About this project

Our team of photographers will create a photo essay examining the important work of at least five grassroots development organizations working in central Uganda improving the quality of life for the rural and urban poor by providing health care, education, clean water, orphan care and other basic needs.

We often see compelling photo essays and collections especially during times of crisis, depicting the work of large relief and development organizations. We’ll turn that same visual attention onto smaller, grassroots organizations that focus on single communities or regions. Although smaller, their efforts are no less important and their stories, no less compelling.

The founders of these organizations inspire us by their work, their enthusiasm and their ingenuity, in how they sustain their work and how they have chosen serve these communities. It is that type of inspiration that makes us think, every day, "I can't wait to photograph this project, it is so wonderful, so amazing. I can't wait to start making photographs, to show anyone who will look and listen, what these amazing people are doing!"

By blending the styles and storytelling perspectives of our photographers, we’ll create a rich, dynamic and powerful narrative for print and electronic publication, and, budget permitting, for exhibition. (The more we exceed our goal, the more we will be able to accomplish!). We’ll also be on the lookout for other methods and mediums of telling the stories of the important differences these lesser-known organizations are making in the world.

It is unusual for these organizations to have access to this type of professional-quality photography to tell their stories in a visually compelling manner. While we are planning essays and other vehicles to publish journalistic accounts of their work, we will also share this our with the organizations, allowing them to  more effectively communicate with their supporters and potential supporters.

We hope that you will be inspired as we are inspired, when we think about applying our craft and experience to tell the stories of the caring and compassionate work these organizations are doing every day.

Reaching for Goals:Please remember that in order to start the project we need to reach our minimum goal. If we miss the goal, we will not receive any of the pledged funding, so please spread the word to all who you think might be interested in this project. Any funds that exceed our goal will just give us more access to possibilities in producing exhibitions and other tools in telling these stories.

WHEN?
We plan to be shooting the project sometime in January, depending upon, of course, your generosity and the vagaries of setting up international flights, visas, lodging and all the other fun stuff associated with international work.

...etc.
We hope to send out the rewards as soon as possible after our books and essays are completed. Books likely will be the last to arrive, but we will keep you posted.

Other Rewards: Once you become a backer we will also keep you in the loop by email and by blog as often as is possible in the lead-up and during the project. We hope to be fairly active in the blog, as much as the hectic and demanding days of the actual project will permit.

In addition, the NGOs have recently been developing other projects that will produce locally-traditional items that will also make great rewards. By the time we arrive, some of these programs should be in full swing. We hope to work those in as bonuses and surprise gifts-of-thanks to our backers once we know what sort of quantities and items that will ultimately be available.

We have set up a website to display the work of our photographers once the project is complete. In the meantime you may see collections of current and past projects at the site http://www.pixelsofmercy.org.

The Team:

Vanessa Vick (http://vanessavick.com) has worked around the world, in recent years focusing on Africa where she has become known for her compelling portraits of life on the continent in stories ranging from brutal insurgencies to public health campaigns.
She has been a photo editor for the legendary Sygma Agency as well as U.S. News and World Report before returning to school to earn a masters in photojournalism and then moving to Uganda on a Fullbright Scholarship to document how AIDS has ravaged the lives of individual Africans. She later worked with major news outlets including Newsweek, U.S. News, The Guardian and the Discovery Channel, major NGOs, and became a regular Africa contributer to the NY Times.

In 2004, under a grant from the U.S. State Dept. Vanessa and Rick worked together with Ugandan photojournalist Henry Bongyerierwe to create an essay and exhibition studying the effects of the then 18-year old conflict in Northern Uganda on its population. This exhibit toured Uganda including a stay in the nation’s Parliament before making a number of appearances at U.S. universities and other galleries. Their work from this project also appeared in globally in published accounts of the conflict.

Laura Martin (pixelsofmercy.org/Laura) has traveled extensively through Europe, the United States and Mexico, using her experience, sensitivity and knowledge working in international and third world settings, to create a body of expressive fine art that is a part of private collections in the U.S. and Mexico. Laura expresses her creative vision through portraiture, travel, commercial, architectural and fine art photography while maintaining a career as a Landscape Architect, Designer and commercial Photographer-consultant. She is currently engaged in three long-term documentary projects at home in Phoenix and in Mexico.

Nina Zacuto (Pixelsofmercy.org/Nina) is a freelance photojournalist specializing in non-profit multimedia productions.  After 31-years in broadcast journalism, the last 25 with NBC News, Zacuto took early retirement in 2007 and returned to two early passions. Her love of photography began in her teen years and led her to pursue journalism.  After college, her concern for those less fortunate inspired her to spend a year as a VISTA volunteer (now under the Americorp umbrella) in Dallas, TX helping those living in poverty.
 
