PRESS PLAY BELOW - Music by the talented Ayub Ogada with his song "Ondiek"
Thika primary school for the blind and visually impaired
Hot, bothered and watching a tiny television while waiting for a domestic plane at Mombassa airport, I was fascinated to discover blind children playing soccer in Kenya, I knew I had to visit their school.
While the deputy principle was gathering some children to photograph, I noticed this young girl (Teresa) who was blindly fumbling her way from one side of the school yard to the other. I asked the deputy if Teresa could join us and I was told it wasn't possible. Her family couldn't afford the school fees and her mother was currently being told by the principle to take her home today. The deputy went on and said that without continued education at her age, Teresa would get left behind and struggle to integrate and engage with society.
I thought back to my own childhood and how at Teresa's age I didn't have a care in the world. I couldn't let Teresa go home on that day so I paid for her tuition for the rest of the year. It wasn't a lot of money and that small gesture will give young Teresa some hope to live a more normal independent life. I now have myself an unexpected sponsor child and will continue to pay for her education.
This project aims to bring awareness to the daily struggles that some children endure, by trying to give you their respective visual impairment. With each photo the viewer ‘sees’, it is ironically as though they become the child in the photo, less able to clearly ‘see’ what lies in front of them. In this way, the series itself becomes a metaphor for deterioration.
Hot, bothered and watching a tiny television while waiting for a domestic plane at Mombassa airport, I was fascinated to discover blind children playing soccer in Kenya, I knew I had to visit their school.
While the deputy principle was gathering some children to photograph, I noticed this young girl (Teresa) who was blindly fumbling her way from one side of the school yard to the other. I asked the deputy if Teresa could join us and I was told it wasn't possible. Her family couldn't afford the school fees and her mother was currently being told by the principle to take her home today. The deputy went on and said that without continued education at her age, Teresa would get left behind and struggle to integrate and engage with society.
I thought back to my own childhood and how at Teresa's age I didn't have a care in the world. I couldn't let Teresa go home on that day so I paid for her tuition for the rest of the year. It wasn't a lot of money and that small gesture will give young Teresa some hope to live a more normal independent life. I now have myself an unexpected sponsor child and will continue to pay for her education.
This project aims to bring awareness to the daily struggles that some children endure, by trying to give you their respective visual impairment. With each photo the viewer ‘sees’, it is ironically as though they become the child in the photo, less able to clearly ‘see’ what lies in front of them. In this way, the series itself becomes a metaphor for deterioration.
I have now started a charity to ensure all the money goes straight to the children. TO HELP VISIT www.empoweringblindyouth.org
Lina
Lina with her 60% vision
James
James with his 50% vision
Peter
Peter with his 40% vision
Efanse
Efanse with his 20% vision
Teresa
Teresa with her 3% vision
Mathew
Mathew with his 2% vision
Rhoda
Rhoda with zero vision
Thanks for viewing. If you are interested in staying up to date with my work I have added a facebook page link on my website.
http://jonathanmayphotography.com/
http://jonathanmayphotography.com/
