Following the successful launch of the CAWST Waves Of Change photo-documentary exhibit this June, photographer Cate Cameron and I are set to begin Phase Two: two weeks of field work in Haiti collecting images and stories about clean water and sanitation.
The documentary project is supported by Calgary based humanitarian organization CAWST (the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) and funded by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), Rotary International and Encana.
Last year at this time, we were in southern India after spending the bulk of July working in Zambia. For both Cate and I, the two months abroad was our first foray into the developing world as documentarians. It was a rude yet poignant awakening as we grappled with the challenges of working with interpreters and unique cultures all in a context of extreme poverty. For both of us, it was a complex and personal experience that affected not just our work as journalists, but our entire lives.
Cate and I are very diffe-ent as artists and as people, but we come together on this project. We are bound by the life-changing experiences of the past year and now we begin a whole new stage of the journey. In many ways, we're taking our work to a new level. We are no longer "field virgins" -- neophytes navigating the challenges of language and cultural difference -- but in many ways, we are still green.
Cate describes it this way: "Even though I've had the experience of working around the water issue in Zambia and India, I know that each country has its own set of challenges and issues, its unique expression of poverty." She's right; there is danger in painting all poor countries with the same brush. Especially after January's earthquake in Haiti and the several months of humanitarian intervention that followed, Haiti's circumstances are like no other's. Our job will be to learn from last year's experience and see Haiti with fresh eyes.
We are in-country from Aug. 12-26, landing in Port-au-Prince where our work will address both the urban water and sanitation circumstances. We will also bear witness to the impact of the earthquake and the rebuilding efforts since then. Our work will then take us north to Cap Hatien, a coastal city of about 190,000 people, where we'll document the work of PAIDEH (Programme d'Appui aux Initiatives du Developpement Humain), CAWST's indigenous Haitian partner organization.
Our work with PAIDEH will also take us to Petite Riviere, a rural village inland from Haiti's western coast where, in addition to our interviews and photo sessions, we will facilitate a photo-storytelling workshop with local children.
Our schedule could be derailed by two predominant security concerns: storms and riots. The trip coincides with the peak of hurricane season, and with rising tensions in Port-au-Prince due to the prolonged humanitarian intervention and the elections scheduled this November. These factors layer on top of a country that's both notoriously poor and fiercely proud.
We've got our work cut out for us.
But Cate's taking things in stride. "I'm feeling open to seeing what it's like in Haiti," she says. "I'm sure I'll have an initial reaction to it, whatever that will be. But, I look forward to it as part of the whole process and experience." I'm hoping my culture shock will pass quickly enough to capture Haiti's complexity with a clear head.
With only two weeks in the field, we'll have to stay focused on the task at hand.
FOLLOW ALONG ON OUR JOURNEY ON THE WATER DISPATCHES BLOG ON CALGARYHERALD. COM/BLOGS.
SEE THE WAVES OF CHANGE ONLINE EXHIBIT AT WWW.MAKEWAVESOFCHANGE.ORG.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Bearing+Witness+Haiti/3373637/story.html#ixzz0wya3tSkwMelanie Jones
Courtesy of the Calgary Herald http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Bearing+Witness+Haiti/3373637/story.html
