Haitian Children’s Home (www.haitianchildrenshome.org) is an orphanage operated by Danny and Leann Pye, missionaries from Florida. The orphanage houses about 22 children of various ages, ranging from newborn to teen-aged. Through international sponsorship, these children are provided the food, housing, and education (primary and secondary) necessary for a fulfilling life in Haitian society. Nonetheless, children at HCH still face many challenges. Several of these children have lived harsh lives before arriving at HCH. Some have been sexually-abused by family members and others have nearly become a restavik, or child slave.

In order to help the children at HCH express themselves both creatively and emotionally, David Hazard and I will be traveling to the orphanage with cameras, film, and the desire to train a new crew of young photographers. From April 18th to April 26th, the two of us will stay at HCH, teaching basic photography and helping the children to speak using the camera to amplify their voice. During that week, we will develop the film that the children use in order to help them see how different techniques affect the images they take. Hopefully, by the time we leave, these children will understand the fundamentals of photographic art and will be able to express their emotions through a new medium. After David and I leave, the children will continue to take pictures, day-after-day and week-after-week. When I return to Haiti on May 10th, I’ll check in with them to make sure that their cameras are working correctly and that everything is going well. Although, for the most part, I’ll be about an hour away in the mountains of Seguin, I’ll continue to make trips to HCH as needed to check in on the children and their progress. Once I leave Haiti again in early June, I’ll take all of the film that the children have shot back to the States to be developed. After all of the film has been processed, I will choose two images from each child and have them mounted and framed for display. These images will then be brought back to Haiti in August for a formal exhibition in Jacmel. The final images will also be displayed in educational and fundraising exhibitions in the States with all proceeds going to Haitian Children’s Home and their programs. I truly believe that this project has the power to change the lives of the children involved. The ability to express one’s self through art can be extremely therapeutic and educational. Sometimes words simply can’t express the emotions that we have inside. I hoping that by helping the children at HCH to learn photography, they will have a new way to let out these emotions in a creative and artistic fashion.

Projected Timeline for Project April 18th – 26th, 2008: Kyle Denison Martin and David Hazard will travel to Haitian Children’s Home in Jacmel, Haiti, and begin instructing children in basic photography. Each participating child will have two rolls of film developed during this week so that they can reflect on their photography and how different techniques affect their pictures. April 27th – May 9th, 2008: Children at HCH will continue to take photos, using the film that was brought by Kyle and David in April. Additional film can be shipped via air-mail as needed. May 10th, 2008: Kyle Denison Martin returns to HCH to check on the children and ensure that their equipment is working correctly. May 10th – June 1st, 2008: Although Kyle will be working at the HCO clinic in Seguin, he will continue to consistently visit HCH and address any needs of the children there. June 1st, 2008: Kyle Denison Martin will return to the United States with all of the film taken at HCH. This film will be developed in the U.S. Late June/Early July 2008: Morgan Stewart and others have planned a fundraising dinner and concert to benefit the project and cover the cost of enlargement, matting and framing of the images from HCH. This dinner and concert will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August 2008: Two images from each participating child at HCH will be enlarged, matted and framed. These images will then be brought back to Jacmel, Haiti, for a formal exhibition. August – December 2008: The images taken by the children at HCH will be displayed in a series of exhibitions and educational programs throughout Michigan, including various galleries at Michigan State University. The images will also be displayed during fundraising events for Haitian Children’s Home and their future programs.

Estimated Budget for Project

Air Travel, Food & Lodging for Kyle Denison Martin (1) Air Transit - $421.00 (2) Food, Lodging and Transit (on site) - $120.00 Subtotal=$541.00 Air Travel, Food & Lodging for David Hazard (1) Air Transit – $578.00 (2) Food, Lodging and Transit (on site) - $120.00 Subtotal=$698.00 Equipment and Developing (Haiti) (1) Cameras (20) - $499.00 ($24.95 each) (2) Film (100 rolls) - $189.00 ($1.89 each) (3) AA Batteries (128) - $59.47 (4) Developing Film (2 rolls each) - $600.00 ($15.00 per roll) Subtotal=$1347.47 Developing (United States) (1) Developing Film (60 rolls) - $600.00 ($10.00 per roll) Subtotal=$600.00 Prints, Matting and Framing (United States) (7) Prints, Matting and Framing (20) - $1000.00 ($50.00 each) Subtotal=$1000.00 Final Total=$4186.47

If you would like to volunteer with Foto Vwa, we are always looking for help on various projects. Please contact Foto Vwa Director Kyle Denison Martin at director@fotovwa.org