My friends tried to defend me. I told the pastor that I had been snapping all kinds of pictures--street scenes, weddings, funerals--everything! And I was even teaching children how to take pictures and document their lives. I tried to explain that I actually lived in this neighborhood, that I had been there for over a year and that I came to this spot to sit because I loved being there.
The pastor insisted I put my camera away. To him, I was any white man in Africa, all that had come before me and all that would come after. Our pictures show up in magazines with the caption "crisis" and we never show up again.

What can I tell you of my time in Ghana? I have never been calmer, never slept deeper and dreamt more vividly. I have never felt so accepted into any community. And I have never been more frustrated, more restless, alone, confused and misunderstood. There were so many times I got caught up in the desire to put a finger on something I didn't understand. To say, "oh, this is this."
I lived and worked with Ghanaians who I loved and respected. They taught me how to walk, how to dress, how to eat, how to be a host of others in our home--the rules of a culture. As a giant white infant, they forgave me when I fell down and drooled on myself. I felt for the first time what it is like for people to assume things about who I am because of my skin color. Most people were convinced before even speaking with me that I was rich, smart and lazy.
I grew to trust certain people and led them to trust me. Sometimes we disapointed each other and sometimes we found a way to give and receive on equal ground. I learned to laugh at myself. I didn't want to be the only one not laughing. I began to see that what I wanted and what I needed were completely different things. And I learned over and over, as I crashed into the same walls, to be quiet, watch and listen.

The Story being told by us to us.

"If the photographer takes the picture, the person who looks at the picture will know the truth. And will know what he can say and what he will not say. A liar will come to you and say whatever he likes, but you know that the person is lying because of the picture...if the photographer shows the picture to you and says what he saw, you will believe him."
-Edward Chao, 12 years old. Accra, Ghana.

If only some of us are holding cameras, who's story gets told? If Only some of us can get a ticket and gain visa entry to "discover" a new part of the world, what do we explorers take with us and what do we leave behind? What moving image do we see in front of us that makes us want to--click--freeze time and say, "that." That was Africa.

I was--click-- there. That was my interesting life.

At our best, Our understanding of Africa falls into neat categories that help us to sleep at night. We're in love with the idea that there is magical wisdom buried in the deep dark jungle--only the Africans know which roots and how to dig them up--and its enough knowing that this is out there somewhere. It tickles us to think about the bushman who finds the Coca Cola bottle that fell from the sky. What purity of heart he must possess. What beautiful children he has, such innocence and strength in their small bodies. We are able to believe in this man because--as the script shows-- we are flying so high above him and have accidentally convinced him that we are his God.

"As i landed in the African night..."

Our optical zoom project false proximity to a culture in which we are only visitors and to our subjects who are subjected to our instruments, our own magical powers of mass duplication. We believe discovery is our duty. And we are not surprised when our photographs tell us what we already know: it's hopeless in Africa. Hopeless without us, our technology, our opinions, our God, and our AID.

"...There, with the calloused palms of poverty laid bare before me, I began my important research..."

And so we feel we must continue to land and brave the dark jungle, to live to tell the stories from the front lines: war, starvation, humans who live in filth, children who live without, mutilations.
In high definition all of this suffering is simply immaculate.

This is what the pastor was trying to tell me. He was saying, you've already taken that picture. And while he may have made a few of his own assumptions about me as an oboroni, a white man, I agree that there needs to be a shift in point of view, a transformation in the way the west sees Africa, the way Africa is allowed to see itself. Africa is a massive continent. It is not something to be conceieved of all at once. There is vast space between the neat categories we have come to rely on. There are people walking and talking and changing and staying the same. There are millions of stories and not one of them will fit into a three column spread.

A New Narrator

This project is the story of seventeen Ghanaian children who were given cameras by their North American English teacher and told to document their world. These were children who basically did what they were told but found a way to transform an odd assignment, a strange and foreign idea, into something that belonged to them. This was their discovery. It is not the story of Africa, West Africa, Ghana, a city called Accra, Madina, or Zongo Junction--though you will find them all there in pieces. Their assignment was never to dispel the myths of their region or enlighten the West by setting the record straight. These are fragments of a whole and should be taken as such. They snapped these pictures for themselves, for their friends and their families. They traded them in the school yard and laughed at the faces they got caught making. They bothered me daily for their next assignments.

I chose to make this site and develop this book and other ways to share their work with a larger audience because I adore these kids, and I believe that what they created together is important. I wanted them to have a record of what they did, something to hold. And I too wanted something to show for my work in Ghana, for this is also, of course, the story of my interesting life.

-SB December '06

Godwin Azameti Comments on Student Photos from Accra

2006-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Godwin Azameti is an exprienced photographer and videographer in Ghana. He is an ewe from Klikor, Agbozume in the Volta Region of Ghana. In addition to his role of co-director of the Blakhud Research Center in Klikor, he owns and runs a shop in Accra that specializes in photographic services. He is a passionate and keen documentarian who, besides being able to fix just about anything that you ever thought was broken, has been a tremendous help throughout this project as a teacher for the kids and as a consultant for the Accra exhibition in January 2006. He was kind enough to assist in the editing process by airmailing his comments overseas to me in Brooklyn.

Here are a few examples of the spreadsheets he creeated to give me and Brendan more perspective on what we are looking at as we create layouts for the book...

EDDIE

AISHATU

To contact Godwin in Accra, Ghana: Gazameti@yahoo.co.uk

Serafina Bathrick comments on student photos from Wisconsin

2006-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have been helping out in the editing process. Among them is my Aunt and Brendan's mom, Serafina Bathrick. We sent her some rough proofs we made in June '06 and she's been writing back to us about certain images that stand out for her. She has all kinds of impressive credentials I could mention, but just read and see why I'm so glad that she is a part of this project.

