my first time visiting the young mother with her new baby girl. Some of you might have heard that I won best in show of a photograph I have taken of a young mother who lives in the landfill of La Chureca for Skyway, a collegiate juried competition between several community colleges around the area.  It was a true honor to be competing amongst so many young and talented artists.  After winning the show, Waubonsee College, the college that I was taking photography lessons from then, bought both of my photos that were in the show. 

I wanted to give something back to the subjects of my photo that won me best in show.  So after talking to Lillian Hall, the co-ordintor of Pronica, we decide that the best way to give back to them without causing tension and rift within the community or associating me with gift giving was to say that because I posted that photo of her on the internet, people started sending me money to help her.  After visiting her house and her new baby yesterday morning, we asked her what she needed for her baby.  She said basically she needed food and milk for the baby.  I did my shopping and got her what I thought she needed later thatsome gifts for the baby. day with Carmen, my translator. 

The mother was very surprised and happy for the gifts.  Even though we made it clear that the gifts did not come directly from me, they were asking me for money to buy gasoline and plastic for the roofs to prevent the rain from dropping on their beds afterwards.  It broke my heart to have to say, "no, I do not have money to give," because it was true.  I am planning to go back there to work with the children and I just do not want them to associate me with money giving or gift giving. 

There are just so many needs and people are always needing something...and the subject of the day seems to be money.  I am feeling overwhelmed and wondering how much more can I do?  what else can I do? 

that's how I would describe my experience at the landfill today.  My translator Carmen and I grabbed a cab to take us to La Chureca.  Unlike our driver yesterday, the driver we had today was scared to go inside the landfill.  This was after the first two cab drivers told us they would only drive us to the entrada (the entry only). 

When we got inside the landfill, there were puddles everywhere from last night's rain storm.  Mind you it's Nicaragua's rain season right now and imagine if you will the stench of wet garbage.  The cab driver told us he cannot drive us to the center, which was a quarter of a mile walk, because his car will be stuck in the mud.  When I opened the door on my side I was greeted with wet mud about three inches high.  Through luck, my flip flop did not get stuck and I did not completely covered my feet with the mud.  Of course I knew I was stupid for going in the landfill wearing flip flops and worried enough that I might get some infections/ringworms.

We stopped and photographed a family and interviewed a woman.  She warned us to make sure I hide my camera because there are theives that will rob me for my gear.  We continued with our adventure throughout the day by visiting the landfill, photographing the workers and interviewing them.  I saw Wilfredo my student.  He gained some weight and he said it was because he finally quit glue. I was worried that I might not see him because they said he has not been to Los Quinchos for awhile.  There was a really strong stench to where I was walking towards and it finally dawned on me that the stench came from the corpse of dead cows piled up to about four-five feet high and spread out to maybe 30-40 feet wide.  There were hooves and skulls and other burnt body parts of cows everywhere. 

The day ended with my meeting of Norlan at the center of Los Quinchos.  Norlan is a fourteen year old boy addicted to glue.  He's been sniffing glue since he was five years old.  He said he ran away from home because his alcoholic and drug addict father physically abused him.  He sleeps in the streets with his friends at night and the only meal he eats is the food served at Los Quinchos, otherwise, he finds food at the landfill when a truck full of spoiled food from restaurants would get dumped there.  He said sometimes the food has maggots in them.  We asked him if he feels safe sleeping in the streets, he said sometimes, and shared with us how some of the boys in his group would get raped by men much bigger and stronger than them.  It is a heartbreaking story...but the same ones that I have been hearing alot lately about the children of La Chureca, but just different faces.

Norlan and his glue bottle. skull of a cow and the corpses behind it.

Today was my first day back to La Chureca. It was an interesting day, filled with new information and new knowledge about the children, their families and the community in general. My translator Carmen, Juan-Carlos (one of the Los Quinchos boys and employee) and I went visited some of the kids at their homes and talked to their parents. On our way back to the center, I saw the little boy that I photographed last year walking in his grime covered clothes. He caught my attention then because I saw nothing but sadness in his eyes and when I studied the photograph I took of him last year the look in his eyes continued to haunt me.

We stopped to talk to him. His name is Jeremiah and he’s 11 years old. He’s living at La Chureca with his father, step mom and three younger siblings.  He said he wanted to go to school, but his dad told him he's got to work in the field.  When he's not out in the field working, he's home taking care of his younger siblings or ripping plastic bags.  He said his step mother often physically abused him and his father too and the only one that he can turn to is his aunt who also lives in La Chureca. 

My trip back here was to learn more about the community and my students' families...I don't know how much information I can gather because even talking to them, there were information that  they are not honest about.  They claimed not to send their children to work in the fields, but my photos tell me a different story.  I've taken photos of one of my students out in the field with his older silbings alongside him. I know that this project is not something that is short term and honestly I have no idea where it will take me...but for now, I'm doing what I think I can do...Jeremiah with his aunt from his mother's side and her family. He turns to her for comfort, saying that she's the only one that truly loves him.

