Foto’s Blog: Kid-to-kid diplomacy in India
Phodographer Coleen McIntyre in Chennai, India, December 2010
Coleen teaches at the American International School in Chennai, India. She writes about an activity for 3 classes that choose to raise money to buy abacus for students at the Seva Samajama Children’s Home. Unfortunately for a class of 50 plus there were only 4 abacus for them to share. Instead of just asking her students to get donations from their parents she gave them a week to earn money. They were to talk to their parents about jobs they could do around the home to earn money and decide together how much money the job was worth. One little girl who was so excited about it, she raised 2,500 rupees (about $50). Another student baked cupcakes and was selling them after school for 20 rupees each (about 50 cents). They really enjoyed being able to give. Coleen’s class alone raised 6,500 rupees (about $150)! Between the 3 classes they were able to supply the school with about 40 abacus, a box full of books (simple English, Tamil, and English/Tamil), and a variety of games and puzzels.
Coleen said “We took their students on a trip to deliver the packages personally. We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the school. All the children played games, puzzels, made frames to put their pictures in. They all seemed so happy. While they were doing their other activities I had the children from the Home have their Dog Meets World portrait taken. The one little girl who I’m giving the picture to was the sweetest little thing. Each time a picture would print one of the other teachers would go to deliver it and each time she would perk up hoping it was her picture. She waited so patiently so I made sure when hers was printed to call her over to see. She was so happy to receive her picture!
I had my students write about their experience and many of them expressed how they enjoyed giving the other children a picture and want to go back again. One little boy told me he wanted to take his mother and father so that they could meet the children too… so sweet.”
Foto’s Blog: Peace begins with a Smile-Salute to Sargent Shriver
PeaceCorps Phodographers in Costa Rica and Kenya, 2009
PeaceCorps volunteers have been venturing out in the world since 1961 when Sargent Shriver first organized the program to send Americans into the developing world with the mandate to “promote world peace and friendship”. In 1981 he said
The cure is care. Caring for others is the practice of peace. Caring becomes as important as curing. Caring produces the cure, not the reverse. Peace doesn’t not come through strength, strength comes through peace.
May Dog Meets World in it’s own small way, be a seed of peace. One PeaceCorp volunteer said “Thank you Dog Meets World for giving purpose to my Peace Corps service. Through DMW, I not only distributed photographs. I also brought a service to the people my communities. I showed them that I see them.”
Foto’s Blog- Remembering Haiti
Phodographers Carolyn Lane, Leah Hudson and Brittany Lane in Haiti 2009
A year has passed since the devastating earthquake hit this island nation. Dog Meets World today shares earlier pictures of kids, which were for almost all their very first photographs. It is our hope that the Haitian children and young people can “see their potential” more clearly in their pictures. Haiti needs their indomitable spirits, energy, hard work and tenacity to move forward. It reminds us all to stay involved and help.
Foto’s Blog: Foto amuses many in unique exposure in Myanmar (Burma)
NEW Phodographer Xander Meise Bay in Bago, Burma August 2010
Xander completed volunteer legal work in Phnom Penh and then took Foto to a monastery school outside of Bago, Burma. Bago was a royal capital in the 16th and 17th centuries, and today it is the home of the second largest Buddha in the world.
We arrived unannounced with the Dog Meets World photo project and happened upon the place during meal time and recess. Burma does not receive many foreign visitors, and even fewer make it out of the capital to places like Bago, so the children found me and the little stuffed mascot dog Foto to be quite the oddities. But, after minimal persuasion (Foto can be quite convincing), the students were only too happy to have their pictures taken and began clamoring with each other to be the next in line.
They were mesmerized by the images. It is my understanding that these are the some of the first pictures they will have of themselves. As aside, I also introduced Foto to staff at a Yangon hotel and restaurant. The Pink Floyd-listening waiters found him especially amusing.
You’ll notice that many of the people have on their faces what looks like streaks of yellow-tinted paint. Most commonly worn by women and children, this is traditional Burmese makeup that is also worn by men and that the locals describe as Burmese sunscreen.
Foto’s Blog: “DMW is the Icing on the Cake” in Vietnam
NEW Phodographer Lee Rappaport in Ho Chi Minh City September 2010
Lee, volunteering with others for Humanitarian Travels said this was her first clowning adventure. ” I didn’t know what to expect when we visited various hospitals, orphanages and AIDS children. Yes, it was an eye opener but from the standpoint of how happy the children could be under these circumstances. We saw so many smiling, joyful faces.
The Dog Meets World was the icing on the cake! What a unique experience we were able to share with these children of Ho Chi Minh City. Thank you for introducing us to this special global diplomacy via a cuddly dog (Foto) & photos.”