Artefacting Public Art + Research Practice
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Las Trabajadoras del Hogar Peru, South America | 2011, summer |
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Fundraiser event to be held in New York on April 3rd General Links - Team members - Fundraiser - Event website Event Partners - Alé Alé Foundation - Nativo Andino More Info - Artists 4 Empowerment 
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Las Trabajadores del Hogar We entered Peru in the beginning of November expecting a vacation. To visit family, climb Machu Picchu, and revel in good food and the joys of traveling. We were unprepared for what we encountered: Friendship and a story of maltreatment, survival and inspiration. Child Labor reaches 25.7% of all 6 to 13 year olds in Peru (INEI 2005).We met children, bright eyed and full of life- working 15 hour days with no access to health care, education, or basic rights. Abused, neglected and marginalized, in a society that largely ignores the reality of a socially accepted system of Child Domestic Workers. We were completely appalled and amazed by what we discovered. It was inconceivable to us how children as young as 7 years old could be forced to work; without compensation or protection by regular families, families with their own kids. And it was incredible to us that these kids, those who could, would end their day and arrive at the college exhausted but full of life, pure and joyful, excited at being given this opportunity to study. If it wasn’t the abuse they endured, or the isolation of having lost all contact to their families, or the lack of love they received, what really connected them all was their hunger to learn. They understood, better than most kids and many young adults studying around the world, that education was the path to freedom and their tool to confronting their situation. We are shooting a documentary film to tell the story of a few individuals who are working as domestic laborers or have managed to escape its clutches in an effort to spread awareness, document the situation and raise money. Whether we change a system, or just touch one life, this will make a difference. We are looking to raise fund to finnish the documentary and to help support two non-profit organizations based in Peru that we have been working with. Annalisa and Marlon 
Stories from Peru - Teaching Photography in a boys Prison While we were staying at the Centro Yanapanakusun we were approached by one of the teachers about lecturing for a photography class in a boys prison in Cuzco. The prison houses boys from all ages and for various offenses. Many are just street kids with nowhere to go suffering under a system that has no other way to deal with them but to put them in lock-up, others had broken serious laws. Most of the crimes committed were a question of survival, the harsh realities of abandonment and street life. 
A class that normally consisted of 3-5 kids quickly swelled to 12 as the curious news spread that foreigners with camera’s were around. We talked about shutter speeds, depth of field, lighting and just goofed around together taking pictures. We were allowed to take them to the courtyard where they played with our cameras and asked us questions. This is one of our more precious memories from our time in Cuzco, we send our thanks to Vannessa for this opportunity, we hope to return next time with some donated cameras in tow to continue teaching photography classes. |
