In 2019 I was part of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, a Rwandan highschool for vulnerable youth. The project has been running since 2018 and its original goal was to provide a safe and nurturing place to children who were left orphans after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Over time, the project continues to grow to provide free education, safety, and stability to hundreds of students.
I worked and lived in the Village for 7 months. One of my main responsibilities was to photograph the life of our community, the every-day of the students, teachers, and staff. Being part of this big family I had access to take pictures of everyday situations like sports practices or classes, but I also had the opportunity to participate in special events like students’ initiatives to help the surrounding communities, students’ performances or special visits of partners organizations.
Besides taking pictures and creating videos, I had the joy to teach photography and video to over 120 students and share with them what I love to do.