News
Lensational photographer Leeh Ann Hidalgo shortlisted for Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize
May 10, 2020

We’re so happy to see our photographer Leeh Ann amongst the shortlist for the upcoming Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize, organised by the Hong Kong Justice Centre.

The winners will be announced next Tuesday, May 12th, in an online event at 12pm Hong Kong time. More details here

Seeing clearly is the title of Leeh Ann’s shortlisted photograph.

‘Abuses, social stigmas and injustices are everywhere despite the fact that every human being has human rights that we should be enjoying.. perhaps, to see things closely and clearly is needed? not only by the human rights officials but every one in society.. time to act now to stop human rights abuses! time to start seeing things clearly!’

On the side of being a photographer, Leeh Ann is a domestic worker in Hong Kong. Through photography she hopes to raise awareness of migrant workers’ conditions, including the inability to get a permanent resident visa, or to apply for another job, even after years of residing in Hong Kong.

We’re so proud of Leeh Ann’s journey! You can discover and purchase her photograph to support her work on our online gallery

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News
Lifting voices of Maasai women
April 23, 2020

‘It all started with an encounter….’
On #Earthday read about the unfading encounter that led to engaging indigenous women in the prevention of wildlife-human conflict for the first time in Kenya.

A captivating tale and an ode to the role to play by Maasai women, by our dear Lydia W Kibandi, who led the project on Lensational’s side.

Read the story on Medium.

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News  /  Uncategorized
CEO Bonnie Chiu presents our book ‘Our Shared Forest’ at Hague Talks
April 13, 2020

While the Covid-19 crisis dominates all the headlines (and rightly so), it is still important for us to keep our attention on climate change. In fact, the unfettered capitalism that has led to environmental degradation, is also what is leading to Covid-19 having disproportionate negative impact on the poor.

Our CEO, Bonnie Chiu, gave a talk about Lensational’s work on the environment at Hague Talks in Berlin earlier this month, in celebration of International Women’s Day and our 7th anniversary.

“When humanity’s greed sets fire to our planet, it is easy to feel despair. In face of the torrents of climate change, it is easy to feel helpless. But there is a different way. I’ve learnt that empathy compels us to action.”

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News
CEO Bonnie Chiu on South China Morning post to share Lensational’s mission
January 5, 2020

Lensational’s CEO and co-founder Bonnie Chiu featured on the renowned South China Morning Post in December 2019  as part of their #listentoher series. In her interview, she talked about Lensational’s mission to empower under-represented women to share their story – and the power of media training. Take a peak at her interview on SCMP’s website.

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News  /  Press & Awards
Lensational’s Misper Apawu discusses her work on climate change at UN Africa Climate Week
June 24, 2019

(Accra, Ghana) On 19th March 2019, Lensational’s participant, Misper Apawu, presented her water series at the UN Africa Climate Week, held at Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). With more than 3,000 delegates and 80 side events, Africa Climate Week provided a critical opportunity to build momentum for raising the level of ambition on the part of African countries to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and to limit climate change.

View her video interview here: https://twitter.com/UNFCCC/status/1107975001674702849

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News  /  Press & Awards
Successful crowdfunding of Our Shared Forest photobook
June 24, 2019

(London, UK) Lensational’s campaign for its first photo book, Our Shared Forest, has just ended on Kickstarter! 132 backers pledged £10,570 to help bring this project to life.

Our Shared Forest is a photo book capturing the environment and its degradation across Africa and Asia, women behind the lens. Our book, which features the work of 34 Lensational photographers, seeks to champion women’s perspectives on the environment and their role in climate action.

With your help, we will be covering our printing costs for Our Shared Forest! The rest of the proceeds will go towards our work to raise awareness of women’s role in climate action.

We will be shipping our first books to our backers in September. Stay tuned here if you’d like to purchase further copies as we will be announcing our distribution soon!

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other stories
Remember me, an art project with 12 women at Nsawam prison, Ghana – By Juliane Reissig, on Francis Kokoroko’s work
February 12, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©Francis Kokoroko

When you look at the 12 portraits taken by photographer Francis Kokoroko of lifers of the Nsawam Prison in Ghana, you see 12 strong, powerful women.

