I will always remember Jean Nelson wielding his machete and cutting sugar up into edible pieces for our university students to chew on when they visited his farm in Bois Joli, Haiti, most had never experienced such a raw, sweet treat. He would then slice the top off a coconut with a quick action of… more →
Upon descending Bois Jolie in the spring of last year, I was overcome by the need to return to Haiti and continue forming relationships with the communities we visited during our too-short ten day visit to the country. I was inspired by the community on this mountain and their excitement to show us their farms… more →
The Family Security Program, or Pwogwam Sekurite Familial (PSF), works with families in six communities around the central plateau of Haiti. This program began to cure malnutrition in kids by providing them with Nourimanba–peanut butter packed with vitamins and energy for children to regain health. PSF now works to prevent malnutrition in the participating families… more →
Celiana Charles, Madame Josephine Exana’s daughter, being taught how to use a camera for Zanmi Foto by Thony Fontaine. Bois Jolie, April 5, 2016. [photo: Monclair Joseph] This is Celiana, being trained for the Zanmi Foto project. She is the newest addition to the team. And special too – it was her mother, Madame Exana,… more →
A little over two years ago, Pradip Malde, Brooke Irving, and myself, Chandler Sowden, made our “trial run” trip to Cange, back before Zanmi Foto, before any module was developed, and before we knew much more than what we were hoping and dreaming for out of a community-based photo project. A year later, with additional help… more →
We are all deeply saddened by the news of Madame Exana having passed away on July 29, 2015. She was a very dear friend, and a founding partner of the Zanmi Kafe and Zanmi Foto projects. She will be missed, and always remembered. This is one of the last photographs I took of Madame Exana, as… more →
Opening Moves [photo: Mansell Ambrose] Cell phones, chess, children’s games. All of these things seem to be indicative of some sort of global shared culture. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Port au Prince my mind began subconsciously looking for connections between the familiar and the unfamiliar. It’s only natural for the… more →
Everyone has a job, from getting the water in the morning to maintaining a healthy farm. As you get older you become responsible for larger tasks. Duties are handed down from older generations to younger ones. Children learn to help with household chores from a very young age by watching their parents or older siblings.… more →
At home, everyone is always talking about how to make meals faster and easier while at the same time cheaper and healthier. It is funny to me that everyone is trying to get what they don’t have but are not willing to give up the benefits they currently maintain. In Haiti, meals often take a… more →
Evening. At the Zanmi Lasante Orphanage. Cange, Haiti. May, 2015 [photo: Pradip Malde] Today we, Zamni Foto and Zamni Kafe teams, returned from our weekly overnight in Bois Jolie, Haiti. It was a very good trip. It was good because both groups completed a large amount of work. However, what I found more interesting happened… more →