Lady of the Imagination

Three years ago, before I had even graduated college, I packed my belongings and headed West. A journey I swore I would never take. Iowa, here I come! I was brought here through my desire to grow food, to feed people, to experience life on another farm and get another small farmers perspective—I came to challenge my education and cultivate my field of knowledge. My experiences there changed me, gave me the opportunity to grow, reach out, meet innovative family farmers who are giving their all to keep the family farming community alive. To keep their communities alive. I also had the chance not only to work with several of these farmers, but to work with other interns who shared some of the same passions and concerns. While some people lasted only a month, others two or three, one woman, Katharine, deeply touched me in the relatively short time we worked together, allowing us to form a very profound friendship. I would like to share her most recent project with everyone and encourage support in whatever manner you can offer.

Katharine Smith began work on the Ghana Youth Photo Project in 2005. I remember the fall of 2005, when she set of to Ghana for a couple weeks to work for a non-profit she and her parents were starting, and keep up with the connections she had made there on previous trips. Always finding a way to find the beauty in an object or situation, we used to sit around at the dinner table and talk of food, art, and philosophy. The Ghana Youth Photo Project is just that—Katharine seeing the beauty, and helping others find it.

The photos represent the lives of eleven children from Accra, the capitol city of Ghana. These children are more accurately from Nima, “the worst slum in Accra, and the Muslim section of the city. The kids not only live in poverty, but some also have to deal with the stigma of being Muslim in a Christian dominated city. The Muslim/Christian divide, which seems to be growing further apart, is not only affecting people in America, but all over the world. I not only taught the kids a new skill but also gave them an opportunity to visually represent their country, culture and religion through photography” (www.ghanayouthphoto.org)

The photographs on display are striking; the insight into the world of these eleven kids is beautifully honest. The colorful outbursts and patterns are matched by the darker depictions, challenging the viewer to look at their world with new eyes and find the beauty in their own life. Each photographer has a distinct personality that comes through in their photos, and while it is difficult, and almost seems unfair to choose a favorite, I definitely have mine chosen. I hope you enjoy this site and artwork and I look forward to reading comments and passing them on to Katharine and her students.

www.ghanayouthphoto.org

Thanks!
Gabi