B and S--This is so much fun and I find myself thinking all day about these images and about your task as you organize and present them....

SUMAIYA #2e01, roll 2--These two photos of the woman mashing somethng in a pot-lovely how the photographer stayed with her subject and got an animated gesture (and probably some words) and then got the perfectly composed shot next.

This refusal to let one image say it all is something I like very much and may be suggestive of what we do when we think about moving images and the need to see what went on before and after THE shot was taken. Communicates a greater sense of time, and close looking and listening. Granting full meaning to the shot that came before the shot seems like an expansive way of seeing.

THEO 15, Roll 1-Wonderful composition--playing with frames and rectangles. By using a high angle shot, he catches the boys lying on a mat and reading books that all refer to the picutre frame itself. The term for this is mise-en-abime, and its used constantly in classical cinema to emphasize the "picture-frame" as a "natural" entity, almost like the human eye. Great shadow play of light and the two pairs of shoes are just perfect--outside the mat as frame.

#15, Roll 2. Theo gets some of the same intensity by framing the figure on the bed (her head framed by the pillow-rectangle)
and by choosing the high angle shot he gets that play with frames. I am not trying to say he is conscious of this, but rather that when a person uses a camera and looks through a lens and sees a frame, there is an inclination to make that device obvious to selects and frames his subject. This is but one example of how a camera-consciousness emerges in the act of photographing and in the act of looking at a photograph--its all about re-presentation. I have been emphasizing this aspect of these images, because to me, its what makes for a specific "way of seeing".

PATRICIA
-#7,8,9,10, Roll 2. As usual I am drawn to these series images, where there is a sense of movement and, in this case dance and performance. The addition of a second figure in the last shot suggests the power of the camera to recruit new performers-- and suddenly, there is a fellow dancer. The visual interest of the empty clothesline and the empty space really gives this little dancer a fabulous stage. Patricia has a good eye for those things.

SELINA -1b03, Roll 1. The well-to-do -man of a certain age with his car, house and satellite set up is situated perfectly by this shot. He even stands to the side of these powerful symbols, as though to assume a somewhat humbler place (and we assume he likes leaning on the wall) Terrific composition and content too.

STELLA-#1, Roll 5. Another car tire shot. This time alittle boy who is almost the size of the tire he is rolling. Nive shadows and suggestion of adults present, but not interfering with this boy's mobility.

-#3, Roll 5 Woman in front of pink house with red bouganvillia. (spelled wrong) Fascinating composition, colors, and pose by the subject. Part of that series includes the next group of women with plants and flowers. #s 4,5,6.

NELLY
I like her short narrative about her sister Yaa and her son Ben. Its a fine photo--balanced and beautifully composed, with the mother and child holding their own in front of all that stuff-barrels and towels and coffee cans. I like the way the photo tells the sister's story too, how she holds the soapy baby so that he faces the camera and she faces him. (the vertical shot works better, it has no number) Added to what Nelly says about loving her and feeling loved by her, its a very complex portrait.

"Mother Cooking for Aunt" is a lovely two-part series on Roll 2. Great sense of the space and the work and the body of the working woman as she wrestles with that pot of something thick and white

VICTORIA
Victoria's shots with many people and lots going on are hard to read in this format. Some look really interesting, and she is one of the few who is willing to take on the levels of complexity involved in these compositions. She works carefully with camera angles and has a real sense for how to frame a shot. Daring and encompassing.

-#10, Roll 1-What a gorgeous shot! Camera angle is all encompassing, and look how much is going on with these two figures in this complex space. Table top and covered bowl, bucket, vertical line of light--shape of the slip on the woman in the foreground--just beautiful visually.

Joseph Teye

As I read Joseph Teye's narrative, I am struck by how he is very conscious of the camera as a presence, a force, even a personality in the situation that is unfolding. His sense of telling the story with the camera and with words that complement and position the camera is impressive. I am wondering about this as an organizing principle for your final cut--which of the students is able or interested in bringing the camera, as a character, into the story. How does that determine a camera style that might differ from the people who write about the camera as a hidden extension of themselves, not so much as a part of the social fabric.

-"the car tire pushers" #6 and #7, Roll 1 are both wonderful images, and the narration that accompanies them works so forcefully to show how Joseph experiences the camera as a an element or even a character that moves the story.

-pulling the vines is just plain a great shot # 17, Roll 1. The lighting, the movement of the figure, and of course it also goes along with the story that he tells about collecting goat feed. Is there a photo of the goats? Oh yes, I see one with a goat and a chicken just out and about. # 1, Roll 2. Nice positions of figures in this shot.

-I love the "God is King" (# 3, Roll 2) yams and rice shop! Wonderful sense of movement and action about the way she serves and poses as a server.

Farewell Ghana...But First, Party

2006-02-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

I decided to throw a party at my house. I'm not sure how they found out, but some of my students showed up the afternoon of the event. Actually, it was Amevi who told them. It had to have been Amevi. They were all dressed up and I told them they were a little early and then I put them to work. We had to pick up 14 crates of beer and 6 crates of sodafrom the shop up the road. They carried them-- two kids to a crate--back to the house and stacked them in the living room. Then, they swept the compound, fetched water for cooking, and organized the coolers.

I realized I still had a dozen sunglasses left over from about 6 dozen my grandfather had given me before my trip over. I bought them sodas and let them pick which glasses they wanted.

The party was great. Everybody from the neighborhood came. Georgina (...The Gina School) showed up with her whole family and an enormous amount of really good food. Godwin showed up with my camera and hired floodlights so that he could videotape the entire event. Sorlem Agbesi and his Borborbor drumming and singing group performed for hours, as did Heawle Sounds. People danced until it hurt.

The kids found their own spot in the living room. At one point I broke out some extra Kodak disposable cameras and there was this wave of children running around snapping photos in people's faces. I didn't get many of those cameras back.

