Street Child Volunteer
My name is Henry Jay Kamara and I am a British-born artist of Sierra Leonean descent. I will be volunteering my spirit, energy and expertise in photography and writing to Sierra Leone, empowered by Street Child between March 31st - May 28th. I will also be taking on the Street Child Sierra Leone marathon during my time as well training and teaching local educators and children.
Due to circumstances in my personal life, I began a process of self-understanding. Attempting to learn more about myself, my heritage and family, I made a conscious decision to create more work which was aligned with the stories I was most inspired by. This has helped me to create more compelling and relatable stories, perhaps most noticeable in my series Two Sim (http://nataal.com/two-sim/).
Since my previous visit back to my motherland Sierra Leone, I have felt compelled to return with intentions of understanding the lives of my brothers and sisters. Growing up, my perception of charities was largely formed by seeing TV ads with images of malnourished babies with flies on their face. As a child of Sierra Leone, my interest in the affairs and ongoings of the country run deep and therefore volunteering with Street Child will allow me to learn and share what charities are actually doing on the ground.
Street Child believe that every child deserves the right to be empowered through education. (https://www.street-child.co.uk/sierra-leone). Working in some of the poorest areas in the world, they strive to ensure that every child has the chance to go to school. Our support in Sierra Leone and fundraising can have a huge impact on our projects and help us deliver life-changing support to the children who need it most. So far, Street Child have helped more than 45,000 out-of-school children progress through education, built 300 rural schools and trained nearly 1,000 teachers. However, without the opportunity to generate their own income, families can’t pay for their children’s education. To combat this, we have given more than 10,000 small business grants, with 80% still making enough profit to fund education for the child initially identified by Street Child as reliant on the streets.
Working with Street Child will provide me with the opportunity to speak and connect with those most in need and in doing so, make a difference. These are the narratives I wish to not only experience and learn from myself but also express these narratives in a way that encourages others to take a step towards caring for the wellbeing of our planet and those who occupy it.
I want to use my art to help redefine the continent’s representation and help others unlearn the myths told which overshadow Africa.
Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause.
Due to circumstances in my personal life, I began a process of self-understanding. Attempting to learn more about myself, my heritage and family, I made a conscious decision to create more work which was aligned with the stories I was most inspired by. This has helped me to create more compelling and relatable stories, perhaps most noticeable in my series Two Sim (http://nataal.com/two-sim/).
Since my previous visit back to my motherland Sierra Leone, I have felt compelled to return with intentions of understanding the lives of my brothers and sisters. Growing up, my perception of charities was largely formed by seeing TV ads with images of malnourished babies with flies on their face. As a child of Sierra Leone, my interest in the affairs and ongoings of the country run deep and therefore volunteering with Street Child will allow me to learn and share what charities are actually doing on the ground.
Street Child believe that every child deserves the right to be empowered through education. (https://www.street-child.co.uk/sierra-leone). Working in some of the poorest areas in the world, they strive to ensure that every child has the chance to go to school. Our support in Sierra Leone and fundraising can have a huge impact on our projects and help us deliver life-changing support to the children who need it most. So far, Street Child have helped more than 45,000 out-of-school children progress through education, built 300 rural schools and trained nearly 1,000 teachers. However, without the opportunity to generate their own income, families can’t pay for their children’s education. To combat this, we have given more than 10,000 small business grants, with 80% still making enough profit to fund education for the child initially identified by Street Child as reliant on the streets.
Working with Street Child will provide me with the opportunity to speak and connect with those most in need and in doing so, make a difference. These are the narratives I wish to not only experience and learn from myself but also express these narratives in a way that encourages others to take a step towards caring for the wellbeing of our planet and those who occupy it.
I want to use my art to help redefine the continent’s representation and help others unlearn the myths told which overshadow Africa.
Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause.
Organizer
Henry Jay Kamara
Organizer
England
Street Child
Beneficiary