Pictures from April, May & June... a little of work, a lot of play (this ratio is more proportionate to the times I had a camera and wanted to take pictures than to how my time was actually spent).
30 June 2008
29 June 2008
Green Transport Day
The last project of Action for the City that I want to highlight is Green Transport Day. This film explains it well (can you spot me?):
18 June 2008
Photovoice: river pollution through fresh lenses
Another major project that I've been involved with this year is a photography exhibition called, "Mirror? If the river could speak." But it's not just an exhibition. Here's a press release that I helped write for the Museum of Ethnology, one of the most prominent museums in Hà Nội: "On 1 June 2008, Mirror? If the river could speak will open at the outdoor exhibition area of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. This photography exhibition is the result of a project that brings together community, environment, youth, and creativity. 19 young photographers from the Youth Union of Thinh Quang ward in Hanoi worked under the guidance of Paul Zetter, director of Ensemble Creative Training and Development, and Action for the City, a local NGO with a passion for the city. The project was funded by the SIDA Environmental Fund.
"Mirror? uses the technique of photovoice, a community-building methodology that aims to deepen and enrich a person’s engagement with their community at different levels, both personal and social. The end product of mainstream photography projects—the photographs—becomes secondary in photovoice where a renewed sense of engagement in the community, the making of new relationships and personal growth are the primary goals.
"The project focused on building the participant’s confidence, self esteem and self expression so they feel confident to use basic cameras as a tool of inquiry—a mirror for their new awareness and interest to rediscover their community. The cameras were basic and the photography training rudimentary to minimize pressure to take ‘beautiful’ photographs
at the expense of full engagement with the community. "60 photographs will be displayed at the exhibition. The main subject of Mirror? is the To Lich River, famous for its past beauty and present pollution. Some pictures in this exhibition expose the raw and filthy aspects of the river while others depict hope and humor. The questions asked by all of them are, 'If the river could speak, what would it say? Is the river a reflection of our lives?' The exhibition invites the viewers to reflect on issues that face the city.
"Before this exhibition, Mirror? was displayed at the Thinh Quang Primary School, Thai Thinh Junior Secondary School, and a teacher's conference put on by UNESCO. The current exhibition has been redesigned and reprinted for display at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology."
We began this project back in September and it is still going. I helped document the workshops in photos and notes, helped design the exhibition, and did a lot of the behind-the-scenes tasks along with the other staff at Action for the City. This project has been especially exciting for me, to see an alternative and creative approach to development and to use stories and photos for a potentially heavy and dry topic like river pollution.
02 June 2008
Just Massage: Empowerment, Opportunity, Dignity
Just Massage is the longest-term and most involved project of Action for the City. Instead of trying to explain everything, let me just post an article that I wrote for a women's magazine in Hanoi:
"A young woman kneels in a gently-lit room and pours oil into her hands. After making sure it is warm, she
spreads it onto the back that is resting before her and begins to work the oil in, up the spine and over the shoulder blades. The only sound in the room is meditative music and soft breathing. The woman is centered and mindful of her movements but at the same time beams from the inside out.
"This is Nguyễn Thị Hè and she is proud of her work at Just Massage. 'When I do this job,' she says, 'I can give pleasure and relaxation to the clients, to the other people—this is my happiness. Other people’s happiness means my happiness. When clients feel stressed and troubled, they come here and I can help them release the tensions.'
"Hè was born in 1986 in Gia Lam district, Hanoi. As a visually-impaired youth, however, she had few opportunities for employment and little chance for a fair wage. Along with four other visually-impaired youth, she has found a home at Just Massage. She explains, 'At first my family also didn’t like the idea of massage, but after I expressed my feelings and opinions about my job, they understood and changed their opinion. Now they feel very happy because I finally found a stable and well-paid job.'
