Early last year in 2007, a highly skilled, and creative friend of mine who works for
Sumerian, asked if I would be willing to help plan a shoot in Kenya which would
raise awareness of the Sumerian Foundation's self-sustaining social enterprise
programme called Johari.
I was introduced to the Foundation's Director Melanie van de Velde and I learned
more about the Foundations enthusiastic aims to help support children in Kenya and
help them to build a better future for themselves and their communities. I just knew
I had to find out more and specifically HOW they were achieving this.
My answer came in the form of two Minii DV tapes sent back from Kenya containing two
hours of footage, which I cut into a 5minute DVD Promo, with scripting instructions
from the foundation. The Johari fashion house was the social enterprise product
whereby young girls who are put through the Seed of Hope program, are given the
chance to make a living for themselves by working for Johari or alternatively for
themselves.
I thought the footage for the Promo spoke for itself, you just can't fake something
that good coming out of Kenya. The people who were interviewed, from the students,
to the teachers, all seemed very inspiring individuals with a passion for what they
did, and the Promo DVD produced was testament to that.
As a result of the continuing popularity and success of Johari, the range of the
Foundation's programmes have grown. They are helping to develop 5 other programmes
involving Kandara children's home and it's local business community, to name but one
example.
There are so many positive things happening right now, and so many opportunities
being created whereby children, young people and adults are involved in developing
and sustaining, education, opportunity, responsibility and the choice to create a
better life for themselves and in the community in which they live. I was in Kenya
recently filming these projects in action in order to portray a comprehensive
overview of the work of the Sumerian Foundation. The result will be shown in a DVD
presentation on July 10th at the "Aeolus African Adventure Event with the Sumerian
Foundation" in Edinburgh.
Personally speaking, the opportunity to be involved, and play a small part in
something so big and overwhelmingly positive was, first of all, a joy, but secondly
and most importantly, it revealed itself to be a journey of discovery. David
Sibbald, Founder and Trustee of the Sumerian Foundation, hit the nail on the head
when we spoke recently. He stated that the work of the Foundation"was absolutely a
two way street."
For me, in terms of give and take, I know that what I havetakenfrom my visit to
Kenya, and those I interacted with, is, and always will be so much more than what I
could ever hope togiveback in return. My journey reflects as one observed not just
from the confines of behind a lens, but from interacting with people at grass roots
and I discovered that the lessons inspired from the continuing resilience and
optimism of those faced with everyday poverty are humbling lessons indeed. For not
only, are the youth in Kenya being given a chance to empower their own lives and
embark on a journey of self discovery, they have empowered within me, a discovery
that my journey is only just beginning.
SUSAN DOAK. CENTURY21MEDIA
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