Sumba Photo Stories
We will teach local children about photography and then make great stories from their photos.
Background
Because Kawan Baik aim to contribute to the development in the lagging areas, we need to map out the most urgent issues in every area where we work. Nevertheless, sometimes it is a difficult process to determine what the real problem is, to decide what to prioritize, and to find the most effective method to solve the problem.
Therefore, we started a photography project, where we strive to process in a creative way by involving local children and understanding problems through their perspectives.
Sumba Photos Project is one of our ideas. In this project, we will teach local children about photography, including how to use the camera, take photos with good angles and compositions, and then create good stories from their photos.
Trigger social action, increased life conditions, education, health, and a better life. It’s through the children’s eyes! Adults will see what they actually miss!
We will lend them a camera and let them take any pictures around it as we continue to hone their photography skills through a series of trainings. These photographs are expected to capture real problems in their environment, which are interpreted through the children’s original viewpoint.
Training
The first phase of the project is to arrange training with three groups consisting of ten children from Sumba and to teach them how to use the camera. Children will take the camera with them and capture the moments of their lives, the places they visit, their homes, their loved ones, the food they eat, and everything around them.
Children will have the opportunity to explore their village, to express themselves, to discover and analyze the things around them with a new perspective.
In this phase, children must be encouraged to create stories from the images they have taken and present them in front of others. This phase will teach them how to be confident by creating a narrative of anything in their environment that they have captured in the camera and brave enough to say it.
There are many benefits of doing this project: first, by participating in this project, they will be encouraged to do something new, which changes their habits daily. They will learn and develop new skills. From an educational standpoint, this is a real opportunity for them to progress.
Secondly, some of them may develop or show real interest in art and photography, and they may want to continue to learn after the project. This is a good thing we will then consider. Education, of course, is most important, but art is also an excellent way to learn and develop other parts of the brain.
- Rebuild as described above;
- Provide 35 sets of table and school chairs:
- Acquire books and textbooks for basic K-13 courses and teaching tools based on levels 1 and 2.
Exhibition
After the children finish their task, the next thing to do is to collect all the images and set the exposition to bring their works to the public. As a major phase of this project, we hope that this presentation will make the wider community outside the island see children’s works and become aware of their living conditions.
In addition, the exposition is a good way to tell people about this project as a kind of ‘ cultural event ‘, as people are usually more receptive to attending such events rather than just receiving notifications via email. They will see for themselves the works of children and foundations, thus making them in a better disposition to donate a certain amount of money to the foundation.
- Building a new school also means improving the quality of school facilities, the foundation will improve safety, health and learning behavior;
- Offering new possibilities for sustainable learning programs, with new facilities, new schools, and new tools to take place there;
- Develop enthusiasm for children to learn in joy and security at school thanks to New School;
Give access to adequate sanitation, water, and electricity facilities in the school
Benefits
Kahaungu Eti District has a total population of 8,909 * people, consisting of 4,522 men and 4,387 women, with an area of 475.1 hectares. The population density is 18.75 km2.
In this photography project, Kawan Baik is targeting to invite 30 children from two or three villages in the district Kahaungu Eti. They will take part in training and exposition. In addition to the participants, there are also other direct beneficiaries of this project, including local guides, local trainers, teachers, local children from the village who are also interested in learning about photography, as well as the locals involved in our program.
Other beneficiaries of this project include local people who will get new information on social, cultural, educational and health in Sumba, especially in the village of Kahaungu Eti through social media and the website of Yayasan Kawan Baik Indonesia and Fair Future Foundation, as well as other support. Partners (500 people).
In addition, the project will also benefit the people who get new information about social, cultural, education and health in Sumba, especially in the village of Kahaungu Eti (300 people), through a series of photo exhibitions. This will be the first step for us to be able to involve more people in assisting two of the main programs of Yayasan Kawan Baik Indonesia, consisting of Kawan Pintar (Smart Friends) and Kawan Sehat (health Friends) in East Sumba.
- Through our main target of 30 children attending photography training, we aim to bring a big impact to formal schools, as well as residential and public environments.
- They are free to photograph their environment with our guidelines and technical concepts. Our team will then compose their artwork, so that the photographs deserve as a medium to share knowledge about the importance of nutrition, hygiene, health, and education to the wider community.
- Its purpose is clearly defined as purely social, which stems from the social-medical consciousness, triggers the revelatory action as set out in the organization’s description of foundations, such as women’s health, health deficiencies in children and improved nutrition, education, reading and learning, etc.
* (Source Central statistic: East Sumba in Figure 2018)
SPS Team
Syafiudin -alias “Vifick”
Vifick is a visual storyteller. Using the medium of photography, he worked on his personal projects in the form of photo essays and travel stories. He is interested in humanitarian, socio-cultural, environmental, anthropological and contemporary issues.
He formed the SEMUT IRENG ( Black Ant ) photography community which concentrated on pinhole photography. Then now established a photography program #SayaBercerita, which is an initiative and movement to tell stories through the medium of photography. The program is in the form of photography classes, photography camera and photography book making.
Novi Tri Mujahidin a.k.a Gogon
He is a visual worker. He handles projects in several areas related to the visual world. Specializing in graphic design and photography, it has a good ability to manage art exhibitions, focusing on the concept of space display.
Gogon Interested in the world of education volunteers, with two years of experience in Sumba when he was involved in a basic project for Community assistance as a documentary project, as well as a facilitator for the project assistants of the children’s photography program #PhotoVoiceSumba. He was involved in the program from the beginning of the selection to the design concept for exhibitions, both small and large scale in Sumba and Jakarta.
Nofi Kristanti Ndruru
Having background in geography education, NOFI has developed itself into many activities and communities related to the field of education, social and environment. In addition to his interest in community development activities, Nofi is a writer, who has contributed articles to the online newspapers and blogs. He even included his creativity to some books.
In East Sumba, Nofi has been involved in many activities to improve children’s literacy and adolescents, as well as women’s rights. His contributions have resulted in the formation of several reading rooms. On several occasions, he also organized writing and photography training.
His experience as a teacher in formal schooling continued to encourage him to always be educators in the wider community or informal institutions. To educate and be educated is how to spread good and meaningful to the community, as well as for the environment and the better generation.
Thank you so much for your real help and your love for this unique experience through the children’s perspectives.
Project Cost
| Description | Amount | |
| Survey | : | Rp 19.720.000 |
| Training & Education Activities | : | Rp 173.890.350 |
| Exhibition | : | Rp 59.955.000 |
| Total | : | Rp 253.565.350 |