News
Disadvantaged youth work together in project to build self-esteem through photography and music
By Stephanie Skenderis, CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2015 7:42 AM AT Last Updated: Dec 07, 2015 7:42 AM AT
A Moncton organization is planning a new project that links local children with young Haitian earthquake survivors in music and photography.
Maurice Henri, the founder of Cameras for Healing, will go before Moncton city council on Monday to announce the new undertaking, as well as present the work from the project he is just wrapping up.
A group from Cameras for Healing will link up with another group Henri works with in Haiti. The Haitians are young people, who lost limbs in the 2010 earthquake.
Henri says even though the kids in Moncton and Haiti face different challenges, they all have one thing in common — self-esteem issues.
"They don't believe in themselves," he said.
"They don't believe they are part of the group or community. They don't think that they matter. The bottom line is we make them matter."
Since 2006, Cameras for Healing has run an ongoing workshop called "My Story" — providing disadvantaged youth from the Moncton Boys and Girls Club with new cameras and teaching them to express themselves through photography.
Project starting in January
Starting in January, the two groups will communicate over Skype. They will then connect with Moncton kids who take part in Sistema NB — an organization that teaches children music and runs an after-school orchestra.
The young Sistema orchestra — made up of 80-90 young people — will learn parts of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.
The Cameras for Healing groups will study the same music and take photographs to convey how the music makes them feel.
Henri says partnering with Sistema is a "huge honour" for his organization.
"We have the same goal. We use art to help kids," he said.
"They put musical instruments in kids' hands, we put cameras."
Sistema concert
Henri says the project will culminate with a public concert in June 2016. The Sistema orchestra will play, while the Haitian and Moncton photographs are screened.
"It's going to be very powerful," he said.
Henri says the concert will be free but donations will be accepted.
"These projects are costly," he said.
"But to me I don't look at it like cost. I look at it like taking care of our kids. But if someone wants to help us out our door is always open."
Henri said from 2006 to 2010, he financed Cameras for Healing's projects by himself, at a cost of about $30,000 per year.
He now gets some help from the city, and in 2016 Cameras for Healing will receive funds from Medavie Blue Cross as well as Rotary Clubs in Moncton and Sackville.
Henri will also ask for funds when he goes before city council on Monday.
"I'll put it out there," he said.
Henri says many of the youth, aged 12 to 17, deal with bullying, poverty or issues at home.
"The image is the vehicle to get them to open up the dialogue about themselves," he said.