Arrangements before Leaving Ghana

2006-02-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

Sam, Elizabeth, and Eddie. Photo by Godwin Azameti

I enrolled Eddie in the Hannah School Complex off of New Road in Madina. I had considered enrolling him in Gina's school where I taught, but the walk to Zongo Junction is too far. I don't want his grandmother shelling out money every week for bus fare.
It's sort of a leap from his old public school, Madina Estates, to this--an enclosed compound with a library, computer classes, other smart kids, even rich kids. I had a really good talk with some of the faculty including Teacher Jane, one of the administrators there. I liked the feeling I got. I liked the way they talked about education. I liked that its going to be a challenge for him. Eddie got used to being one of the smartest kids in his old school and sometimes I could tell that he wasn't even trying. Half the time the teachers at his old school wouldn't show up--perhaps because they weren't getting paid or paid enough--and then Eddie would go roaming through the neighborhood. This is going to be more of a structured environmentt for him and that's a good thing because its hard for his Grandmother, Elizabeth, to keep track of him all the time.
I took Eddie on Friday for his entrance exams and of course he did fine. He's really excited about the school but I told him it's not a free ride, that I'm going to be checking up on him through his teachers, his grandmother, and Godwin. Most kids in his neighborhood will never get an opportunity to go to one of these kind of prep schools. I want him to take this seriously, to understand the sacrifice his grandmother is making for him. I know he knows, but he's just a kid and he runs off and gets in trouble and the fact of the matter is that she needs him around the house to help out. She needs it or this whole thing is not going to work. She talks to me about this just about every day. She knows I've got his attention.
I took her and Eddie to Godwin's house in Accra on Monday. He lives right on the beach. We sat and talked about what will happen after I'm gone. I want Godwin to be my eyes and ears on the ground. He and I are in constant email contact andI trust him to monitor any and all transactions with the school, to retain records, and give me updates. Godwin and Elizabeth speak the same native tongue and that's good because my communications with her are often limited. I wanted her to know where Godwin lives, to understand his role in this whole thing, and I wanted Eddie to see the systems being set in place--his extended family watching over him. It was really a beautiful night and Godwin's wife prepared wonderful food--Akple, my favorite. We drank Star Beer at a Spot on the beach and I felt really happy and also incredibly sad. I can't believe that i am leaving them.
Eddie took this picture of us on the road walking back to Godwin's house. I really love it.

Photo exhibition at the University of Ghana

2006-01-31T22:53:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened in the last few months. In January we held an exhibition of
the students’ work at the institute of African Studies in the University of Ghana. For those of you who weren't able to make it I'd like to share some of the highlights with you. The School for International training generously volunteered their classroom in the Institute of African Studies for us to use as the gallery space. Special thanks to Gavin Webb, Yaw Gyamfi, Kokroko Gyamfi, Clara Nsiah, Godwin Azameti, Anita Lynn Tawiah, David Chan, Georgina Dorkuvie, Agbekor Gidi, Collins Amlalo, Danny Abotei and Bob Heller who volunteered their time, energy, resources, wisdom, and magical powers to make the event possible. Since the classroom was occupied during the week leading up the event, we had about twenty-four hours to set up the exhibition. Many of those people I mentioned above spent the wee hours of the morning before the exhibition hanging black cloth from the walls and mounting 8x10 prints with selected short passages created by the students.

At one point late in that night, we went out to take a break and get a cold drink. When Yaw and I returned to the courtyard a half hour later, the gates to the Institute of African Studies had been locked, presumably by the late-night grounds crew. We scoured the entrances for an opening, but all gates were secured by pad-locks. At this time, with nearly half of the exhibition still unfinished, I began to breathe very heavily—mostly just inhaling. Yaw didn’t seem notice and disappeared into the darkness. Moments later he was calling me from inside the gates, dangling a loose padlock on his finger.
“I used some herbs from the bush,” he explained, grinning.

The event drew a diverse mix of people including the teachers at the Gina School, the students, their families and neighbors, members of the university community, photographers, ex-pats, pan-africanists, and a random assortment of folks who had just seen the posters plastered around town. After threatening rain for days, the overcast skies provided needed shade for the attendees mingling in the courtyard throughout the afternoon. The students’ sang their school anthem and their favorite pop song to kick off the program.
Coming off of two days straight with no sleep and having forgotten to eat that morning in the printer failure/ general mayhem leading up the event, I attempted to make a speech to the crowd and forgot most of the essential points I had spent month preparing. I must have reasoned that the best way to prepare myself for this nerve-racking moment was to simply not prepare myself at all. What I remember most is that, as I began to speak,
the equatorial sun came out and burned away the clouds. There I stood squinting, dazed, and wondering how to at least make myself short if not sweet. What I did remember to do was --and this was really the whole point of holding the event-- to thank the families for their patience and participation in this project over the year, as often they were subjects in their children’s pictures or were the photographers themselves. I thanked the Gina school and its faculty for making music, dance and drama a part of the curriculum and for embracing the idea of adding photography as an after-school program in the Junior Secondary. In my closing remarks I posed the question “Why are pictures important and why is it important that children take pictures?” Beads of sweat pouring down my face, I searched for an answer to this question.

Godwin Azameti, who has collaborated with me in teaching the kids and planning for the exhibition and who had been videotaping the event thus far, came to the rescue. Handing me the video camera, still running, he delivered one of his many eloquent speeches. This and other excerpts are taken directly from the video transcript.

“Photography, as a matter of fact, in our society is not respected. You see people hanging cameras from their necks and you don’t give them the respect. But as I am a photographer, Sam brought this idea that he wanted to teach children photography. Why this idea? Well, children see things in their own perspective and adults also see things in their own perspective. But children have some funny ways of coming by certain things. And when you look at it, you sit back and analyze it, you see a lot of wisdom in what children do...the photographs capture the photographers
themselves.”