As a producer of news segments and a coordinating producer for NBC News she traveled the world covering a wide range of stories, from natural disasters to politics, social issues, Olympics, the environment, major trials and technology.   Her eye for photography helped her tell news stories with video and it is that experience that guides her efforts now capturing the story with still photography and audio.
 
“When I hear about a story I think about how the story can be enhanced visually, when I see the story happening, I want to document that moment in time.  These grassroots efforts are stories that should be told.”

Some of the organizations we will be photographing: 

The Agatha Foundation
Jinja 
www.tmaf.org.ug 

Based on the humble background, Ronald and Agatha Wakyereza grew up looking after siblings and parents. Once married, the couple continued supporting family, including 13 adults, in food, housing, health care and school fees. They realized the need not only their family faced, but the community around them and created the Agatha Foundation.

A grass-roots, faith-based organization, The Agatha Foundation operates four clinics in the Jinja region providing access to general health care and specialties including, dental, maternity, obstetrics, and orthopedics, as well as diagnostics ranging from x-ray to Doppler ultrasound.

In an effort to provide solutions to reducing poverty, the foundation also provides educational support, helping children who are orphaned and of disadvantaged families to get an education. This support covers all grade levels including vocational and sometimes college.

Bega Kwa Bega (Shoulder to Shoulder)/Bambi Uganda Orphans
Kakiri/Kisubi/Kampala

http://begakwabegaugandaorphans.org
http://bambiugandaorphans.org

Founded in 1998, Bega Kwa Bega’s goal is to work together with communities to improve the living conditions of orphans, vulnerable children and the people who care for them. Currently we look after 4,000 orphans in 130 villages. Their holistic approach ensures that children's basic needs are addressed and that communities receive ongoing support until they are strong enough to nurture their children in a safe, healthy environment. They help communities provide, education for orphans and children with special needs; affordable health services including a mobile clinic takes medical personnel to remote villages five times a week; install water tanks, protect springs and drill bore holes; train women and teens in basic business management, improve nutrition by teaching villagers how to plan their family gardens, use organic techniques and stagger planting for year-round food supply.

Hope Clinic
Lukuli  (Kampala suburb)
http://www.hcluganda.org 

Hope Clinic is a 24-hour charitable health center serving the community in general primary health care situated in the village of Lukuli, a suburb of Kampala, on the shores of and overlooking Lake Victoria.  The clinic and NGO were founded ten years ago to deal with many health issues including immunizations, general illnesses/outpatient care, maternal and neo-natal care to name a few. Its founders and owners all live in the community near the clinic and in 2005 built and opened a larger facility.  As a visitor you will find a charitable health center serving the community in general primary health care.  Many of the 1,000 patients served per month walk to the clinic from the surrounding 2 miles and they range from new mothers with babies strapped to their waist, older relatives bringing grandchildren for care, to youthful students from the nearby colleges and ‘families’ of mothers, children, new babies, older boys and husbands.

Rapha Health Clinic
Kyanja (Kampala suburb)
Rapha is a private health care business that was established by a team of young Ugandan doctors and entrepreneurs to provide affordable healthcare to the community. The for-profit center uses part of its proceeds to support the Kyanja Community Health Center which serves a community where people 80 percent of the population earns less than $3 per day. The center provides general health care services that are often not available to the poor in the community, treating for malaria, respiratory diseases, malnutrition, gastric  diseases and dehydration as well as providing immunizations and health counseling. They are upgrading their dental center and are looking to set up an antenatal clinic and delivery ward (about 6 beds). Volunteers from the community help to build these facilities.

They also offer health education to the community and have been supporting the more elderly members of the community with general health checks and supplies.

Teach a Child to Fish
http://www.teachachildtofish.org
Mityana
This organization started as a result of founder Lynne McDermott's time in the Peace Corps in Mityana village, an hour west of Kampala in Uganda. The organization focuses on providing a quality education for vulnerable and disadvantaged orphans in Mityana in central Uganda. Their support includes tuition, uniforms, books, pens, pencils and other school supplies. We also monitor their progress in school.
When possible, they provide “wraparound” support for the poorest children; this can include clean water, shoes, malaria medicine, and health care. Once an orphan is enrolled in school, TCF will continue support until the child finishes Primary 7 (equivalent to Grade 7 in the US). We support boys and girls equally.