March 21, 2004 - The World Through My Eyes: Mozambique RPCV Blake Schmidt launches a project featuring photographs taken by young Mozambicans

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Mozambique: Peace Corps Mozambique : The Peace Corps in Mozambique: March 21, 2004 - The World Through My Eyes: Mozambique RPCV Blake Schmidt launches a project featuring photographs taken by young Mozambicans

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-19-229.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.19.229) on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 12:43 am: Edit Post

Mozambique RPCV Blake Schmidt launches a project featuring photographs taken by young Mozambicans

Mozambique RPCV Blake Schmidt launches a project featuring photographs taken by young Mozambicans

Mozambique RPCV Blake Schmidt launches a project featuring photographs taken by young Mozambicans

The Project

The World Through My Eyes was created to enrich the lives of Mozambican orphans. The U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique has provided initial funding. The first phase of The World Through My Eyes will be completed in April 2004. Plans for additional project work are pending.

The short-term goal of The World Through My Eyes is to expose young Mozambicans to a useful creative activity. Participants have access to photographic equipment and learn basic photography. They produce their own portfolios of photographs and receive a program certificate. In addition to short-term enrichment and exposure to the arts, program participants learn a useful skill, making them better candidates for academic scholarships.

A long-term goal for The World Through My Eyes is to create a permanent photography school in Mozambique. Currently, photography is not being taught at Mozambique's journalism institute. Annually less than twenty people study photography at the only photography school. There is a need for more opportunity to learn photography, especially for Mozambican youth. Most people don't have the money to buy books of photographs, see exhibitions or take non-essential photos. Music, dance and painting are the three most popular art forms in Mozambique. Photography has the potential to join this group.


Exhibitions

Gallery exhibits featuring the student photographers will cap the first phase of The World Through My Eyes. As of now two gallery showings are planned. The first will be held on April 7, 2004, Mozambican Women’s Day in Chókwè, Mozambique. The second will take place in Maputo, Mozambique at AMF (Associação Moçambicana de Fotografia) Gallery or Mozambican Photographers Association. It will be held between the 9th and 19th of April.

For further details please contact the project leader. Click here for contact information.

P.S. The participants will be allowed to invite their friends and family to see their work at the first exhibition. At the second showing the project leader will select three participants who will go to Maputo to participate in the exhibition opening.


Blake Schmidt, Project Leader

An American from Portland, Oregon, Blake H. Schmidt served in the Peace Corps from 2001 to 2003 teaching English at the Agrarian School of Chókwè. His students, ages 13 to 23, had little opportunity to enjoy extra-curricular activities taken for granted by young Americans. Blake knows photography can provide enrichment and opportunity for young Mozambicans.

Blake studied photography at Principia College. He first came to Africa as a college senior when he traveled for six weeks with a class studying South Africa's history, media and literature. Blake led a group of photographers and ensured that they accurately documented the spirit, diversity and life of South Africa.

Blake's photographs have been published in newspapers, magazines and calendars. His photographic experience includes freelancing for newspapers and teaching photography to children. Blake feels privileged to be teaching young Mozambicans the useful skill of photography.

Living in Mozambique Blake has become fluent in Portuguese, helping him integrate into his community. Mozambicans are welcoming and the landscapes are beautiful, making photography enjoyable and relatively easy. Blake feels an appreciation for photography could be fostered in Mozambique with time, teaching and tools.


Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: The World Through My Eyes

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Mozambique; Photography - Mozambique

PCOL10564
32

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: