Old Cameras, New Eyes

New York portrait and wedding photographer Linda Smith is walking the talk when it comes to social cause photography. She is setting up photo labs and workshops for former child soldiers and refugees of the Hutus-vs-Tutsi genocide casualities in Rwanda. Her program recycles disposable and discarded cameras and provides them to children in Rwanda and Uganda, allowing them to process what has happened to their lives and villages by taking pictures. It is bringing a glimmer of peace to these forgotten children who have witnessed unthinkable horrors.

Please take a few mintues to watch this video about Linda's "Through the Eyes of Hope" project. We can help by donating old cameras, sending the children disposable cameras, or by purchasing the project's first 2009 calendar. All of the calendar's photographs were taken by the children in Kigali, Rwanda. 100% of all proceeds from the sale of these calendars will go directly into funding further programs and school fees for the children.

Thanks to my friend Ellen Kasemeier-Herbert of Jupiterimages and to Linda's brother, Mike Smith, for telling me about Linda's terrific efforts.