Return to Jacmel: Post #1 Jacmel, Haiti 2013

It was great to be back in Jacmel to work with teens at the Art Creation Foundation for Children!  There have been so many changes – the kids have improved in both language skills and photography, and the foundation has moved to a marvelous new building.  By the time I got there, everything had been moved and the families of the children all pitched in to paint rooms.  The  kids installed mosaics on the front.  Beautiful and welcoming!

New ACFFC building

There are separate rooms for a library, computers, homework review, art projects and an efficient kitchen.  The eating area is bright and airy.  And the entire building buzzes with activity.

Each morning I photographed various subjects needed for the new ACFFC website designed by another board member.  And three afternoons I worked with the kids.

The group this year consisted of 5 girls and one boy, Fedno.  I had worked with all but one last year.  Everyone loved using the newer cameras sent to them by my photographer friends.

We had three specific goals:  Tell a story – with establishing shot, action and close-ups.  Move your images onto the computer – make a file, name it in a consistent manner ( name, date, what it is) and put the photographs into the file.  Edit.  Chose the best 3 photographs.  Don’t include several that are similar.

The group of 6 divided into three pairs and took 30 minutes to shoot an activity:  chosen were food preparation, homework review and a local business.

Team Homework Review

Team Food Prep

The challenges began when we looked at the images.  The photographs were uniformly good.  But only two of the kids had any idea of how to create a folder or how to name it.  I had not realized that there are NO computers used in their schools. Fortunately, five laptops had just arrived and computer work areas have been built into the new computer room.  (Computer classes will begin in a couple of weeks.)  Meanwhile, four of the kids had never typed, did not know how to capitalize a letter, make an underscore, or where the letters are on the keyboard.  That you can use two hands.  We spent the next two afternoons practicing these skills,  with those who knew how teaching those who did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then chose the best 3 photographs for each person and discussed editing and organizing.  A more cerebral exercise than last year, when we used cool new backgrounds to photograph artwork, but of tremendous value in the long run.

On the last day, a Saturday, the whole group had to work on a wonderful long mosaic wall commissioned by the city of Jacmel, so I photographed the work and then worked along with the kids – great fun!!

Working on the wall at Raymond Les Bains

Later, in the evening, we went out for a farewell dinner.  I will miss them!

Team Food Prep

Team Homework Review