Most of my work to date has focused on bringing to light marginalized communities and I am continuing in this theme by focusing on one of the laregest tent communities in Port Au Prince. While Haitians have already become accustomed to living in some of the worst conditions in the northern hemisphere, the January 12 2010 earthquake took them from poverty to tragic misery. A year latter there is no sign of change despite hundreds of millions of dollars flowing through the country via foreign aid. Yet as I see again and again, the human spirit is hard to crush and life goes on with vitality and joy in equal measures to a need and despair that no-one from our privileged part of the world could ever truly understand.
It's difficult to get a grasp on my feelings about life in these camps. Yesterday I was walking through the main street of this tent city at sunset, kids are playing with kites, the temperature has cooled and people are laughing and working in the market and I think, wow for a tent city it's pretty nice here.... then as the sun went down I returned to visit a woman with a new born I had met. I was taking a jar of baby food for her. When I arrived in her tent, which is about 6 square feet, there was a grandma, a new born, three little girls and three sisters lying on a tarp on the ground, getting ready to go to sleep. I felt like such a fool, turning up with my single jar of baby food, and for having previously had such sentimental feelings for the place. Life goes on in these camp, and there is love and laughter, but these people can't escape the fact that they are living the life of a humanitarian disaster that they have very little control over.
As I am shooting predominantly film, I will not be able to complete the project until I return home. But if you are familiar with my work and would like to support my project I am raising money through the pr-sale of limited edition prints from the series, among other incentives.
If this type of work is not your cup of tea, but you have a friend who might be interested in finding out more, please share my link with them.
Thanks everyone for your time and for supporting Petionville Club - Life in Haiti's Tent Cities
www.clairemartinphotography.com
What We Need & What You Get
I am hoping to raise $5000 through pre-sale of my limited edition archival prints, among other incentives, to cover the cost of my fixer and to pay for film and developing. Working to develop stories that sit outside the mainstream media's interest, means that funding must come from other avenues. I am making a personal investment in this story as I believe what we are being shown in mainstream media undermines the complexity and integrity of Haitian culture. I hope that I can subsidize my personal investment through IndieGoGo and the incentives I am offering. Big Thanks everyone for checking this out!
Other Ways You Can Help
Remember to use the share tools and let your friends know if you think they may be interested in my project!
Thank you!!!!