For the three months we are in Myanmar, we will share our experiences with an international following. At the completion of our trip, the team will create an interactive website that chronicles our story and keeps followers like you in touch with the people and organizations we meet along the way. Photos, videos, and transcribed segments from our conversations with Burmese people will all be compiled into a comprehensive photo essay.
Your philanthropic efforts will not only help us complete this expedition but potentially be a catalyst that will continue to keep future generations informed on Myanmar's ancient traditions and customs that are quickly disappearing.
Hope: Fine Arts of Photography and International Religions major at Loyola University in New Orleans, LA. She's traveled extensively in: China, Tibet, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, southern Africa, and throughout Europe. Her primary focus is photographing people, cultures, and their unique ways of life worldwide.
Stephen: Boston College Sociology major with a focus on race, gender, and music. He conducted a research fellowship with a Boston College professor before taking a job in Seoul, South Korea. For almost two years, he worked and traveled throughout Asia and Europe. This project was inspired during his travels in Myanmar as a way to document the people and their customs during the country's rapid transition.
Miranda: Miranda graduated cum laude from Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC, with Bachelors of Arts degrees in International Studies and Sociology; she also gained a minor in Art. Miranda’s main focus of study was the micro and macro paradox of gender as it is related to specific cultures and peoples throughout time.
The Paths We'll Travel
-4 States & 3 Regions in 3 Months-
Our route spans the whole country. We will travel north to south, east to west, and throughout the central region. In each district, we will spend time in the capital city and two outlying rural communities. Travel into these areas will allow us to interact with the majority Burman ethnic group along with many ethnic minorities. Here is a look at our itinerary and the places we will be visiting:
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Your Impact
YOU are the monumental force we need to start this movement. Many communities in Myanmar are still isolated with limited communication and transportation and sporadic to no electricity. To keep us connected with those following our journey and to tell these people’s stories, we need your support!
Your donations will go into any of these five areas:
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Guides/translators: Legally required & key to gain access into isolated areas.
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Local Transportation: Planes, Trains, Taxis, Boats, Barges, Motorbikes, Feet & possibly an Elephant.
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Room and Board: Mostly hostels and homestays with an unavoidable hotel or two.
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Solar Equipment: Solar powered chargers & devices; Myanmar's electricity is sparse and sporadic to say the least.
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Gifts: Small gifts to the individuals and communities we come in contact with. We want to be gracious to those who open their homes and ways of life to us!
Where The Money Goes
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We need a minimum of $9,000 to launch our expedition. If you help us exceed the fundraising goal, it goes straight to longer stays in hard to reach villages.
Any additional funds we gain will go towards prolonging our stays in the rural outskirts of the country, which will be the costliest due to guide/translator fees. Spending as much time as we can in these regions is imperative to come in contact with the large number of ethnic groups that still live in isolated communities, far from the cities. This will enable us to document their distinct ways of life and create lasting relationships for continued collaborations in the future.
What Do You Get If You Contribute?
Not only will you be helping to support communities throughout Myanmar, but you will receive awesome gifts you can either keep, and put them on your coffee table, or you can gift them to your loved ones.
There are many cool things to choose from like:
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Unique Postcards we will be collecting and writing in Myanmar.
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Fine art prints of photography we have already taken and photos we will take on the trip. Available in different sizes. They will be professionally and carefully printed once we return to the US.
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Handmade gifts, like scarves and tea cups, from small villages in Myanmar.
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And much more! Check out the perks on the right side of this page for the full list.
What Happens If We Don't Raise All The Funds?
If we don't collect all the funds we are asking for here, then we will rank what the most important equipment and items are and only use the funds for those items. If we can possibly raise them elsewhere we will, but the trip will still happen and we will still deliver the best possible art we can with what we have.
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Spread the Word & Make Some Noise!
E-mail it. Share it. Post it. Tweet it.
We understand not everyone can give, but you can help us spread the word! We will be posting videos, updates, pictures, interviews, and blogs to keep you informed on our progress. Use the share tools on this campaign to help us meet our goal, and get ready to explore this dynamic country with us!
For further information on our mission and our progress, check out our website:
----www.faceofmyanmar.org ---
FAQ
How do I tell you which photos/prints I want? If your perk requires you to choose something (e.g. choosing which photo you want), make your selection by leaving a private comment for us on our Indiegogo page. The "Comment" tab is just below the project title "Face of Myanmar". If you're on a smartphone, you'll first have to scroll all the way down the page and click "Full Website" in the bottom lefthand corner. Then you'll find the "Comment" tab as described above. As long as you check the box "keep private" next to the "ADD A COMMENT" button, nobody will be able to see your comment but us. Make sure to leave us your email address in the comment so we can link your comment to your contribution and address!
What's the story with shipping? We will ship your items either while in Myanmar or once we return to the United States, depending on where you are in the world. Photos already taken (www.sialukimagery.com/workindex) and photos taken during the trip will be printed and sent following the trip in July. We'll find the most cost efficient way of safely shipping your perk to you, which depending on your location may take a little while.
Why isn't my credit card working when it normally does? If you're able to input all of your billing information on the contribute page, but Indiegogo still isn't accepting your credit card, report the problem directly to support@indiegogo.com.