I was pleased to hear Godwin talk about his passions as a film-maker and photographer in Ghana—using images to tell stories and preserve history and culture --and to acknowledge that the students have something important to offer their own community as well as the rest of the world. This is something he had shared with the students in class, but it seemed an especially important point to be raised at this event.

Next up on the program, I called Stella Apeke, the oldest girl in the class and one of the strongest student photographers, to deliver a short speech she had written. There was some murmuring in the crowd and Stella whispered nervously that she had forgotten it at home. Visibly disappointed, I said something to the crowd like, “Well, there’s no handing that one in late, so I guess you failed.”

I wrapped up the first phase of program and encouraged everyone to move their chairs to shady places. Being the baggy-eyed grump that I am, as the students gathered in the S.I.T. library to bring out the food, I scolded Stella in front of all her classmates for her carelessness. “I didn’t forget anything at home,” I told her.

The students then served food and drinks to the guests and the party began.

Agorsor, a neo-traditional dance band, provided live musical entertainment with a thrilling guest appearance by my housemate and master drummer, Francis Akotuah, which really got the party jumping. The students and guests danced, ate, and wandered in and out of the gallery space.

After a few hours, the chairs were re-assembled and the program resumed with a speech by the Georgina Dorkuvie, the founder and proprietor of the Gina school. She thanked me for what I was doing for the school and the students. She then thanked all the parents for coming and scolded those parents who had opted not to attend or had left early.

I asked if anyone else would like to say anything to the crowd. Stella Apeke stood up, walked to the front of the crowd and, without any notes, delivered her speech:
“Photographs are important. And photographs are important to me. When you are growing, you snap pictures of yourself to remember when you were small. Sometimes, I look at the time when we were babies there in the picture, and I just laugh because I’ve grown. Scientists, Engineers and doctors take pictures of the things they’ve made and show it to the world. Maybe you’ve not seen the president of the United States but because his photograph is all over the world, you can identify him. Thank you.”

The crowd cheered including a standing ovation from Stella's classmates. More speeches began pouring in. Eddie's grandmother came up and raised her favorite gospel song, Akpe Na Mawu, while the other Ewe people in the crowd sang along in their common language. Then Teacher Hayford performed a monologue in Shakespearian fashion, entitled “if I had a voice” about his hopes for the future of the nation:

“Oh, if I had a voice. If I had that loud and sounding voice to call on decision makers to make policies that will enhance the growth of our people. I wish I had a voice. That loud and sounding voice to tell parents to spend their last earnings towards the education of their young. Oh, I wish I had that voice again to tell my young people to arise and shine and build this nation. I wish I had that voice to call all the society to work toward the development of our people. Amen.”

One man, Berlinda's father I believe, came up and delivered a speech that included standing on a chair and later rolling on the ground, imitating a photographer in the act of finding the perfect angle for a shot. "As for photographs," he said, "I like
them too much."

The crowd roared with laughter and applause. Numerous other speakers, including University students and faculty who had just been passing by the courtyard, stood up and praised the students’ work. When it was getting dark, I decided it was time to close the ceremony. Seeing as most events in Ghana open and close with some kind of prayer and taking into consideration that there were many different religions in the school community, I decided to improvise a non-denominational prayer. Somewhere in the middle of my ramblings about the magical wonders of the trees and the dirt, I noticed my face was tingling and I was seeing little lights out of the corner of my vision. I decided to finish up – and everyone joined me on this one-- with a simple “amen.” The crowd slowly dispersed. The students stayed on later to clean the area, stack the chairs, take their pictures down from the wall, and return the coolers and catering supplies to campus canteen before finally asking permission to return home.

At this point my wonderful beautiful friend, Clara Nsiah, who had helped enormously in the planning of the event (no chairs or food without Clara), tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a plate of rice and chicken she had set aside for me earlier that day. “Go
sit down and eat this,” she said.

Paideia School Newsletter

2005-12-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

Edward Chao: Reason's why the dog should not go outside

2005-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

10th November 2005
Today I caught Eddie playing with our dog, Dunia, outside the compound. They were running around in circles chasing their tails. Eddie’s punishment for letting the dog out of the compound was to write an essay on reasons why the dog should not go outside the compound. He wrote and revised three drafts on his own and then I gave him some of the chocolate Dave brought over on his recent visit. Dunia didn’t get any chocolate.

10th November 2005
Reasons why the dog should not go outside.
Edward Chao
3rd Draft
Naturally all living things need to move about freely with life, but a dog like Dunia as a pet is supposed to monitored and loved. And also, we should keep him from eating contaminated food from outside, which may bring sickness to the dog. Another factor is that drivers are careless of driving because they are drunk whilst driving. In this case, an animal, which is not sensitive like a human being, will be more likely to be knocked down by cars on the road. Another reason is that the dog has been castrated and there is a big wound at the scrotum. Therefore, Dunia needs to be in the compound all day in order not to be disturbed by other rough dogs.

Update for Supporters of the Project

2005-08-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated you all on you on the project. I'm still here in Ghana (!!??) and working with a refugee resettlement NGO. I am not a teacher at the Gina school anymore, but I am still meeting with the students on Friday Afternoons to continue our photography classes. Last week, we had a special visit from Godwin Amazete, a Ghanaian photographer and good friend of mine, who told the class, among other things, that taking photographs was the most important thing in the world. He explained that their job as photographers is to create images, not just to record what is out there, but to invent it. He gave a humorous lecture on the importance of framing. Why is it important to get the whole body in the picture? What happens if u leave out the feet? What information might be missing then?
Well, sir, if the person isn't wearing shoes then he's poor and probably a Rasta, Aishatu answered.

