"Eye for beauty

Isaías and Marina with five of the children who participated in the workshop

What does it consist of? 

Each workshop participant chooses four photographs expressing emotions that they want to transmit or what is beautiful for them. Then they will explain the reason for their choice. To this we add three wishes from each participant. In the case of children, we ask them what they want to be when they grow up and AdultsHow do they see themselves in 10 years?

After each workshop, we will show the results on our blog and social networks (we have created an album on facebook where you can see all the photos:). We think it's a nice way to know how they see their reality the people with whom we collaborate in each center. If you like photography, this is your chance! 

How was it in Nakuru?

10 boys and girls participated in this center, each one chose four photographs that you can see On our facebook page. The first photo of each one is a selfie so that we can get to know them a little more.

All people from downtown Nakuru

After completing the workshop, these are the conclusions of isaiah:

1) Beauty or emotions? 

“We thought it might be a good idea to include emotions along with photography. Subsequently, we thought that perhaps the children would have difficulty expressing them, either for cultural reasons or for the duration of the volunteering… We were surprised that some of them did want to talk about them. Although cultural connotations are appreciated, they treat emotions and try to reflect them in the photographs.»

2) We are few but we want to!:

«Practically all of the 65 children at the center came to the meeting where we explained the project, but in the end only 10 participated. We were unfortunate that we did not know the schedules: they leave the center at 6:00 in the morning and return at 6:00 p.m., when it is already dark... Only the little ones can arrive earlier (at 4:00 p.m.) , precisely the small group that participated in the project.”

3) Above all, happy:

"The happiness It is the most predominant emotion. But the reasons for choosing the photos, on some occasions, are not exactly happy... The bias they have is appreciated here: they can talk about sadness, but when we ask them if they are sad, it is possible that they deny it».

4) We like people:

«There have been photographs of landscapes, fauna, flora, details, portraits... But without a doubt the one that has prevailed the most has been  people photography. Specifically, and it is somewhat interesting, there were a lot of self portrait (beyond the one we asked for as the first photo). 
A possible explanation is that in Nakuru there are practically no mirrors, and a child can perfectly go two years without having seen himself in something that reflects.


5) We know how to put ourselves in their place:

«Something that was very nice to see and that was repeated in practically all the participations was the high rate of empathy. I think it is perfectly summed up in this sentence: "it is a happy photo, because it is the first time that this child has seen another with a camera, and he is happy...". Not only have they taken photos of events that could give off happiness, such as a birth, but they have stood next to the child, the mother or their friend, and they have commented on that emotion.  

6) health, life and death 

«These three themes were recurring in the explanations and wishes of the participants. Their stories show how they care about their family, some of them have even lost brothers in tribal fights... Death is present in their lives from an early age, and emotionally they do not express it explicitly. It is not surprising that the most chosen profession was that of a doctor ».  

7) Future adventurers! 
«This conclusion does not emerge from the photographs taken, but from the wishes. Many of the little ones do not settle for anything for their future: traveling to other countries, journalists, pilots... Many of these children, thanks to the local project with which Tumaini collaborates, will have the opportunity to go to university. They are very motivated for their future."

8) Our family:

«This other conclusion is not clear from the photographs either, but I would like to comment on it: these children are at the center because their families have not been able to afford to support them. After that, the local NGO adopts them and has a educational program for them until they reach the age of 18. Many people who heard this experienced the situation as an abandonment by the families. Mistake. Children feel that they are part of their families, they want to be close to them. Although they do not share the customs of the tribe (female castration...), they feel pokot, and they want to return to their land».

«Children have told us about emotions and beauty through photography. Although negative emotions are not shown in an explicit way, we have seen their high social capacity, their empathy, the desire they have to help others... They are sensitive to nature and the beauty of everyday life, such as his favorite food, the birth of an animal, or the flowers he likes the most. They are people with great potential and with many aspirations for their future.”

The next project to join "Eyes for Beauty" It is the center with which we collaborate in northern India and which works with Tibetan refugees. Elena and Blanca have done it with adults and soon we will be able to show you the result.

From Tumaini we want to thank all the people who have made this very special project possible, from the camera donors to the volunteers who have traveled to get it going.

If you want to make a Solidarity Trip in this center you have all the information on our website: 

You can see the workshop held in Nakuru on our page Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P7xsym

If you want to know more about the work of isaiah you can visit their facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1PSxzQ0