"Just Massage began as a collaborative effort between Action for the City (a local non-profit organization) and Maryknoll (an American Catholic mission organization in Vietnam). A professional massage therapist from the USA worked for months with the youth, teaching them Shiatsu and Swedish Therapeutic
massage, human anatomy, hygiene, English, and business and marketing skills. This will eventually enable the youth to run their own business without external help. In order to deeply understand the ritual of massage, the therapists also spend time meditating and learning to focus. Just Massage opened in December 2007 and has been steadily attracting more clients.
"In a city where being visually-impaired is a serious handicap, Just Massage is a kind of haven for both therapists and clients. When asked what her favorite aspect of massage is, Hè responded, 'The most interesting thing when I do massage for the clients is that I can help them relieve tensions and help them become happier. After finishing the massage, I usually ask them, "How do you feel?" And often they say, "Very good," and I feel happy. I feel the most important thing is to concentrate hard on doing massage for the client to help them relax a lot.'"
This is Just Massage. This is a place of empowerment, opportunity, and dignity. What is my specific role here? I write articles such as the one above, design flyers, update the website, take photos for promotional use (or recruit others with better cameras to take photos--thanks Brent), teach English (back in the Fall), offer my body for massage practice (so sacrificial, I know), and work together on marketing strategies. Now that our funder has pulled out, we are working hard to break even and be self-sufficient. It's exciting for me to write an article, have it published in a popular in-flight magazine, then hear of people coming to Just Massage from the airport. Hey, this real-world stuff is pretty great! :) If you're ever in Hanoi, you know where to come for a Just Massage...
"A young woman kneels in a gently-lit room and pours oil into her hands. After making sure it is warm, she
spreads it onto the back that is resting before her and begins to work the oil in, up the spine and over the shoulder blades. The only sound in the room is meditative music and soft breathing. The woman is centered and mindful of her movements but at the same time beams from the inside out."This is Nguyễn Thị Hè and she is proud of her work at Just Massage. 'When I do this job,' she says, 'I can give pleasure and relaxation to the clients, to the other people—this is my happiness. Other people’s happiness means my happiness. When clients feel stressed and troubled, they come here and I can help them release the tensions.'
"Hè was born in 1986 in Gia Lam district, Hanoi. As a visually-impaired youth, however, she had few opportunities for employment and little chance for a fair wage. Along with four other visually-impaired youth, she has found a home at Just Massage. She explains, 'At first my family also didn’t like the idea of massage, but after I expressed my feelings and opinions about my job, they understood and changed their opinion. Now they feel very happy because I finally found a stable and well-paid job.'
"Just Massage began as a collaborative effort between Action for the City (a local non-profit organization) and Maryknoll (an American Catholic mission organization in Vietnam). A professional massage therapist from the USA worked for months with the youth, teaching them Shiatsu and Swedish Therapeutic
massage, human anatomy, hygiene, English, and business and marketing skills. This will eventually enable the youth to run their own business without external help. In order to deeply understand the ritual of massage, the therapists also spend time meditating and learning to focus. Just Massage opened in December 2007 and has been steadily attracting more clients."In a city where being visually-impaired is a serious handicap, Just Massage is a kind of haven for both therapists and clients. When asked what her favorite aspect of massage is, Hè responded, 'The most interesting thing when I do massage for the clients is that I can help them relieve tensions and help them become happier. After finishing the massage, I usually ask them, "How do you feel?" And often they say, "Very good," and I feel happy. I feel the most important thing is to concentrate hard on doing massage for the client to help them relax a lot.'"
This is Just Massage. This is a place of empowerment, opportunity, and dignity. What is my specific role here? I write articles such as the one above, design flyers, update the website, take photos for promotional use (or recruit others with better cameras to take photos--thanks Brent), teach English (back in the Fall), offer my body for massage practice (so sacrificial, I know), and work together on marketing strategies. Now that our funder has pulled out, we are working hard to break even and be self-sufficient. It's exciting for me to write an article, have it published in a popular in-flight magazine, then hear of people coming to Just Massage from the airport. Hey, this real-world stuff is pretty great! :) If you're ever in Hanoi, you know where to come for a Just Massage...
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