What is even more powerful is the story behind those 12 portraits. They are the result of a collaborative and participatory multi-arts project: Remember Me was conceived by artist and stylist Rania Odaymat and Francis Kokoroko, who has been facilitating Lensational workshops in Ghana since 2016, both members of the Accra-based Beyond Collective.

Remember Me — or ‘Kae Me’ — gives 12 women a voice — and a face — that they would otherwise not have.

Throughout 2018, Francis and Rania have visited the women at Nsawam Prison several times to organise workshops, each with a different focus, including making collages, which allowed each woman to express her own views in her own aesthetics; and photography, during which they discussed the power of image-making, and got the women to take photos with instant film cameras.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collage making workshop — works of Mary

 

Initially, the women were skeptical, as usually nobody cares about what they think. “Our face is our shame,” they would say. But throughout the process it became clear that the women longed to be remembered.

“These women suffer from extreme marginalisation by Ghanaian society and their own families, who, in most cases, completely erase them from existence. The impact of their isolation and rejection on their self-worth is significant; many expressed doubts that their thoughts and opinions could be of interest, or of value,” explains the website of the Fair Justice Initiative, the NGO that facilitated and supported the workshops.

A 2016 UN Human Rights Assessment in Ghana identified the prison population as one of four groups most at risk of not having their human rights recognised, and identifies the “need to improve prison conditions with a view to enhancing the fundamental human rights of its citizens.”

In such a context, practicing art and allowing for creative expression can be particularly important and powerful, says Rania, who works as a creative therapist. Similarly, Francis explains that he was keen to create an environment that would allow the women to unleash their creativity and imagination, even only for a short amount of time.

The prison context made it difficult to execute a creative project: Rania and Francis met many obstacles on their quest to allowing each woman to create their own portrait. The women were not allowed to possess their own photograph. During the first photography session, the team didn’t receive the official permit to photograph on time, so the women were only allowed to take photos that wouldn’t show their faces.

Photos from workshop with Fujifilm Instax camera

 

“This act of disembodying each woman did not disempower them. Their identity is still distinctly marked through their bodies despite the shame and concealment projected onto them. They resist through thoughtfulness and grace,” states the Beyond Collective’s “Make Be” catalogue. “Make Be” is the title of the Collective’s art exhibition which took place in October 2018 in Accra, and which included the “Remember Me” project as one of eight works showcased.

Following several visits of the Nsawam Prison, eventually, the artists were given a two-hour slot for a portrait photography session. The seemingly impossible task was realised thanks to the support of the Fair Justice Initiative, and make-up artist Sandra Don-Arthur whom Rania and Francis brought on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portrait session – ©Francis Kokoroko

“The women from Nsawam prison do not wish to be reduced to the stigma of a label. They asked to be seen as “same” — worthy and beautiful. They each picked elements in their look and styling that told a story of their hidden sense of self and identity — dreams, aspirations, aesthetics etc, thus collaborating in the creation of their final portraits,” says Rania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©Francis Kokoroko

Seeing the final 12 photographs displayed at the Beyond Collective’s “Make Be” exhibition, and understanding the story behind them, showed the huge impact of the project.

Thanks to Rania and Francis, Mary, Esther, Ama Y, Lamisi, Agnes, Talata, Zelia, Akosua, Ama A, Abena, Salamatu, and Adwoa have a face again.

And the project doesn’t end here. The artists are committed to continuing their collaboration with the Fair Justice Initiative, to give the women a space of creative expression, a “creative escape,” as Francis says, the artists’ way of granting them their human rights that they are entitled to as prisoners too.

 

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Stories
Documenting history – by Juliane Reissig, w/ Antoinette Dumegah, Bernadette Young, Felicia Donkor, Florence Ama Geyevu
August 13, 2018

Pictures help us understand history and culture. Photographer Francis Kokoroko, who facilitates the Lensational Ghana workshops, explained the importance of photography in documenting history to the six young women and girls who joined our training programme in Ho in 2016:

“How are you documenting your own people? You are recording history for the next generation. Photography empowers you; it makes you more intelligent because you look at your surroundings differently.”

Last year, in September, we used the occasion of the annual Yam Festival in Ho in the Volta Region for an outing, and an opportunity to practise the skills the young photographers had learnt so far.

