DA NANG, vietnam
100CAMERAS X CENTRAL DEAF SERVICES
100cameras X Central Deaf Services 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.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
During the Spring of 2019, 6 incredible students learned to tell their stories through 100cameras X Central Deaf Services in Da Nang, Vietnam. In partnership with Central Deaf Services (CDS), a local non-profit organization provides quality sign language instruction and education for those who are deaf. CDS, a sign language based training center, is the first of its kind in Central Vietnam, offering one-on-one tutoring, group classes, social activities, and educational outreaches to surrounding areas, as well as a program for deaf primary children and also older deaf children who have never been to school. The center is accessible to deaf and hard of hearing individuals of all ages, as well as their families. In addition, they provide sign language training for hearing people who work with the deaf or are interested in being able to communicate with the deaf. CDS is a bilingual program — children receive access to spoken/written Vietnamese and Vietnamese sign language, which encourages language acquisition during the critical early years of a child’s life.
For majority of their lives, these students did not have access to learning Vietnamese Sign Language (VSL), and therefore not experiencing a comprehensive and effective form of communication which limited their ability to interact with those around them. The world to them is bright and glowing and reflective of their thoughtfulness, intelligence, and talents. Yet, without the ability to hear, many of them have spent their lives isolated - without an education, excluded from activities, left out of conversations with their friends and family. Photography as a tool for processing and expression provided each student with a new and vivid outlet to articulate their unique perspectives and understandings of the world in a way that all can experience and find connection.
“Without hearing, many of the students have spent their lives isolated - without an education - excluded from activities - left out of conversations with their friends and family. The 100cameras program showed me that photography is, hands down, one of the most profound tools for our deaf brothers and sisters. It is a creative, expansive, poignant form of expression. It’s a way to communicate - to tell stories, display feelings, and move beyond the barriers of spoken word. While teaching I got the sense that, even before this class started, my students knew that their stories were unique. And learning photography gave them an outlet to articulate this uniqueness for all to witness and experience. ”
MEET THE STUDENTS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER
As a professional photographer for over 9 years, it has been the job of Program Leader, Kelly Johnson, to document other people’s lives by sharing both individual and community stories.
This was Kelly’s second go-round facilitating a 100cameras program, and she hopes it will not be her last! Leading programs has been an incredible opportunity to combine her background in social work, international NGO photography and teaching storytelling with her desire to walk alongside individuals as they unearth the value in their story, widen their perspective of the stories around them, and improve their ability to effectively photograph and share these stories with others.
Because this was Kelly’s first time working in a non-hearing community, leading a program at Central Deaf Services came with a massive learning curve. Other than the obvious challenges of interpretation and general cultural differences, Kelly felt it was vital to remaining receptive and soft - soaking in all that her students were willing to share about life as a teenager who is deaf living in Vietnam. The CDS community flawlessly enveloped her into their family-style fold, gifting her a VSL name and processing their stories with bravery and honesty. The CDS students uplift the daily joys and treasures that lie beneath, or maybe even above, words - the things of this earth that offer safe spaces and solace for us all - the rivers, the cows, mangos, and dancing to no music. Kelly plans to stay connected to her friends at CDS and to pursue learning VSL herself.
“The students beamed with pride at their final photo show - hanging their images as prized possessions and eager to share their stories with strangers and classmates alike. According to the CDS staff, it is rare for non-hearing kids to get special attention from their communities. Unfortunately, they are often left on the fringes, misunderstood and overlooked. Thus, any opportunity to celebrate them, and their accomplishments, is highly cherished. From the beginning of this course, the students took great responsibility for their cameras and their education. They relished the chance to obtain a new skill and care for their camera, a tool that many of their peers and family members had never used. This class gifted the students power — a power that reminds them they are capable, they are creative, and their story matters.”
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X Central Deaf Services team and the student photographers.