Help us reach our fundraising goal for our 5th annual Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto teaching photography, business, and computer skills to young adults in Haiti!
Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto (Youth Photo Camp) is a 10-day intensive photojournalism boot camp in Jacmel, Haiti, incorporating small business and computer training workshops for 35 young adult students from Cite Soleil and Jacmel. Student work is used in postcards, notecards, prints and calendars, many have been published, and their images have been displayed in numerous exhibitions in Haiti and the U.S.
One of our main goals is to help young adults transition to a life where they can support themselves exposing them to a world that was once unattainable and unfamiliar by providing resources, mentors, teachers, and new experiences that can change their lives in a very positive way. Each year our curriculum evolves adapting to the requests, dreams, and needs of our students.
Zanmi Lakay's Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto Volunteer Team teaches:
* Advanced Photography and Photojournalism with daily assignments
* Studio Photography - indoor and on location
* Computer skills (ZL's Computer Lab at ACFFC is open throughout the year)
* Editing and image processing on computers
* Basic business planning workshops
* How to market and sell products including their own postcards
* Resume writing
* Portfolio production (we supply portfolios and photos)
* How to take photos of art for use in portfolios and marketing
Zanmi Lakay's resources and provisions include:
* Cameras and badges for every student
* Full DSLR kit given annually as a gift to a star student
* Computers, software, and Internet
* Hard drives, thumb drives, and card readers
* Printers and paper
* Photo studio equipment
* Snacks
* Local guest speakers
* Personal Counseling (Maggie's Dream Counseling)
* Sponsorship for 5 students from Cite Soleil and Port-au-Prince
* Sponsorship for our Haitian staff
* Basic Business classes with workbooks (printed in Haiti!)
* Testing on computers (a first for all students)
* Volunteer team of professional photographers, translators, computer
and business technicians working in groups and one on one with students
* Transportation
* Community Celebration with food, drink, and local music and entertainers.
We need your help to continue providing this critical training and empower 35 advanced photojournalism students ages 12-21 during our 10-day Photo Camp in July in Jacmel, Haiti. Jouk Li Jou is a Haitian saying that means working hard to see a better life, and we’ll keep fighting to the end.
Our headquarters for Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto is at Art Creation Foundation for Children (ACFFC), our longterm partners in Jacmel – a poor yet beautiful historical seaside town known for its artisans. The students will be visiting hotels and learning how to sell their postcards, working in a photo studio, photographing locals in a mobile outdoor studio, competing in another postcard competition (last year Pierre Meristene won a camera kit!), and documenting personal stories about people in their community. At the end of Jouk Li Jou there will be an outdoor community slideshow presentation where family and friends come together to celebrate the students’ work and their own community.
The Impact
There is no other training like this anywhere in Haiti, and these kids absolutely need it to become successful artists with the ability to provide for themselves and their families. By increasing economic opportunities for young adults and helping them start and grow businesses, they can obtain meaningful employment setting them on a path to independence with their artwork and careers. We teach computer training and small business development through our Photography Workshops, and our students have already obtained work as photojournalists and are selling their postcards. Learning vital skills, they share stories about local issues from a Haitian point of view promoting progress in their own communities.
Our photo editing sessions are lively, business classes are always to capacity, and every single student has asked for more training. (Every year we have a Waiting List.) With a collaborative environment, this program fosters teamwork and socialization skills, and builds confidence. We listened to their hopes and dreams and will continue to do our best to provide the critical tools they need to help them on their path.
Your donations are tax-deductible, and all donors receive gifts of beautiful photography - cards, postcards, photos and calendars - taken by our amazing students. You can donate here or send a check directly to Zanmi Lakay.
Zanmi Lakay, 153 Montecito Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044
Other Ways You Can Help
If you believe in what we do, please show your support. Without the help of contributions made by so many people this unprecedented community project for youth in Haiti would never happen.
Help get the word out and make some noise about how we're improving the lives of youth in Haiti through our advanced photography workshops! Share our campaign with your friends, families, and networks directly from the Indiegogo site to give us a wider reach.
There are many other ways you can help. We understand that not everyone has the extra funds to support our project, so each year we create a WISH LIST outlining equipment and supplies we need from working digital cameras and laptops, to batteries and reporting notebooks. We are extremely grateful that we can say every camera, piece of equipment, and computer were donated by all of you!
* Check out our WISH LIST here: http://www.zanmilakayblog.org/
On behalf of all our talented Haitian students and the entire volunteer Jouk Li Jou team, we are incredibly grateful for your support! Thank you to everyone who believes in us, and supports our programs giving time, funding, and supplies.
Mesi Anpil!
Guy and Jen Pantaléon
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