At the end of the class, we took apart our disposable cameras to see how they worked. I told the students to be careful because a certain metal piece near the flash bulb battery carries a strong electrical shock. They then took turns touching it and squealing and trying to get each other to touch it and squeal--until I made up a rule: no taking apart the cameras or u lose them forever. Everyone nodded and said yes sir.

Taking pictures is an act of courage for these kids. Cameras are still foreign objects to many people here and there is a lot of fear surrounding photographs. Taking pictures is usually a very formal event. A family will prepare in advance to have thier photo taken by a professional. Everyone will get dressed up and stand in front of something significant like the family car with these lifeless expressions on their faces. After the camera flashes, everyone smiles and goes back to their daily lives. These students are flipping the script—creating images of the breathing, sweating lives of the people they know. They are out there in the markets,churches, mosques, and schoolyards with their cameras stuffed in the torn seams of their school dresses. They are learning to pick and chose when to bring their "machine" out and when to leave it hidden.

Theophilus had his camera stolen by men on motorbikes who thought it was a cell phone. They snatched it right out of his hand and drove away. I asked him in class if anything else had been taken. He thought about a while
And then said, "Yes sir, fifty thousand cedis," to which the class (almost all girls) erupted in laughter, screaming, "you lie, you don't have fifty thousand cedis!" Theophilus grinned back at the class. He is usually grinning. He likes taking pictures of himself wearing sunglasses and talking on his brother's mobile phone. His best friend is Joe, the only other boy in his class.

A few months ago, a group of my students took their cameras to a wealthy part of Accra called East Legon. Selina explained later to the class that the houses there were so nice, so they had to go and snap them and keep
them forever.

A security guard saw them walking around and accused them of working for armed robbers to scout potential targets. He detained them
and brought them home to their parents. Selina's mother, who happens to be the sister of the proprietress of the Gina School, explained everything to them---how their English teacher was an obruni and had been teaching them to snap pictures in school. The security guard agreed to let them go, on the condition that they take a picture of him in his uniform.

Despite this and other setbacks, photography is something these kids love and honestly I'm not always sure why. I can only tell u why I love what they're doing. The images they create are honest, playful, unprecedented. These kids have their own reasons for taking pictures, tucked away in the seams of their dresses. They love some pictures that I would barely give a second glance. Somewhere along the way I stopped encouraging them to make beautiful art and I'm not sure it mattered either way, because what they wanted from the beginning was to hold the picture in their hands, to have something to give away, something to hide under a mattress. They love passing their pictures around andlaughing at the faces they were making. Their friends in other classes are all jealous. What else is there in the life of a pre-teen?

Most of their early rolls were of the chores they do around the house: cooking for the family, cleaning the compound, carrying, bathing and putting to bed their younger siblings, and finally studying under dim
lights before bed. I sometimes forgot they were eleven and twelve years old.

I watch them sit around in a circle, laughing and talking, and I think there is something universal about middle school. There are those who are in and those who are out, but everybody is connected to that circle in some way, everyone is linked by their position--the powerful and powerless exist because of each other. What is perhaps different here is that these kids' sense of worth is tied so strongly to their role in their
families. Their mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles rely on them every day to make the family work and they are not left to question if they have something to offer this world. Sometimes I sit with them afte class and find myself wondering if I'm cool enough. After all, what do I know about preparing garden egg stew with boiled yams or the latest track from 2FACE the "Hip-life" singer about this Hausa girl who cooks the best Tuo Zaafi in the neighborhood.

The next step is to have an exhibition of their pictures here in Accra. The students said it is something they want to do, but they are nervous about their families coming to see what they have done. I guess I'm a little nervous too. It's usually a good sign. Next week in class, we will begin to look through negatives and decide which pictures should go in the exhibition. Godwin and other Ghanaian photographers will be key in this process. We're looking for a venue here that will donate the space and maybe some food for an evening. I'll bring the musicians, who would otherwise be sitting in my living room with
Not too much to do. It's not difficult to get these kids to dance.

After formally apologizing to the parents of the kids involved in the security gaurd incident, I asked the class if maybe we should all just take a break from the photo thing. Selina said, "No sir, we just have to
be more careful. We have to be quick."

Self Portraits

2005-07-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Theophilus
Victoria
Nelly
Priscilla
Berlinda
Aishatu
Eddie
Patricia
Bushiratu
Dorcas

Holding the Cane is Enough

2005-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

I share a desk and a classroom with five other subject teachers in a junior secondary school in Ghana, West Africa. I’ve been encouraged by the head teacher to stay after my class and observe the other J.S.S teachers to learn how teachers teach and children learn here on this continent. My English students, two dozen pre-teens, are quick learners, though often a giant yellow lizard or stray Billy goat will enter my classroom unannounced. It is in these moments, as the illusion of classroom order dissolves into shrieks and laughter, that I realize that to teach is to be exciting, but to teach well requires some discipline, or at least the threat of it.
Last Friday morning after my class ended, my students waited quietly at their desks for their next subject, while I sat at the teachers desk marking their scores for a pop quiz I had given on identifying adverbs and adjectives. My students displayed a firm grasp of the concept that there was a fifty per cent chance they could guess correctly. When Simon, the agricultural science teacher, walked into the classroom, they rose from their desks and said in unison, “You are welcome, sir!”
Simon began his class by returning the recent exams on water purification. He scolded the entire class for their poor performance and then began calling them one by one to the front of the classroom to collect their exams, each marked heavily with red ink. When the students reached the front of the classroom, he instructed each one to bend over and grab the end of the teacher’s desk, where I sat with my own red pen. For each wrong answer he raised a thin flexible cane and whipped the offender on the rear end, the number of swings depending on the number of incorrect answers.
“Good, better, best,” Simon said mechanically as he swung the cane. “I strive to do good and from good I will do better. From better, I will be the best.”
Priscilla Acquah, the smallest girl in the class, got the lowest score of anyone; over half of her questions were incorrect.
“How long must the water boil on the fire?” Simon asked his class and Priscilla bowed her head in shame as the entire class answered in unison.
“Five minutes, sir!”
“Name two water borne diseases,” he said looking at Priscilla. The class answered on her behalf.
“Diarrhea, sir!”
“Guinea worm, sir!”