The Yam Festival is one of many cultural celebrations taking place all over Ghana throughout the year. Such events often celebrate harvests and agriculturally and culturally important commodities. Yam is a root vegetable, and one of the main staple crops in West African, and in Ghana, as in other neighbouring countries, it is eaten cooked, boiled, or fried. Boiled yam that is pounded is called fufu, and traditionally eaten with soup.

“Why is the Yam Festival being celebrated?” was what we asked ourselves before we started our photographic exploration. Felicia, 14, said that many stories were circulating about the origins of the Asogli Yam Festival that takes place in Ho every September.

© Antoinette Dumegah

For the Lensational students, the Ho Yam Festival was an opportunity to rediscover their city’s and country’s history, as well as to document it through photography.
Our challenge for the day was thus to find out why the cultivation of yam is being celebrated, and to document the festival for future generations.
One story we heard, was that the cultivation of yam among the people of Asogli started when a hunter found the tuber in the forest. He hid it, and when he returned, it had grown much bigger.

The Festival is also an occasion to thank God for the harvest and to offer prayers for good health and prosperity. It is said that the celebration originated in Togo and was brought into Ghana by the Ewe people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Antoinette Dumegah (left), Bernadette Young (right)

The event was a rich cultural display. History was celebrated in a colourful street parade of Chiefs and Queen mothers and their people, moving through the streets of Ho, the capital of the Volta Region. It ended with a Grand Durbar at Ho’s Jubilee Park, with drumming and dancing. Neighbouring tribes also joined the festivities.

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© Antoinette Dumegah (left, centre), Felicia Donkor (right)

The broad variety of traditional Kente cloth was an explosion of colours. It invited locals and visitors alike to discover the rich Ghanaian culture that is kept alive through festivities such as the Yam Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Antoinette Dumegah

Photographers indeed play their part in keeping history alive. The feelings related to cultural celebration, gratitude for the harvest and nature, importance of chieftancy and religiosity, are what our photography students captured and brought to life.

The girls definitely lived the moment with their subjects; they even got so absorbed by the experience, that they stopped the parade for a moment when they photographed a Queen mother. They were forgiven, as they were by far the youngest, and almost the only female photographers documenting the event.

I was reminded of a quote by Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey: “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” Their photographs invite us on a visual journey through the Asogli Yam Festival — as told by them.

© Antoinette Dumegah

© Antoinette Dumegah (left), Bernadette Young (right)

© Antoinette Dumegah (left), Florence Ama Geyevu (right)

©Felicia Donkor (left), Florence Ama Geyevu (right)

© Florence Ama Geyevu

For almost two years now, Lensational has been working with these six young women and girls, aged 14 to 26, to offer them an extra-educational activity that they would otherwise not have access to.

It has been very exciting to see the girls’ enthusiasm for their newly discovered medium, especially as the photography scene in Ghana is still very male dominated.

We are grateful to receive the continued support of Francis Kokoroko in this journey towards what might become the new generation of female photographers.

Support our programmes and our fund our girls! You can purchase the photographs in this essay on our gallery. The revenues will go back to the photographer, and to Lensational’s training programmes in Ghana.

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Stories
My life as a garment worker – Leeh Ann Hidalgo
August 6, 2018

My name is Leeh Ann and I am a domestic helper based in Hong Kong.

Six years ago, I left my home country, the Philippines, to work for a family based here in the city. My daily chores involve cleaning, cooking, and looking after my employers’ children; but before moving here, I studied biology at university and worked as a high school teacher back home. Personal circumstances led me to move here.


© Leeh Ann Hidalgo

Of course, I knew that life wasn’t going to be the same in Hong Kong. But I don’t think anything really prepared me for the emotions I experienced in my first months as a helper. The hardest part was not the job itself: it was the stigma associated with being a migrant worker.

Migrant workers in Hong Kong are paid a very low salary and aren’t eligible for citizenship, even if they live here for years. But that’s not what was most difficult: it was being looked at differently. Not only did I look different and speak a different language, but my status seemed to precede me. It was that feeling of being some sort of “second-tier” citizen in the eyes of others, which was hardest to overcome.

Coincidentally, my move to Hong Kong acted as a catalyst for picking up photography again. I had always had an interest in taking pictures, but in Hong Kong, I was able to join photography workshops organised by Lensational and pick up new skills.