When Jeremiah is not out in the field working, he rips plastic bags at home to recycle them

The show went very well.  I was one very sick puppy that night, but seeing so many friends, coworkers and supporters at the gallery that night was enough to keep my smile permanently frozen on my face.  A special thank you goes out to Rena Church, the gallery director for doing such an amazing job putting the show up and organizing the event.  My friends and families from Washington Middle School for stopping by and showing me some LOVE:), my students and former students (those I missed because you showed up earlier, thank you), my classmates from Waubonsee Community College, my professor Wade Duerkes, Cindy Fisher, Martine Stuckey, Joe Lopresti, my friend Matt Mance for the amazing brochure design, Julie Gervais and Marissa Amoni, thank you so so much for everything!!! 

Thanks to my students....thank you for taking your time to learn the art of photography with me and for allowing me to teach you...I know that most of you would prefer to work and earn what little you can to support your family, but you invested that few hours of yours everyday to  a cause that I pray will give much back to you...a heart felt thank you goes out to my Cambodian friend Chamnab of Indra Devi Association for working so closely with me while I was in Cambodia, my pequena amiga Milagros for being there for me everytime I go to Nicaragua, Lillian Hall of ProNica for believing in me, and John Vaughn of Project Papillon for opening your heart and your home out to me while I was in Haiti. 

Finally, again from the bottom of my heart, my flickr friends and contacts for believing in me and for your generosity!!!  Without your donations and your words of encouragement, I would not be able to get as far as I have with L.O.V.E.  I am forever in your debt. 

Rena Church, gallery director/curator, putting last minute touch to a photo before the big night.

 young aspiring artists critiquing the pieces...

The Human Condition FORLittle Girl In Slum of Boeung Kak Lake, Cambodia IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2009 The Human Condition Photographs by Samantha Oulavong and Her students www.lensofvisionexpression.org
www.samanthaphotography.com

Exhibit Dates: June 12-August 30, 2009

Opening Reception: Friday, June 12 from 5:00-7:30 P.M. Light hors d’oeuvres and cash bar The opening reception is free and open to the public.

Location: 20 E. Downer Pl., Aurora, IL 60506, first floor gallery

Regular Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Sunday from Noon-4:00 P.M. Suggested Donation: $3.00 for Adults $1.50 for Students and seniors

Contact: Rena Church (630) 906-0654 FAX: (630) 906-6892 EMAIL: rchurch@aurora-il.org Off street parking available at Downer & Stolp. For free parking, bring your ticket to the Museum Shop to be validated.

The Aurora Public Art Commission presents The Human Condition, photographs by Samantha Oulavong and her students from Nicaragua, Haiti and Cambodia. This exhibit will be on display from June 12 through August 30, 2009. The opening reception for The Human condition will be Friday, June 12 from 5:00-7:30 P.M. The reception will include light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Sam Oulavong is an award winning photographer who has exhibited widely in the United States and internationally. In writing about her work Oulavong has stated: “When I was younger, I would often wonder why anyone would want to take photos of people suffering. I could not stand to see these images because it draws too much emotion out of me and makes me uncomfortable. Now in my 30’s I have accidentally discovered the power of photojournalism and the impact this genre have on people’s beliefs and values. My career as a photographer began in the summer of 2007 when I had the opportunity to do a photography workshop with the children from the barrio of Villa Esparanza in Nicaragua. While there, I started documenting the children at home, at play, and at work. Then I got interested in documenting their community. From there, my passion to teach photography to marginalized children, travel, and the art of photography itself grew into an obsession. This obsession led me start LOVE, Lens Of Vision & Expression, a non profit organization that works to transform the lives of marginalized children through the art of photography. In March 2008, I did a photography workshop with the children of La Chureca, Managua’s landfill which is home to over 200 families. There are over 1,200 people digging through society’s waste to find food and make a living by searching for recyclables. There in the landfill you see men, women, and children competing with live-stock and to survive. The photographs in this series are images that I was able to capture through my trip to Nicaragua. I want to capture not only the grace of the people, but their lives as well. Photojournalism, I have realized, is not limited to showing the sufferings of humans, but it can also document the joy of human accomplishments and interactions. Today, more than ever, images are shaping our understanding of the world and its social issues. Exciting new means of distribution and publishing have provided imagers with new opportunities to bring to light issues of importance. Because photographs inspire great change…Just look at history: ninety years ago, young children labored long and often dangerous hours in fields, factories and mines throughout the United States. Upon seeing a groundbreaking “photo story” exposing this situation, public outrage forced legislators to pass stricter labor laws that ended the horrors of child labor in the United States.” .