Chiri is everything you could want from a rural African village. The drive in is incredible… with plenty of look out points and lush greenery. The further up the mountain you go, the more immersed in Africa you become.
Mike and I visit Chiri often, which is just an hours drive up the mountain. We stay with our friends who work at Lalimba, a local hospital that also functions as an orphanage for 12 beautiful children.
The orphans have a large place in my heart. In Ethiopia, family is everything. In reality, Ethiopia has very few orphans. If a child loses their parents they are always taken in by extended family. To be an orphan here is to truly have nothing, and no one. Yet the children at the orphanage are remarkably happy, caring and genuine. It is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting.
Let me backtrack for a second: Since my first visit to Ethiopia I have wanted to create a project that would enable me to share my passion with those less fortunate. It was also important to do so in a sustainable way. Mike and I have noticed that too often, visitors and volunteers give and then leave. I wanted to create something that would last longer than myself.
During my last visit I marveled at the joy that simply seeing a photo on my screen brought to children and grandparents alike. I imagined that a physical, tangible print would bring a more lasting joy. I wanted to teach photography to children in a land where a simple photo can bring so much happiness.
In a place like Chiri, there are no cameras nor photographs. Families live in a single room, three or four to a mattress. Everything is shared, and possessions rarely extend past the basic necessities. Even if a family wanted a portrait they would have to travel by bus to Bonga, pay a premium for a photo and then wait several weeks for a print to be mailed from a larger capital city. The luxury is simply outside of their means.
It is a sad reality because a single photo means so much to a family here. One photo will be cherished for generations as a treasured keepsake. Such a stark contrast to back home, where often times we will store over a thousand pictures on a single Facebook profile.
I wanted to help. So I bought a Fujifilm Instax camera, a modern polaroid camera that prints photos and develops them in 60 seconds. Through social media, I asked for help and I was overwhelmed by the support from friends and family, who donated over 200 prints for my project.
Thank you so so much!
However, I didn’t want to simply give away photographs. I had a better idea.
Last week, Mike and I started a photography clinic at the Chiri Orphanage. With Mike translating, I taught photography 101 to the twelve wide-eyed orphans. We covered concepts such as composition, lighting, and timing and the kids soaked it all in! They took turns acting as a photographer and a model, and each of them walked away with their own portrait. Afterwards, we evaluated each one, identifying what makes for a quality photograph.
I’ve never seen these kids as excited as they were when we were teaching. Their eyes lit up as they watched the magic camera produce instant memories, and their enthusiasm for knowledge was infectious. I hope that the project will bring happiness to the community and may inspire one of the orphans to pursue art as they grow up.
In the coming months, the orphanage will double as a tiny photography studio, where a family can come and receive a cheap and instant keepsake. In turn, the proceeds will all go to the orphanage, where it will fund special field trips or contribute to other projects, such as their sheep farm. Each photo is only 5 Ethiopian birr (which is about 25 cents). In context, 5 birr is the same price one would pay for a breakfast of tea and bread.
I can’t wait to hear about the progress of their photography project. The orphans are the sweetest kids you’d ever meet. Their smiles, as well as the ones they will soon capture are truly priceless.
You are amazing and I really don't even know what to say. I'm inspired by your drive to teach and share and am in awe at how WE take photography and images for granted. You're doing big things Carly. Amazing. For real.
And those kids are gorgeous, their smiles make me smile! Xo