ah, the jajas

While in Uganda last December, Rosemary (director of St. Mary Kevin Orphanage) introduced me to many of the Jajas who live in Kajjansi and Lweza, villages surrounding SMK. You may recall seeing some of the portraits I made of these women here on the blog.

Jaja is swahili for grandparent. A man or woman may be referred to as Jaja Rebecca, for example, meaning he or she is Rebecca's grandparent. I am called Jaja Henry.

The grandmothers and great grandmothers in Uganda have played a key role in caring for children who have lost their parents. Since these women were presumably not sexually active during the outbreak and spread of HIV/AIDS, they have essentially remained healthy as they've aged (though, to survive past the average life expectancy of 51 is indeed an accomplishment). Many of these women have taken in their own children's children. Often, these women (who usually look older than they really are) have five or six children under their roof, sometimes up to as many as ten or twelve! This is a huge sacrifice, as these women have few resources of their own.

It's admirable, to say the least. But what other choice do they have? Leave these orphaned children out in the cold? It's a difficult and heartbreaking scenario.

On my most recent trip, I continued to seek out Jajas living near SMK. For one thing, we have something in common now that I'm a grandmother, too. For another, I made a commitment last year to do what I can to help this community of women establish some sort of sustainable business. They all enjoy making crafts (baskets, beaded jewelry, mats) and want to expand their ability to bring in an income.  

So, after some consideration, we have agreed upon a candle making operation! The Jajas have realized a need in the community that is not being filled. It's kind of hard to find candles in the local shops and markets. I did some research and found that the centerpiece to this business will be a wax melting machine. I can buy one here in the US for around $1,000. Parafin, wicks and molds can be purchased in Uganda. If I can gather the money together (HINT, HINT!!) I will make the purchase and send the machine over with Team 6. Then the Jajas can begin making candles in a room at SMK Rosemary has set aside for them. A sustainable candle factory run by grannies so they can help feed and clothe their orphaned grandchildren... sounds like a plan!

Want to be part of it? (Contact me via email if you'd like to make a donation - large or small - to help pay for the equipment needed to get this operation off the ground.)

The Jajas and I have loads of fun together, even though most of them speak no English, and I speak no Luganda. We gesture, nod and laugh a lot.

They are also very patient about letting me photograph them.

And, though the grandfathers won't be involved in the business, I'd still like to share a couple of portraits I made of them.

yes, i'm still alive!

It's been several days without electricity and internet access, but all is well. The gorilla trekking portion of this trip to Uganda was amazing. I'll be posting pics and info about that soon. I've also got so much to share about the children at SMK, as well as the people residing in neighboring villages.

Tonight Bobbie and I are heading back to the USA. There will be lots to share in the coming days. For now, I hope you enjoy this photo one of the grandmothers living in a village near the orphanage.

lucky number seven and a rescued photo

In three short weeks I'll be finding my way to a comfortable coach seat on KLM to wing my way to Uganda for the seventh time. Now that my summer vacation has ended, it's time to start finalizing the details surrounding my trip.

Rather than doing the logistical things I really should be doing, I am sifting through old images. That's how I get inspired. I've always loved and believed in Imogen Cunningham's mantra: "Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow."

So, I'm psyched to get to Uganda and start shooting again. 

Over the course of the next few posts, I'll fill you in on what I'll be doing in east Africa this time around. For now, I'd like to share a photo I rescued from the editing room floor late last night. This was shot last December when I was working on photographing the grandmothers (and great grandmothers) who live near the orphanage.

tossin' and turnin'

You know those nights when you just can't sleep?

I'm one who usually tries to stay under the covers and will myself toward dream land, but last night I decided to creep quietly over to my shiny new iMac. This baby makes all of my pictures look so sparkly and sharp and saturated, and I am definitely in love with it.

So, by 4 AM I had revisited every digital capture I made in Uganda this past December. In my sleep deprived state, I rescued eight new pictures - ones that had hit the editing room floor only a few short months ago. The combination of the sexy new iMac and the fact that I was very sleepy led me to: "What was I thinking!!? These are brilliant!"

By 6 AM I had processed these eight newly knighted gems, and then I gave myself permission to collapse into bed. I felt so happy.

In the light of day, though, there was really only one picture that held up.

