Family Ties

Family Ties, a photo by jtobiason08 on Flickr.

I was taking photos and some video for the Spilling Hope campaign at Bethany Community Church and was just taking some portraits too. I really like the way that this couple interacted with each other and with me too. I just feel like his striking lines with her smile just really speak bounds about how they interact and the love they share.

Also, I'm really going to try to step up the posts on this blog. I have been posting every other week or so, but I share photos on Flickr almost daily. So, I'll try to put the best of my daily updloads onto this site too.

Laughter wrings

Laughter wrings, a photo by jtobiason08 on Flickr.

As part of the Bethany Community Church's Spilling Hope campaign, people were invited to enter into the way that water is used in partner communities in Uganda. After pumping water from a hand pump, clothes were washed by hand with soap and water and then hung out to dry. This little guy really got into the process and his mom really got into washing clothes by hand. She was hoping that this interest would carry over back home (my bet is that didn't happen).

For more information on the project, see the link below:
www.spillinghope.org

This photo was also featured on the Seattlest blog as the photo of the day. Always fun to see my work going out in other places!

RYD Mornings

RYD Mornings, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

This was the moment that started an epic day.

Voting

Voting, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

During my last trip through the Andes with the Red Uniendo Manos, we were privileged enough to go to an event put on by CEDEPAS. This was a summit for local organic farmers to come together and share their experiences and best practices. This photo is the members of the event voting to officially open the day which is a tribute to the extreme formality of Peruvian NGO work. It was impressive to see these workers and the way that they lived their lives both individually and as a community and is very inspiring to see what CEDEPAS is doing to promote healthy farming practices in the region.

Proud of Fair Trade

Proud of Fair Trade, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

There are photographs that I have taken that I love and then there are those that I truly adore. This falls into the latter category.

These four women are some of the leaders of the Fair Trade organization, El Murcurio or "Murcury." I have talked about this group before, but this was my last encounter with them. During the year I went to their artisan workshop 3 or four times and was welcomed with open arms, but I will never forget this experience because I was translating. One of the group that was traveling with us asked them, "how has Fair Trade changed your life?" and their response has forever become a part of who I am.

"When we started, our husbands didn't want us to do this because they wanted us to be in the house cooking, but once they saw how much money we were making they changed their minds. We now have enough money to send our kids to school and to make our homes a little better. But we now, even more than the money, we have more faith in ourselves and more pride in who we are. That is how Fair Trade has changed us."

On Camera

On Camera, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

This photograph of Vanesa was from one of our early trips to La Oroya, long before CAMBIALO took on that name. She is recording a personal bio. She was so nervous then but was so glad to be in front of the camera by the time I left. That just warms my soul to see the kids grow.

The Rememberance of Putis is Almost Forgotten

The Rememberance of Putis is Almost Forgotten, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

During the Peruvian period of violence, there were many atrocities. One of the most horrendous was in the town of Putis, near Ayacucho. The government believed the village to be supporters of the Shining Path, the communist revolutionaries. One day, soldiers came into the town and told everyone that they were together going to dig new latrines or a foundation. So they happily gather everyone together to start working. All day the town worked to prepare the plot. Then when it was dug, the soldiers opened fire, killing an estimated 123 people, many of whom were children. Then they quickly filled it in and Putis was forgotten in the mass grave of horrible memories from this period.

As part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work, the mass grave in Putis was unearthed and many were identified. Last August, a mass burial was held for the community as a healing. This poster is an advertisement for the event. For more information, click here for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Wikipedia.