Laath Martin
Thursday, April 22nd, 2 PM,
Hodges Reading Room
In January of 2011, a team of Interior Architecture students from UNCG had designed a mod-est school to be built in the small village of Kyekyewere in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
Kyekyewere had no academic institution nearby, and because children would have to walk great lengths to seek education, many never did. This school was a proposed solution and, partnered with the Ghanaian nonprofit organization, Rescue Aid Foundation, a building site was chosen.
I joined this assignment as a documentary photographer, in charge of visually chronicling the endeavor and the Ghanaian culture, but also as a make-shift construction worker, lending a hand during the conception. The photographs tell a story of progress, intimacy, and a culture and people who welcomed me into their country with open arms. But they also tell a story of a ghost of a reality as the project remains unfinished due to ceased funds. What I brought back was so much more: a new outlook, a new purpose. I hope to help have this project finished.