While Simon did not for a moment seem to enjoy this, he went about the task efficiently. “Drinking dirty water is going to hurt more than this little cane,” he told them. “Do you want to make your children sick when you cook for them?” This question visibly puncture the realities of the thirteen year old girls in the classroom. They answered wide-eyed in unison, “No, sir.”
When it was over, the lesson began. The children dried their tears and got out their workbooks. It was time for agricultural science. Some kids pouted until the stinging subsided and then they were smiling and laughing again. Simon was teaching them about bush fires, which are, I learned, a very bad strategy for hunting bush animals as often they can often lead to destruction of personal property.

“Who can tell me what is the adverb in this sentence?” I asked that following Monday after returning the quizzes. Hands sprouted up before me, waving like reeds. Bushiratu took her best guess and joined her classmates in laughter when she realized it was wrong. When Aishatu got the answer right the class applauded in unison: Clap Clap Clap-Clap-Clap Clap!
My students watch me the way they would a creature from another planet. They don’t yet know what to make of the white hairs on my arms, my red beard, my awful handwriting, and my strange accent. Will I take them all to America if they ace this next quiz? Why do I like peanuts so much? And the biggest question of all: Why did I leave my rich and amazing country to live in Ghana and teach for no money? They fasten themselves to my every word, following each movement I make. Their excitement usually turns to frenzy, low murmurs erupting into laughter, disruptive conversations and, finally, objects being hurled across the room. The cane is always on the teacher’s desk. That Monday I picked it up and held it in my hands as I walked around the classroom.
“Sir, are you going to cane us?” Faridatu asked from the front row.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said and it was enough.

Following the Monday afternoon teacher’s meeting, Simon and the Grade 4 English teacher, Godson, invited me to eat Banku with Okra soup. We sat around one bowl and, after washing our hands, we started to eat. Simon and Godson ate quickly and efficiently using only their right hands, spilling nothing on the table. When they finished, they washed up and began their daily tirade of questions about the U.S.A. while I dripped and dribbled where I sat.
“Is it true that in your country people have so much money that they purchase containers of food for their dogs costing over one hundred dollars?” Simon asked.
“Well, not exactly. And not everyone does that, “I said.
“How much is that in Ghana?” Godson asked looking amused.
“About nine hundred thousand cedis,” Simon answered. It occurred to me, not for the first time, that a hundred dollars was more than Simon and Godson were making in a month teaching at the Gina School. Our daily lunch conversations danced not so subtly around this point.
“You know, in the U.S., teachers do not cane their students,” I told them.
They stared at me for a while in silence.
“Then how do you threaten the children into learning?” Simon finally asked, when it was clear I wasn’t making a joke.
“Well,” I paused. “It’s different. At our best, we don’t have to threaten them. We might punish them by taking away their privileges. For example, if they don’t finish their work, they can’t go play on the monkey bars.”
“What kind of privileges?” Simon asked.
“So, there are monkeys in the U.S.? I heard there were none,” Godson said.
“No, no, okay bad example. The playground is what I mean.” I looked out over the brown dirt schoolyard scattered with trash where the children were kicking a wad of tape through two sneakers and struggled with how to begin describingthe playgrounds of my youth. “Okay, forget the monkey bars. Sometimes we call their parents if they’ve been acting bad in school.”
“So, their parents are allowed to cane them, but school teachers are not?”
“No, their parents aren’t supposed to cane them either.”
“The children are more respectful in America,” Simon said matter-of-factly to Godson.
“No, actually it’s the opposite,” I said. I tried to imagine one time in my life when I had said the words, “yes sir,” in unison with twenty other people.
“I don’t understand,” Godson said, again looking amused.
There was a long silence. I looked down at my bowl of soup, the glassy eyes of a tilapia stared back up at me.
“Things are just differet,” I said, wondering for a moment if they would ever be the same.

Ampe (Popular Children's Game in Ghana)

Eddie on set at ASA student Film Shoot

2005-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

I took Eddie along to a student film shoot conducted by a few Ghanaian friends of mine at the Academy of Screen Arts in East Legon, Accra. The film was directed by Danny Abotei and Collins Amlalo, whom I met in summer 2004 when they were assigned to do a documentary film about the student group I brought over from the States with the Experiment in International Living.
I gave Eddie my digital camera to document the film shoot. Danny and Collins talked to Eddie about their passion for film-- especially documentaries--and the importance of Africans documenting their own culture. I'm glad he got to see how a movie is made but I'm more pleased that he got to see that the things you see on T.V. and movies aren't neccesarily REAL. This is something kids here especially need to find out for themselves. The plot of the movie is basically that I am a detective who kills another man's wife and then frames him for the act. Of course, the wronged man comes back and beats me to a senseless pulp in the dirt. The wrronged man by the way is Ghanaian soap star. He drove us home later in his Mercedes Benz. The narative timeline is reversed so we see me getting beat up before we find out why. I got Eddie home a little later than I had promised Ma Elizabeth, but she told me the next morning that Eddie stayed up half the night telling stories about the actors and the cameras and fight scene and the make-up and the....

