Tuesday, November 10, 2009

TEN FOR TEN: WATER FOR AFRICA

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LOGO by Pamela Bordlee. www.pambordlee.com

Ten for Ten has been generous enough to auction off two photos taken by my students who participated in a photography contest in Uganda at their upcoming event: Eat, Drink and Give Water Holiday Party

Tis’ the Season to Eat, Drink and Give Water...

Location:Space Studio at Hal Samples Gallery - Deep Ellum

Time:7:30PM Saturday, November 14th

The 1st and 2nd place winners, Ali and Jimmy, respectively, have both faced almost insurmountable challenges in their young lives. Both Ali and Jimmy's photos depict the challenges that many Ugandans face with accessibility to clean water. To learn more about Ali and Jimmy and to view their winning photos, please peruse the photo gallery below.

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Here's Pepe!

Pepe may just be one of the most energetic and charming people I have ever met! Talk about charisma! He is a new student at Sure Prospects Primary School in Entebbe, Uganda. Pepe was jumping up and down trying to get into my frame. Mission accomplished!

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Uganda Update: Ten for 10

While in Uganda I had the privilege of working for Ten for 10, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide clean drinking water to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the founders of Ten for 10, Bryan Batson (PMBA, '07), is a graduate of Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business. Both Bryan and his fantastic wife Sheryl co-founded Ten for 10 along with an amazing graphic designer, Pamela Bordlee. Established in April of 2008, Ten for 10 has already been featured on the local news in Dallas and Ft. Worth and is now featured in the Cox School of Business' newsletter along with one of my photos that I shot in Gulu, Uganda. For more information about how you can help read the article attached and/or please check out their work at http://www.tenfor10.org.
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Sunday, September 27, 2009

THE STORY OF PATRICK RISALA: A REFUGEE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

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Patrick Risala suspects he will never return to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He spent too many years in the bush in hiding after his house was burned down, his son was murdered, his wife was raped and Patrick himself was tortured and left for dead, to ever want to go back to the place that was once his home.

Patrick has been a teacher of Social Studies and French since 1987. In 1993, Patick married his wife, Esperonce. Patrick and Esperonce are from two different tribes: Patrick is Hutu and Esperonce is Tutsi. For years they lived peacefully in the DRC. They had a lovely home on an extensive piece of land with plenty of livestock and farmland. Their peaceful existence ended on November 30, 2006.

In the middle of the night on November 30, 2006, Patrick heard a banging on the door. He opened the door and saw government soldiers. They told him that they had proof that he was a spy and they knew he possessed knowledge regarding the Tutsis' plan to take over the DRC. Patrick told them that he had no such information and that they were clearly mistaken. He told them that he was only a school teacher and he was not a threat to anyone.

Patrick asked the soldiers where they received their information. They said that they knew he was married to a Tutsi and therefore he must have information for them. At that moment, Patrick's first born son walked into the room and the soldiers shot him. Patrick's other son managed to run away.

The soldiers told Patrick that he could prove his loyalty to the Hutus by killing his wife. When Patrick refused to kill his wife some of the soldiers took her away and raped her. The soldiers did not kill Esperonce and she was able to escape with her two daughters leaving Patrick behind.

The soldiers continued to interrogate Patrick. They pinned him down and began to carve the word 'Mupererezi' which means 'intelligence' or 'spy' in Swahili on Patrick's bare chest. When Patrick still confessed nothing they told him they were going to cut off his fingers until he confessed. One by one they cut off Patrick's fingers on his right hand, sparing only his thumb. When he still would not confess they hit him over the head with a machete and the next time he regained consciousness he was in the hospital.

Patrick recovered in the hospital for awhile, but everyday he stayed in the hospital he was risking his life. A friend of his hid him in the bush and brought food to him there everyday for two years. Eventually, Patrick was able to escape to Uganda where he was assisted by the UNHCR. Patrick was elated to find out that Esperonce had made it out of the DRC alive with their two daughters and had been living in Uganda for over two years. The family was finally reunited with the exception of their son who was killed and their son who ran away during the attack. Patrick and Esperonce still hold out hope that they will find their son.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New blog

Visit Amy Mullarkey Photography's new blog at: http://www.amymullarkeyblog.com

Friday, February 27, 2009

Uganda Update

We now have 8 cameras donated and we only need 2 more.

As some of you know, I will be traveling to Uganda in April 2009 for a photography project I am working on that examines the educational opportunities for students with disabilities. I will be working closely with the Outside the Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Outside the Dream provides Ugandan orphans, vulnerable children, and former child soldiers with an education. In short, Outside the Dream helps the children of Uganda realize their dreams. In addition, Outside the Dream is also involved in micro-enterprise projects. During my stay in Uganda, I will have the pleasure of teaching a photography workshop to students at the Awegys Secondary School in Kampala. We are in need of cameras for the workshop and I am happy to report that EIGHT cameras have already been donated, but we are hopeful to have at least 10 cameras (15 would be ideal) for a class of 40 students. The camera that we have chosen, the Canon Powershot A470 Digital Camera (multiple colors) for the workshop is available online at B&H Photography and the cost is $79.95 and it is tax deductible. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542275-REG/Canon_2504B001_Powershot_A470_Digital_Camera.html#reviews

The donated cameras will be the property of the Awegys Secondary School and I will bring them with me in April. If any of you are interested in donating a camera, please write me a private message and I will provide you with more details regarding the shipping address and the tax deduction letter. Please feel free to write me with any other questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you to those of you who have already donated cameras to Outside the Dream!
Warmly,
Amy


The students of the Awegys Secondary School in Kampala are pictured here with Gretchen Seitbert, the director of the Outside the Dream Foundation.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Uganda

As some of you know, I will be traveling to Uganda in April 2009 for a photography project I am working on that examines the educational opportunities for students with disabilities. I will be working closely with the Outside the Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Outside the Dream provides Ugandan orphans, vulnerable children, and former child soldiers with an education. In short, Outside the Dream helps the children of Uganda realize their dreams. In addition, Outside the Dream is also involved in micro-enterprise projects. During my stay in Uganda, I will have the pleasure of teaching a photography workshop to students at the Awegys Secondary School in Kampala. We are in need of cameras for the workshop and I am happy to report that four cameras have already been donated, but we are hopeful to have at least 10 cameras (15 would be ideal) for a class of 50 students. The camera that we have chosen, the Canon Powershot A470 Digital Camera (multiple colors) for the workshop is available online at B&H Photography and the cost is $82.95 and it is tax deductible. The donated cameras will be the property of the Awegys Secondary School and I will bring them with me in April. If any of you are interested in donating a camera, please write me a private message and I will provide you with more details regarding the shipping address and the tax deduction letter. Please feel free to write me with any other questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you to those of you who have already donated cameras to Outside the Dream!
Warmly,
Amy

Otim Charles is a beneficiary of Outside the Dream's micro-enterprise project. He was abducted by the Lord's Resistance army at the age of 16 and was in the bush for 18 years. He grew through the ranks of the LRA and served as a Lieutenant when he was shot in the leg by the Ugandan forces. His leg was later amputated. He returned from the bush in 2004 and has eleven children.

Outside the Dream has financed his commercial poultry project so that he is able to pay his way through school while at the same time providing for his family.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Christmas 2008 in London, England

















Tony and I spent Christmas with his family in Milton Keynes and then spent the last few days in London with his sister Renee' and her husband, Paul. We had a wonderful time in the freezing cold!
Current Location:

—via Lightstalkers