Perspectives of Poverty
Engineers Without Borders Canada - Non-Profit - www.ewb.ca
In ealy 2010, an EWB volunteer living in Malawi decided to explore perceptions of poverty in western media. He ˜faked" pictures of people in his community as poor/rich, and then showed his perspectives on his blog:
http://waterwellness.ca/2010/04/28/perspectives-of-poverty/
Little did he or anyone else in the organization expect this to go viral:
See: http://bit.ly/9XEOTm http://bit.ly/bxLhdN http://bit.ly/cRqq14 http://bit.ly/9m8Dtc http://bit.ly/cPPdIj http://bit.ly/cz7uo8
EWB, along several of our volunteers, would like Free Range to help us spread this unique project with a wider audience. We feel strongly that a new dialogue and relationship with Africa is critical to building enterprises and livelihoods for entrepreneurial Africans.
AdminSimon A. Nurse
(Admin, Free Range Studios' Youtopia)
shared this idea
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LOMOTO ANANGWA JEREMIE
commented
Very pertinent idea and a blessed action to support those who are in need of basic human needs.
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Ro
commented
Great project!
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Heather
commented
Awesome! Go Duncan!!! Thanks for letting us know Kyle....
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Heather
commented
Awesome! Go Duncan!!! Thanks for letting us know Kyle....
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Heather
commented
Awesome! Go Duncan!!! Thanks for letting us know Kyle....
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Sarah Pole
commented
I love this project, it engages in the issue of poverty in a way that is more honest and humanizing of the people it represents, and actually involves the people being photographed - genius! It also makes a comment on how pictures can be used to tell a particular story and tries to break some of the myths of Africa - fantastic!
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Alain Blaise
commented
Great project!
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Roshan Shrestha
commented
Might be remarkable milesstone in field of poverty elimination
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Jason Teixeira
commented
excellent
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Ian Lewis commented
An excellent idea
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Elison Elliott
commented
The project titled 'Africa, Poverty and Pictures' by Duncan McNicholl is an excellent and informed project that, in my opinion, deserves to be funded in order to give a greater voice and attention to the unfortunate misperceptions of Africa perpetuated by many NGOs and Western aid workers. He puts his finger on an issue that is current, relevant, rarely covered and with a fresh perspective from the many newer voices entering the foreign policy arena that challenges "conventional" thinking on these issues.
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Tatjana Trebic
commented
Beautiful work Duncan. Even more impressed with you right now.
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Craig Chiswell
commented
Great project. Dignity for Africa.
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d'Arcy.
commented
Awesome work and something the Global Poverty Project is right behind. We aim to put actions like these into the big picture of extreme poverty and showcase that we can make a difference just you are here!
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Ndumba J. Kamwanyah
commented
As an African living in America it makes me cringe, just like Duncan McNicholl, every time I see a “photo of a teary-eyed African child, dressed in rags, smothered in flies, with a look of desperation”, especially when I know that these images are used as means to generate revenues. Nobody is trying to hide the reality of poverty here, but there is a better way to helping people without dehumanizing them. What this project is doing is to bring us back to the basic of development work-passion,respect, dignity, and commitment!
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J. Seamus Boylson
commented
I just added a blog comment - printed on both the Peace&Conflict as well as my Facebook page - relative to your Photo documentary piece.
I'd also like to have a chance to communicate with you directly, re; your WaSan work in Malawi. I did a joint venture with the UC Davis EWB Chapter in Uganda a couple years ago; it was a rainwater catchment system for a village school/community near Lake Victoria. The applied 4 different purification systems, & let the villagers vote on which they preferred. They were so impressed with our water, they gave it a new name in their own language: "The good water that doesn't taste like medicine". I could be of significant help to your Waterwell efforts as well.
Let's hear from you. JSB -
Rohan
commented
Very pertinent and a blessed action to support those who are in need of basic human needs.
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Gerald Tushabe
commented
Thank you so much for your great and inspiring insights, Mr. Nicholl. I wish you all the best in this and future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Gerald Tushabe. -
Michele Deramo
commented
Very perceptive work.
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davy
commented
excellent