Three Bags Full Exhibition

After living in London for two years, I found myself growing tired of the city and was keen to experience a different culture. In order to understand the true reality faced by people and their communities in Sub Saharan Africa, I left London in October 2006 and travelled to East Africa for six months. I spent my time living and working with local grassroots development projects in a slum area of Nairobi, a coastal community of Tanzania and a rural village in central Uganda. 

This was a life-changing trip which eventually led to myself assisting a local Kenyan friend Wambui Muiru to start an orphanage called Familia Moja Children’s Home in the village of Mang’u in Kenya in September 2007.

Over the past five years I have returned regularly to Kenya to help with the development of the home. The name Familia Moja means ‘One Family’ in Swahili – our family started with 15 children and has now grown to care for 31 children ranging from the ages of 4 to 16. The home also supports 4 full-time and 2 part-time staff members, along with an outreach program that provides support for orphaned children living with relatives in the community.

In December last year I returned to Kenya to commence building our very own home.  In January I was joined by 16 volunteers from Australia, New Zealand and the USA to work in conjunction with local tradespeople and labourers to excavate the land, lay the foundation and floor of the home, complete half of the ground walls and complete an external building for storage which will serve as a shop to generate income once the home is completed.

To complete the building, an additional $60,000 needs to be raised. This exhibition is part of a bigger campaign to raise these funds, with 100% of proceeds going direct to funding the continuation of the building of our permanent home at Familia Moja Children’s Home in Kenya (www.familiamoja.org).

These photos were taken during my time spent working within communities and villages in parts of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and are a window into the life of these communities.

If you wish to learn more about Familia Moja, please contact myself on the details below.

Thank you,

Jess 

"New Tools"
Emma Njeri in front of newly purchased tools to work the land at Familia Moja Children's Home in Kenya.
C-type print
$360 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Boys and Girls"
Boys and Girls playing in unsaid fruit and vegetable in the village of Mang'u, Central province Kenya.
C-type print
$360 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Yasine" at La No Che Orphanage in Kibaha, Tanzania.
C-type print
$220 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Inquisitive Eyes"
Boys peering through a fence in Kibaha, Tanzania on Christmas Day in 2007.
C-type print
$220 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Macharia" at Familia Moja Children's Home in Kenya.
C-type print
$220 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Ndicu and Anita" at Familia Moja Children's Home in Kenya.
C-type print
$220 framed, edition of 5 available.

"Camera I and Camera II"
A bunch of young boys intrigued by the camera at Shimbwe Primary School on the slopes of Mt Meru in Tanzania in 2008.
C-type print.
$220 framed each, edition of 5 available.

"Water"
A teenage girl, just about to go fetch water from the river for her grandmother in Ithanga, Central Province Kenya in 2008.
C-type print
$160 each

"Walking"
A mother and her baby walking through the village of Manjeri, two hours east of Kampala in Uganda in 2007.
C-type print
$160 each

"The Cook"
The cook and her husband preparing lunch at Shimbwe Primary School on the slopes of Mt Meru in Tanzania in 2008.
C-type print
$160 each

"Girls"
Girls lining up to view their new home, Manjeri Children's Home, Uganda in 2007.
C-type print
$160 each

"Out in the street"
Children observing the passers by in Manjeri village, Uganda in 2007.
C-type print
$160 each

"Mickey & Minnie"
A brother and sister in front of their home in Manjeri village, Uganda in 2007.
C-type print
$160 each

 

"Brothers"
Brothers, Ndicu and Kongai wrestling at Familia Moja Children's Home in Mang'u, Kenya.
C-type prints
$125 for series of three.

"Faith"
A four year old girl in Ithanga, Central Province of Kenya searching for the last remaining crumbs of corn flour.
C-type prints
$125 for the series of three.

All proceeds from the sale of these photos go direct to Familia Moja Children's Home in Kenya. www.familiamoja.org

If you would like to buy any of the above prints please email jess@familiamoja.org to discuss payment, delivery or pick up.

Or you can visit the Photography Exhibition in person at Three Bags Full Café in Melbourne. 

Exhibition starts 15 March 2012 and runs until Sunday 15th of April 2012.

Three Bags Full Café, 60 Nicholson St, Abbotsford

Open hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm

Thank you

Jess White