In recent years a lot of photographic work on Rwanda has been done with a focus on the horrors and fallout of the genocide. I went to Rwanda with the intent of being a part of that group, but left with a completely different thought about the stories that should be told.
Rising Rwanda is intended to mark a shift in the photographic dialogue about Rwanda towards the present and future by focusing on the country’s youth population. In the project, 35 children born after the genocide were photographed with a drawing they made depicting an aspect of their life or an important relationship. They were then interviewed about their family, community and perspective of the Rwandan nation.
Rising Rwanda has been exhibited at multiple universities, the Mercy Corp Headquarters in Portland, Oregon and the United Nations in New York City. Production of the project and related outreach was grant funded by Imaging America.
