Lamin VILLAGE, THE GAMBIA
100CAMERAS X STARFISH INTERNATIONAL
MADE POSSIBLE BY PARAMOUNT
100cameras X Starfish International is a part of a 8 class course that is custom designed by 100cameras to equip passionate creatives with the tools to empower youth in a community they care about with the opportunity to learn how to process their stories and create change. Pictured here are 100cameras students during the course. This program was made possible by Framebridge.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
100cameras X Starfish International took place in The Gambia, West Africa in partnership with Starfish International, a local organization that seeks to uplift Gambian girls by providing them with a world-class education that is focused on service to humanity while at the same time providing international service-learning opportunities for our volunteers. Their model of growth is through a mutually beneficial system in which girls get a concrete, practical, real-world education while the community simultaneously directly benefits from their education.
Starfish International has been a part of the Gambian community for over ten years. With the guidance of the organization's co-directors, Starfish International is led by young Gambian adults who went through the program during their high school years and are now running the mentorship program. The Starfish programming engages the students in Leadership Training, Public Health Classes, Drama and Theatre, Goal Setting, Small Business programs, and Time Management sessions.
“The people of the Gambia are a very warm and welcoming community. The women in particular are resilient and always manage to find joy. Singing, drumming, and dancing are really important aspects of the community to connect to each other, communicate different emotions, for rituals, to heal, to celebrate, and they derive tremendous joy from it. The students take their education really seriously, particularly the young girls who don't always have the opportunity to make it all the way through their formal education.” Ridvan Foxhall, Program Teacher.
“Partnering with 100cameras was a unique opportunity to learn about a venture not readily available for everyone, especially not girls, in the Gambia. It may inspire more girls to use Photography as a small business venture.”
Additionally, Starfish’s programming offers a variety of learning platforms and awareness opportunities for the students to share their knowledge and skills with others who do not have the opportunity to benefit from their educational forums directly. They also have a small business component to the organization that allows students to use the knowledge garnered from their programs to start small businesses. All Starfish small businesses are designed to support all students’ basic needs, their education, and the continuation of their small businesses.
“The organization’s approach to solving the underdevelopment and poverty that characterizes its community and neighborhood has been educating middle school and high school girls who are high achieving and at risk of dropping out. Its strategy focuses on providing scholarships to enable the girls to continue their education and graduate and on creating service-oriented leaders who are determined to serve their families, their communities, their country, and the world at large. So, the students in the program are tasked with making a difference in their communities regardless of their age,” Mam-Yassin Sarr, Co-founder, and Director of Starfish International.
“I was lucky to take part in the photography class, and I’ve come to learn a lot. Some of the things that I’ve learned was Mapping your Story and Emotions. It has really helped me a lot. For example, Mapping your Story, it has helped me so that I can remember some of the years that were sad or happy moments. So I really remember a lot, and for the emotions, it really helps us.”
MEET THE STUDENTS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER
Ridvan Foxhall. Ridvan is the founder of New Era Creative Space (NECS), a nonprofit youth organization founded as a hub for creative ideas and community-building. NECS aims to cultivate and inspire the next generations of mindful, innovative, and visionary thinkers. Guided by the belief in the oneness of humanity, Ridvan Foxhall is committed to promoting in young people the conviction that they can be the voice of positive change in the world. To this end, for over two decades, she has committed her time, energy, and resources to developing creative and educational programs for children and youth with an emphasis on developing their moral capabilities alongside their intellectual and artistic talents. Ridvan has a Masters in occupational therapy and is a parenting educator and life coach. Ridvan is a lover of photography and finds herself more and more using photography as a medium for storytelling, self-reflection, and meditation. Originally from Nigeria, Ridvan resides in Peekskill with her husband and two young adult children.
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X Starfish International team and the student photographers. Thank you to Paramount for making this program possible!