A few more pics

Internet today is unusually fast, so I'm posting a few more pics from DRC while I can. Still enjoying life here lots. Have been working on a project with several local prostitutes-- trying to tell the stories of how they came to be where they are and how they hope to get out. One group of my students just finished up there first photo/audio story for the website. Hope to have them posted at www.congoinfocus.com soon.



My Sunday morning ritual: attempting to bake bread over the fire



Women's Day march through downtown Beni. March 8, 2010



Different fabrics for different women's groups







Patients at a leprosy clinic in the nearby town of Oicha



This man and his siblings have lived with leprosy since they were children.



Three months ago, he lost his right leg.



Patients



Blinded by leprosy



Outside a local maternity ward



Post-delivery room



New mamas, new babies



Nearby school for kids whose families can't afford tuition



Bored



Notes



The traditional school uniforms-- blue and white

Finally, some pics from Beni

Sharing some photos from my first month in Beni. Takes years to upload photos here, so I'm only posting a few...



The view on the way from the airport in Butembo to my new home in Beni on my first day in Congo.



Trying to get the neighborhood kids to warm up to me.



My new Swahili teacher and her grandmother.



Construction at UCBC



New shoes for some local kids.



Shoes!



Painfully cute kids.



The view from our front door of the Rwuenzori mountains.



So many stories I will never know.



So many stories yet to learn.



Again... ridiculously cute.



Note the t-shirt.



Hair styling on the corner.



My ride to and from school and around town everyday. The infamous moto drivers...



The road to my house.



Razor wire against a setting sun. Lovely



Another bathroom casualty.

The long route to Congo

Since I leave the States a month from tomorrow for Congo, I thought now was as good a time as ever to post a map of my route. Although I'm not known for my math, I calculate 25 hours of actual airplane time and something close to 88 hours of total travel time before I reach the city of Beni, my final destination. Here's to travel-induced mental stupors!


View The long route to Congo in a larger map

Dates set, donations keep coming!

Huge thanks to the more than 50 people who have donated money or digital gear so far in support of my "Congo In Focus" project. In addition to used cameras from friends and families; I've received headphones, video cameras, laptops and harddrives from places as far reaching as Belgium and Norway.

Just yesterday, I received confirmation that Flip video in the U.S. will be donating several Flip Mino HD video cameras to the project, all thanks to the hard work and initiative of an incredible supporter in Australia.

Also, earlier this week in Seattle I met with social documentary photographer and co-founder of Bridges to Understanding Phil Borges about his experiences with teaching photojournalism/ multimedia workshops to students in remote areas of the world. He gave me a couple great contacts for my time in Congo, showed me some of his work from his "Women Empowered" portrait series and steered me toward a great book called Half the Sky about the struggles women face around the globe.

My Congo dates are officially set now-- departing on Feb. 5 and returning on May 3-- but I will gladly accept donations right up until my departure date. In particular, very few audio recorders have been donated thus far, so if you have one that you don't use, please consider donating it.

Thanks again to everyone.

Congo In Focus project website in the works

Local ecogeek genius Hank Green has graciously offered to take on the role of website designer for the student multimedia project I will be helping create in Congo. The website-- www.congoinfocus.com-- will feature Congolese students' multimedia work, still photos and blog posts. Check back for updates on when the site will go live.

I'm still collecting digital gear (cameras, video cameras, audio recorders, headphones, etc.) to take with me to Congo in February for teaching purposes. Please contact me if you'd like to donate something.

As always, donations to help fund my trip to Congo are greatly appreciated (click "donate" button at upper right of this blog). Thanks to all who have already donated. I will repay you in chocolate chip cookies someday.

The magic of money

Between donations made at the Missoula fundraiser in late August and donations received so far through this blog, I'm grateful to say I just passed the halfway point ($1519.47, to be exact) to my goal of $3000 to cover my airfare to Congo.

Thanks so much again to everyone for your support. I truly couldn't make this teaching experience happen if it weren't for your generosity.

Again, if you haven't donated and would like to, just click the "donate" button at the upper right of this blog. If you know others who may be interested in supporting multimedia education in Congo, please feel free to forward them the link to my blog. No donation is too small!

Also, the Digital Drop Box project is in full swing. Friends and supporters have already donated digital cameras, laptops and audio recorders. Please contact me if you have any digital gear you'd like to donate to Congolese university students studying multimedia journalism.

Thanks again everyone!

Digital Drop Box project

In conjunction with my upcoming teaching plans in Congo, I have created a multimedia gear donation project called "Digital Drop Box" (cue rap music).

If you recently upgraded your digital camera, audio recorder or video camera and would be willing to donate your old equipment to help Congolese university students learn multimedia journalism, please let me know. I will happily pay the shipping to have your gear sent to me so I can take it to Congo with me when I depart in February.

Please contact me at anne.to.congo@gmail.com to make a gear donation.

If you are in Missoula and will be attending the Congo Initiative fundraiser tomorrow night, please feel free to donate your gear then.

Thanks so much...