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Bulletin: In response to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, a benefit concert will be held Friday, 22 January 2010, at 7 pm. in Almonte’s Old Town Hall. For some time, Almonte resident Dieudonne Batraville has been involved in development work in her home country of Haiti. The small Almonte organization, Focus on Development, works to support her efforts. Through this event, in partnership with the Almonte and District High School, they hope to provide a local and personal focus for aid to the Haitian people. It’s a great example of a direct connection between a community and a member in need, with 100% of all revenues going straight to Focus on Development to support their work in Haiti. The evening will include many excellent performers, silent and live auctions and refreshments. |
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'Social justice through art' |
The Young Haitian Documentary Photographers Group In March of 2006, Jeff travelled to Haiti as a volunteer. His host ‘Rayjon Sharecare’ has built schools, health centres, mills and conducts community development workshops with youth and others in the community. Before this trip, Jeff watched the documentary film "Born into Brothels." He was inspired. Amazing things can happen when cameras are put into the hands of youth. Although the purpose of his trip was to volunteer on a road crew in the mountains above the town of St. Marc, Jeff also brought cameras and conducted two photography workshops for students. This was the first time these young photographers had used cameras. See the results in the Young Haitian Documentary Photographers Group gallery. The Photographers The Young Haitian Photographers are a group of high school aged students from the Saint Marc region of Haiti engaged in community development initiatives through the Rayjon Sharecare Agency. Rayjon is a Sarnia based organization that is partial funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The students of St. Marc attend community development workshops hosted by the agency. They have created theatrical plays including song and dance, based on interviews of their community elders. One photographer hiked from St. Marc for 4 hours to his mountain community to take his photographs!! Forgetting his camera he repeated the 7 1/2 hour return trip to ensure his camera and work were included in the project. Meet these very determined students in the The Photographers gallery. Quotes It is exciting to report that a very encouraging letter has been received from the office of the Governor General: "…this is a very exciting project, and by taking this on, you are rising to the challenge of Haiti in the way that Her Excellency had hoped Canadians would – by making a personal commitment to help improve the lives of our fellow human-beings. Her Excellency is so pleased to learn of individual Canadians, like you, who are making real, concrete and lasting contributions. …The conviction you have expressed in your letter is inspiring and positions you well to have real impact and make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people. Her Excellency sends you her best regards and encourages you to continue your humanitarian efforts." "Dear Jeff, I appreciate your efforts to bring a
sense of hope and beauty to an area, which on the
surface seems to have none. And when you bring back
images made by young people who show us smiles and
happiness in the midst of poverty - it brings me
encouragement - and so when I give you cameras to help
you help young people to express themselves - I am
helping me. Very best wishes as you move forward. As
your departure date approaches let me know and I will
help with film, batteries and processing." "Dear Jeff, these postcards are of stunning beauty. This is
really something very positive: acknowledge and celebrate peoples
talents and realize that we can learn from their sense of beauty.
Congratulations "Dear Jeff Work continues - how you can help Since Jeff's return to Canada he has been busy furthering the efforts of these young photographers. Articles about the project have appeared in The Humm and the Canwest chain of Canadian newspapers, Ottawa Citizen etc. Charitable status is in the works. Copies of the first photographs were returned to the group along with more disposable cameras. These cameras were donated to the project by the Carleton Place Canadian Tire store. The store generously donated 140 cameras! 60 were sent down with Sarnia resident Sean Taylor of which 46 returned with him and have been developed. Some of these new and interesting photographs will be uploaded to the web in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. These new works will also be sent back to Haiti for viewing by the students and their families. These photographs along with the remaining cameras donated by Canadian Tire and others donated by individuals will travel by boat from Montreal to Haiti as part of a shipment of school and medical supplies. The students are very enthused to see their efforts exhibited on 'the world wide web' and are starting a writing project explaining the content of their work for inclusion in the photo gallery of the website. These students are their community's future leaders. Please help these budding documentary photographers by donating money for film and its development (details below) or by donating your old 35mm ‘point and shoot’ film camera. $25 will cover the cost of two 24 exposure rolls of 200 ASA roll of Royal Gold Kodak film, its development, prints and a digital CD for posting the photographs to the web. Please consider a donation. A photography show of the student's work is in the works and all profits from this show will be used to fund ongoing education projects for these students. If you have any questions please contact Jeff at info@rocksandtrees.ca. Project Update October 25, 2006 It's now six months since the project was launched on the website www.rocksandtrees.ca.