The Proverb Assignment

2005-03-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to introduce this idea of "Creative writing" in my classroom. I want these kids to think of themselves as having a particular story to that no one else could tell but them. This sort of goes against what these kids have learned so far, which is that they should be good children, obedient, speak when spoken to, walk the line. A lot of composition writing here is literally copying stories or compositions word for word from other sources. If I ask one student to read his or her essay out loud, then the next week I get 16 carbon copies of that exact essay. They do this because they think its what I want from them. They write about chastity and Jesus because these are the "right answers."I decided to dive into the morality stuff because, well, there's no stopping it. So, this week's assignment was to find out a proverb from someone older than you and to explain exactly what you think it means. We then went back and took pictures based on the proverbs...
I liked hearing them talk about the rules they live by. I know these kids in class and I know they're not always well-behaved. But one thing is for sure, they know the rules and they know when they are breaking them. I loved this assignment because they say exactly what they believe and its not always the intended message behind the proverb. The moral nature of the exercise allowed them creative freedom in coming up with the words to express themselves.

Faridatu
"As a man lives, so shall he die."
I entered my father’s room and asked him to tell me one proverb. He told me, “as a man lives, so shall he die.” The meaning is a man will surely die whether he likes it or not.

"Wash your dirty linen at home"
This means don’t show the bad side of yourself in public. You must keep all your bad deeds in the house before going out so that you will not disgrace yourself or your family members.

Aishatu

"Do not count you eggs before they are hatched."
Someone is packing money for to buy something. The person has got the money and is now going to buy it, not knowing the car the person boarded, there was a pickpocket near where she was sitting. She placed the money on her knee and was asleep. She woke up without the money and the man has alighted without her knowledge. So, she has counted her eggs before they are hatched. Now, how will she buy a thing?

"Had I known is always at last."
This means do not do something before regret. A boy who would be writing his B.E.C.E examination was to learn very hard. He kept on playing around and he wasn’t ready to learn. One day, before the examination he took his book to learn, but he didn’t even take it seriously. The day of the examination came. The boy failed.

Berlinda

As you lay your bed, so shall you lie on it.
I asked my mother to tell me any proverbs and the meanings. She said, as you lay your bed, so shall you lie on it. I think it means one is responsible for the results of his own actions. I told her if you lay the bed, you shall sleep on it yourself.

Never cross the bridge until you have come to it.
It means wait for the right time to do a thing. I first thought if somebody wants to cross a bridge and the person has not reached, that person should not cross, otherwise he/she might fall.

Bushiratu

"Lost time is never found."
Don’t waste time. Maybe you have something to do. You will think there is more time. But before you realize it is time for school. For example, your teacher gave you homework. Instead of doing or solving the homework your teacher gave you, you will rather be roaming about. By the time you come home, maybe you won’t get time to do your homework. So, you can even forget and go and sleep.

Dorcas

"A begger has no choice."
A poor girl was sent by her aunty to collect some shoes. When she went, the shoes were many and she chose the beautiful one and her aunty told her that a begger has no choice. What has been given to her, she should handle it.

"Eat to live but don’t live to eat."
He went to his grandmother’s place. His grandmother prepared a very delicious meal which they all enjoyed. He said he still wanted more and his grandmother said he should eat to live, but don’t live to eat. He shouldn’t eat too much. He should just eat a little so that he can live.

Memuratu

"Love me, love my dog."
If you love someone and the person does a mistake you must not sack or tell the person you don’t love him/her again. If the person is having something and you love the person, you must love the person’s thing. If you love someone, you must love his/her mistakes. If you love someone and you don’t love the mistakes, then you don’t love the person.

"If you dig a hole, your love on will fall in it."
I went to my mother to tell me a proverb in our language. She said that if you plan a bad thing for your enemy, it will affect your love one. Like, if you dig a hole so that your enemy will fall inside, your love one will rather fall inside. But if you plan a good thing for your enemy, God will bless you and bless your love ones and even your enemy.

Patricia
"Charity begins at home."
Our obligations is first to our families before others. If you are respectful in your own house, you will be respectful in another person’s house.

"A beggar can never be bankrupt."
A beggar always has money. I chose to say this because the beggar always begs for money from people. When someone does not give him/her the money, another person will give. Anytime you see a beggar, you will not see any money in the bowl, but there is money in the bag. This proverb was said by my grandmother when I was young.

Theophilus
"Don’t climb a tree in a hurry."
My mother said it means don’t rush in life. When one rushes in life, he or she cannot get what he or she wants. To my own understanding, when you climb a tree in a hurry, you can fall off and hurt yourself.

Victoria
"Lazy people take the most pains."
When a hardworking person always works hard and one day makes a mistake, he might be forgiven. But when a lazy person makes a mistake, he will always be punished.

Letter to Supporters of the project

2005-03-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

March, 2005
Dear supporters,

I just wanted to give all of you a quick update on the children's photo project here in ghana, which all of you are helping to support. Like a lot of things here, it has taken a long time to really set this project up, for the community within the school to know who i am to trust me with doing something that is not just uncommon, but kind of strange too. But now it really feels like we are hitting a stride.

The students are excited about the photography classes. They are shy when talking about their work, but they love seeing each other's pictures. Right now there are three classes of about six students each that meet once a week. it's been interesting to see how these photos come out. This is not a culture that is used to photography and a common photo is that fozen dear in the headlights portrait. But the kids are quick leanrers and we practice things like where to keep the camera so it can easily be used and hidden again before anyone notices. They are given loose assignments to photograph things they see in their lives: their family, their friends, games they play, chores around the house, functions like funerals and weddings.

