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Project gives used cameras to African kids – Metro US

Project gives used cameras to African kids

Children in Kenya are being given a chance to explore their creativity while connecting with students in Calgary.

Used cameras collected at Vistek locations in Calgary are being donated to several organizations working in Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana. Some will be taken to the students at Karoko Primary School in Kenya, where they will take pictures and swap them with schools in Calgary that are yet to be determined.

“Children in Africa will be able to tell stories through their own eyes and in their own words, rather than being filtered by other people,” said Barb Briggs, director of the Africa Book Project.

Once taken to the Third World countries, the cameras won’t simply be handed to residents in need — instead, they’ll be taken to libraries and schools to be shared and used as learning devices.

“Just giving stuff away doesn’t make sense,” said Paul Gomes, director of the Fig Tree Foundation. “You’ll end up creating dependency or having an unfair system.”

Eventually, the photos and stories shared by the schools will be published in English and Swahili by Small Shifts Books and Media in Calgary.