Donations by cheque Donations to the Young Haitian Photography project can be
made by mailing a cheque made out to: Book a slide show and talk Please email
info@rocksandtrees.ca if you are interested in booking a project
slide show and talk. Receive email updates on this project Please click here and reply if you would like to receive regular email updates on the Young Haitian Photographers project. Acknowledgements The Young Haitian Photographers Group is a project that could never have been started without the generous help of many people. Dieudonne Batraville and her staff – Jeff’s hosts in Haiti. The work of this group in the St. Marc region of Haiti for the Rayjon Sharecare Agency is truly inspirational. Many thanks to the supporters of the project - Sean Taylor, Alan Mirabelli, Joe Molino, Karen and Bruce Thompson, Reva and Len Dolgoy, Janet and Noel Noyes-Brown, Peter Wright, Linda Mills, Karen Simpson, Connie and Stan Mills, Chris O’Brien of the Miller’s Tale, Simon Broadbent, Sue Hamilton, Mike Caughey, Sue Cressy, Richard Ellis, Cathy Blake, Jennifer and Pieter Ciere, Sofia Hanafi, Photography Matters, Pat Kavanaugh, Kelly Sloan, Amelia Ah You, Eileen Hennemann, Leanne George, Sean Taylor, Vera Lee Nelson, Sally Hansen, Kris and Rob Riendeau at the Humm, Neil Carleton, Susan Fisher, Janice and Micheal Bowie at Lux Photo, Paul Nelson Photo, Gregg Mills, Fern Martin, David Clark, Bonnie Vallentyne, Marc Rochon, Sandra Salmins, Lise Ladouceur, Jennifer Ryder-Jones, Richard Starnes and the Ottawa Citizen, Jill Bhar, Phil Alderwood, Bert and Theresa Moore, Suzanne Hotson, David Falconer, N. Ann Smith, Nancy Cooper, Marie Seaman, Natalie Karneef, Marie-Lou Fortin, Dorothy and Andrew Young, Joanna Scissons, Mary Lou Souter, Eric and Valerie Stewart, Gerry and Ann Wheatley, Marjorie Cooper, Anne Mason, 'Morning Break Program' at St. Martin's Church Ottawa, 'Photography Matters', Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and members - Alice Paige, Mary Morrison, Emily Noble, Folkus Concert Series in Almonte, ON, Regan Warner, Ron Caron, Emily Paige, Ian Paige, Phil & Roberta Drouillard, The R.A. Photography Club in Ottawa and members Cory Berghout & Denis Duchesne, The Renfrew Photography Club and member Barb Bristow, The School Box Project and Tom Affleck, Bill Chapman, Rona Fraser, Heather Zamorano, Heather Phaneuf, Phillip K. Wood, Shaun McLaughlin, Stewart Cavanagh, Marian Cavanagh, Barb Cavanagh, Margo Priest, family of Lorraine Campton, Delores Cadeau, Patti Freier and Kelsan Freier, Lynn Mayer, Kate Heartfield of the Ottawa Citizen, Stacey Roy of the EMC, Ruth Zowdu and Adrian Harewood of CBC Otawa's 'All in a Day', Ruth-Ann MacKinnon and Doug Saloum of the Ironworks Pub, Julie Argue and her staff at the Ironworks, Steven Brathwaite, Ingrid Kadoke, Fraser Scantlebury, Barbara Carroll, Kay Andrews, Terry-Clark Smith, Bonnie and David Clark, Alice Hutton, Fay A. Beale, Lianne Cote, Jaqueline Payne, Cathe and Ian Baker, Patricia Low-Bedard, Renfrew Camera Club, Almonte Lions Club, John Donaldson, Yvon and Beth Villarceau, Darcy Reindeau. The rocksandtrees.ca website couldn’t have been done without the very capable hands of Christine Birkett whose eye for detail and artistic abilities have helped to create a clean, crisp site that is easy to use. Thanks also to Simon Broadbent for help in setting up the gallery.
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