When people think about the victims and survivors of HIV/AIDS, they generally think of adults. However, children took center stage at Picturing Hope, a 2006 World of Chocolate pre-event that took place in the Plaza Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker, on Nov. 30. ( It marked the first time that tickets to a pre-event were made available to the public. ) AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) and The Abbott Fund ( an arm of Abbott Laboratories ) co-sponsored the program.
Picturing Hope is a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing at-risk children ( ages 10-18 ) in developing countries with the resources they need to express themselves through photography. In each of the five countries in which Picturing Hope has programs—Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, Tanzania and Romania—the program director, Craig Bender, and his team of volunteers have worked to gain the children's trust and to provide safe forums. The Abbott Fund is the sole sponsor of the organization.
Bender told the audience that Picturing Hope 'allows children to tell stories from their perspectives. There's no outsider or Westerner coming in and saying this is how it is. It's somebody telling their story about family, community, joy, loss and pain. ... They have a true impact on their communities.' Bender, a photographer who lived in Chicago from 1984-2000 and who now resides in Amsterdam, told Windy City Times in a separate talk that 'it was important to let children, who are often most in need, express themselves continually.' He was influenced to create a program during a photographic trip to Tanzania in 2000 that he characterized as a 'swift kick to the head.'
'I [ wanted to ] empower the children to become peer educators. Children are taking over the roles in the program, and they're gaining a sense of self-confidence, pride, strength and ownership. I wanted to create something that would be a self-fulfilling prophecy, something that would give children the power [ to believe ] that they can do anything,' he added.
At the pre-event, three of the children—Romania's Gheorghe Alexandru ( 'Alex' ) , K. Revathi of India and Maiga Moussa of Burkina Faso—briefly talked about themselves and the program. If anyone thought that these kids have not gone through enough, Revathi's life, for example—both parents are HIV-positive and her younger brother, Srinivas, died of AIDS last year at age 13—those doubts were quickly erased.
The pre-event also involved AFC's Mark Ishaug awarding Global Initiative Award grants to various organizations and facilities, including The Mosaic Initiative, DePaul University's Institute for East African Collaboration, Martin Temple AME Zion Church and Salud Latina/Latino Health.
'Through Their Eyes,' the exhibit featuring images from Picturing Hope, will run through Jan. 10 at the Hokin Gallery at Columbia College Chicago, 623 S. Wabash. Admission is free.
For more info on the organization, see www.picturinghope.org .