I say "loose" assignemnts because what I want most is for them to take pictures of what excites them, although at one point i had to put restrictions on photographing the television screen during their favorite telenovela, "Juana La Virgn." (Juana was impregnated while on a routine visit to the doctor, a freak accident...Mauricio is the father. He's married to Carlota who goes nuts when mauricio leaves her for Juana...eventually mauricio has to fake his own death, etc.)
"Juana La Virgin" Sumaiya Hakibu

Nowadays, Eddie will knock on my door early in the morning and remind me to give him his weekly writing assignment if I forget. He's been getting more and more fearless when it comes to walking into the middle of the action and snapping what he sees and he's taken some beautiful portratis of his grandmother outside of their house. As I've mentjoned before, my long term goal is to create some kind of a book comprised of the children's photos and writing, which would sell to raise money to further their education in various forms. I still have to think long and hard about how that is going to work in any kind of sustainable way. Thank you so much to all of you who have helped to make this happen for the kids and for me and you'll hear from me again soon.

Patricia Asantewah Writing

2005-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Patricia Asantewah is one of my smartest and hardworking students. She's been taking a lot of great portraits of her younger sister, an ever-willing subject. I assigned Patricia to write a character sketch about her sister and to describe something that her sister always says or does.
Here's one of the portraits too.

Write Like a Reporter for the Graphic

2005-02-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

We read the Junior Graphic in class, the kids version of Ghana's Daily Graphic. The Junior Graphic comes out only on Wednesdays. Georgina Dorkuvie, the Proprietress of the school, goes to Zongo Junction and buys copies for the kids. A lot of the essays the kids write are very moral-based, to the point where they sound almost like narratives accompanying an after school special. Since we're working in English composition class on quotations, this week's assignment is to write about Ghana as if you were a reporter for the Daily Graphic, using at least one quote from an outside source.
This is Bushira's essay about HIV in Ghana.

Bushiratu Abubakar
"Sickness" 04JAN05

HIV is a sickness that is all over the world. Even when you are in your houses you can see someone who is having that sickness. I think we have to do something to kill that sickness. We have to kill that sickness by not going out in the night and we should listen to our parents’ advice. Last night I was in the room watching the television and there was a girl who didn’t listen to he parents’ advice. She followed her friends and she got that sickness.
Some hospitals too are not great at all. So, I think the government must do something to fix that. My father said, “the sickness in Ghana are more dangerous because Ghana has no money. Because the Europeans came to take our gold, so our country is now a HIPC* country.”
A lot of ladies in Ghana practice prostitution because Ghana has no money. Because of that some people even die because they don’t have money. And there is too much traffic in Ghana. The government must do something about that too.

*Highly Indebted Poor Country

"My Father Reading the Graphic"

Introducing Edward Chao

2005-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Eddie is an eleven year old kid that lives in my neighborhood in Madina, Accra. His father and sister both died when Eddie was really young and he now lives with his grandmother in a one-room wooden shack on Estates Road. I presented the camera to Eddie's grandmother and she agreed to let him take pictures and tutor him, if I would also advise to him to come home on time from school and be obedient in her household by doing his chores. She says she really likes photographs and we spent an afternoon looking through baby pictures of Eddie from the mid nineties and Eddie's grandmother in the seventies. When we found this one of Eddie's father, Eddie said he wanted to hold it while I took his picture.

"Edward Holding His Father’s Picture"
This one is me, Edward Chao, the writer of this book holding the one who gave birth to me. That’s my father, the man who never lost his plans. His name is Vadis Chao. He was a hard worker. He did Tie and Die. And Edward the handsome boy with handsome hair.

My Grandmother Preparing Yakayaka, Edward Chao 1/22/05
My grandmother and I came to live at this place called Social Welfare. At first, she was selling pepper, tomatoes, and onion and fried fish. She carried it and went around selling them up. She stopped selling those things and started to sell salt and people liked buying the salt. But a man was saying people will never buy the salt again and my grandmother became worried and stopped selling the salt. She started to sell only Yakayaka and fried fish. Now, when she is coming to cook, I fetch the water and light the fire.

Highlights from the Students' First Rolls

2005-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

Stella Apeke

Edward Chao

Memunatu Jemada

Nelly Sevor

Patricia Asantewaa

Victoria Adisenu

Berlinda Owosu

Joseph Teye

Theophilus Ansah

Selina Apeke

Sumaiya Hakibu

Update From Ghana

2005-01-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
Just wanted to give u a quick update on the photovoice project you have all been a part of supporting. I’m teaching J.S.S. (which is like junior high) at a small school in Madina, Accra. The kids are wonderful, very sharp, almost all girls. We’ve been working on compositions. One assignment was to describe a dream they had once had. Another was to write about some of the issues in Ghana and in their communities. The photography side is developing slowly, mostly because right now the school’s priority is to prepare the kids for their mid-semester exams. I’ve been doing photo stuff with a few of the more serious students, after school, and some neighborhood kids in my area. They’ve been taking some interesting shots, a fair number of their feet, but the idea is to start with what they know: their families, games they play, Ghana.

Last week I went back to the village of Gedekope, where I did some research a few years ago as an undergraduate. The village is about three hours outside of the capital city, Accra. There is no electricity or running water and almost everyone living there are farmers. The children also work in the farms and around the house, and some are able to attend
the local school. With your contributions, I brought the school in Gedekope a box of materials, text books, pens, etc., and contributed to the construction of a new classroom. I hope all is well on the great island. Thank you again for your support in this project and I’ll keep you all
updated as things progress.

December 2004: From the J.S.S. English Textbook

2004-12-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Fundraising event in Atlanta, Georgia

2004-11-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks for everyone who came out to the event in Atlanta and supported the project. You are my village. Thanks to everyone who couldn't make it but sent their support from long distances.

Thanks to the Brodigan Foundation for thinking this was a good idea and Edward Gartz at the Kodak Snap Foundation for ALL THE DISPOSABLE CAMERAS in my suitcase. Thanks to Abraham Adzenyah and Isaac Hirt-Manheimer for inspiration and support. Thanks Mom. Send Cookies!
-I'm flying out as the final votes are being counted...fingers crossed, knuckles blue.