I think the emotions I was experiencing also played an important role in the process. Taking pictures of others became an personal therapy and somehow a challenge. I wanted to find an outlet to express what I saw and how I felt, and I wanted to meet other people. I was also determined to tell our unheard story and to make us “visible” to all.


© Leeh Ann Hidalgo

This photograph is one of my favourite shots. For most people, it is just a photograph of a kid at a playground as he is seen looking outside, with the reflection of a building on his face. But for me, this kid summarises how I see myself as a helper.

It shows how the child is encapsulated in his small world, and how he looks out at the “real” world, but isn’t able to reach it. His posture in a way reflects the situation of domestic workers: we are often “encapsulated” and “trapped” in our world of domestic labour. A world where we have limited freedom, and where we feel separated from the “real” life we used to have.

Just like this kid in the photo, I look to the “outside” world and hope that one day, I will be part of it, and that I will no longer be judged for what I do.


©Leeh Ann Hidalgo

This photograph is one of my personal favourites because it is one of the first shots I took after I was gifted a camera. I was able to start photography again, and you can tell I was happy.

This is also the first of my shots that was ever printed. It was selected to be part of a calendar produced by one of the groups I’m a member of in the Philippines. I’m very proud of it because the proceeds of the calendar sales were donated to a charitable cause.


©Leeh Ann Hidalgo

This might look like a simple selfie in a public place, but to me it tells the story of domestic workers in Hong Kong. On the picture an imaginary line separates the group of domestic workers from “normal” people. I have come to realise over the years that this line will always be there. We will always be separated from others.

But this photograph is also one of my driving forces. Somehow, seeing it pushes me to work harder to show others that we are more than our job.


©Leeh Ann Hidalgo

I never really had the courage to join photography competitions, but this picture changed it all. A few years ago, a local organisation put a contest up on Instagram, for which the prize was meeting and shooting with one of my favourite street photographers, Michael Kistler. I really wanted to meet him in person and learn from him, so I gathered my courage and submitted a shot for the first time.

To my surprise, the shot made it to the top, and I was able to meet Michael. This shot convinced me that I was more worthy than I thought, and that I should probably believe in myself a bit more.

It’s also one of my favourite shots because it brought a lot of opportunities to me. It was one of the finalists of the WMA Commission of 2016–2017, and was showcased twice in the Philippines as part of an exhibition organised by Gen X project (a group of street photographers). It was a very emotional time, because it was the first time one of my photographs was featured in my home country.


©Leeh Ann Hidalgo

This last image of a man caught between black and white on one side of the pictures, and colours on the other, gives me a positive view of the future.

The black and white portion of the shot reminds me of the problems we all encounter. It is up to us to choose whether we stay there, in the black and white portion, or walk towards the coloured side of the picture, which to me embodies the positive side of life.

Life is difficult. We encounter many challenges that make our world black and white. But I hope that if we work hard enough, we can bring beautiful

colours into our world.

That man in the photo somehow shows me that it is possible to step into the colourful world. The journey may not be easy, but the goal is attainable.

 

Discover Leeh Ann’s work on Instagram, and find out more about her journey with photography here.

Support Leeh Ann in her journey! Purchase her work on our diverse & female-centric photography gallery, photos.lensational.org.

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News
CEO Bonnie Chiu’s article about the #MeToo movement was published on Forbes
June 5, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Lensational’s CEO Bonnie Chiu has recently become a Forbes contributor, writing for the magazine about gender and diversity in the developing world. For her first article, she wrote about the #metoo movement and how, despite its imensly transformative power, we should stop and reflect about some of its limitations.

Amongst other observations, she suggests the use of #UsToo, a spin-off which came to light as a response for the lack of focus on race and other minorities with the #MeToo movement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”4006″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1528228036824{margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

“The #UsToo movement is a wakeup call. It is time for us to question if we are really as inclusive as we purport to be , and if we are prioritising certain voices over others.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As CEO of a a non-profit organization that works with marginalized women in developing countries, Bonnie states that even though the movement received intense and well-deserved attention, it was centered in people who are already constantly in the spotlight. She also questions the fact that the impact was restricted to the digital world.

Click here to read the full article.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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