I had made another version of it before, but this one, for whatever reason, speaks to me now more than the first pick. I'm glad to save it from the dismal darkness of my external hard drive.

Back in the day when I shot film, I would look through my old negatives every now and then just to make sure there was nothing I'd missed. Time and time again, I discovered an image - just before or after the one I had originally chosen to print - that finally just made more sense to me. It goes to show that the results of one's editing process can and will change depending on state of mind, perspective and recent experience. And that it's worth taking a second, third or fourth look.

more jajas

Rosemary, director of the orphanage, has always made it a priority to provide for the widowed, old and/or ailing grandmothers in the community surrounding SMK. She gives them food and supplies when needed and offers a place at the school for their grandchildren. The Jajas adore her and consider her a hero of sorts. They consider SMK home... a place they can always come for respite and support.

Rosemary has introduced me to these women over the course of the past couple weeks. It has been a wonderful experience for me. The women invite me into their homes and sometimes even offer me a soda. They usher me to a couch, chair or woven mat on the floor. They have very little. They get by somehow, usually while taking care of countless orphaned grandchildren and great grandchildren.

All of the neighborhood Jajas were invited to SMK for Christmas. They arrived early, dressed in their best clothing. They sat in the the hot sun (in a row of chairs set out especially for them) for hours before we finally got started with the day's program. They sat for so long, some got very hot and tired and moved to the shade to take a nap on the cool concrete. Once the festivities began, the Jajas sat in the front row for the talent show. Each clutched a purse in their lap, held their heads high and were pretty stoic during most of the program. They watched as the kids performed dances and songs. Then they saw their new friend, Mama Gloria, teach the crowd the "Hokey Pokey."

After a few rounds, some of them started smiling and actually began to participate. When I encouraged them to "put their right hip in" they did! What a sight it was for me, standing at the front of the room, singing the Hokey Pokey with my fellow talent show singers, leading the group in the song and movements and then finally seeing the older women in their Sunday finery move one hip, then the other as I encouraged them to "shake it all about." Now that's a memory I will keep with me for a very long time.

Here are a few more of the Jaja portraits I have made. Enjoy!

grandmothers

So many grandmothers/great grandmothers are the ones who end up caring for the young children in Uganda. Their own children's generation was hit hard by HIV/AIDS, so they have had to step up to the plate as caretakers of the little ones left behind.

Since I am now a grandmother, I feel it is fitting for me to honor these Ugandan women in my work. These portraits represent the beginning of my photo project about the "jajas".

grandmothers in africa

(Gembe, Uganda, 2009)

Their collective wisdom is incalculable – so is the collective burden they carry when families are torn apart by HIV/AIDS. Africa's newest special interest group is that of grandmothers. They attended their first special conference in May to share experiences and call for international recognition of their uniquely difficult circumstances. A summit of grandparents in the west might prompt jokes about bingo and dentures, but the inaugural African Grandmothers' Gathering was a gravely serious affair. More than 450 grandmothers from 12 African countries met to discuss the impact of losing adult children to AIDS, becoming the head of a household and raising grief-stricken grandchildren as their own.

(Buyingi, Uganda, 2006)

(Magada, Uganda, 2006)

Grandmothers are at the frontline of the HIV-AIDS impact. They have to pick up the pieces and move on; they don't have time to grieve because the children need to be looked after. They are doing this without any income. They, for the most part, are not healthy people themselves; they often have diabetes and high blood pressure. These are women who are carrying on in spite of the challenges and the fear of what will happen to these grandchildren if they die.

(Kajjansi, Uganda, 2008)

The purpose of the gathering was to raise awareness of grandmothers' needs. The grandmothers are hoping to establish international support for grief counselling, access to healthcare for themselves and the children in their care, safe and adequate housing, economic security, safety from gender-based violence, raising community awareness and breaking stigma, support in raising grief-stricken grandchildren and access to education for children. Grandmothers from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe were represented.

The African grandmothers were joined by a delegation of Canadian grandmothers from the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which supports community-based organizations fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. 



Stephen Lewis, chair of the foundation, said: 'Grandmothers are the unsung heroes of Africa. These magnificently courageous women bury their own children and then look after their orphaned grandchildren, calling on astonishing reserves of love and emotional resilience.'

- from The Guardian, UK