dreams

Yesterday I received the new issue of the The Sun, and there inside its glistening black and white pages was a photograph I had submitted two years ago! The image was actually part of the Dream Series I did in collaboration with some of the St. Mary Kevin Orphanage children back in 2008. This picture illustrated one girl's dream of flying.

And speaking of dreams, I spent the morning talking with and getting to know one of Kansas City's gems, Shane Evans, whose "Dream Africa" program has led him to some very interesting places. I'm going to leave it at that for now, but something's now percolating, and it may or may not involve getting Shane to Uganda, and it may or may not involve an artist residency.

Stay tuned to learn more!!

change the truth

If you'd like to read about Melissa's experience as CTT's social worker at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage, you can do so by checking out her blog.

Some of my photographs from the "Dream Series" are featured in the current online issue of Ode Magazine. If you haven't already seen them, please check that out as well.

radio + dreams

Late last week I was invited into the studio of the local Kansas City public radio station, KCUR 89.3 FM, where I was interviewed by the very gracious and well-informed Susan Wilson. The resulting interview aired yesterday and will be rebroadcast tonight on the show "KC Currents" which is hosted by Wilson. If you have the opportunity and the inclination, tune in at 8 PM! If you live out of the area or won't have the chance to listen, I will be posting a link to the show sometime later this week here on the blog.




Susan asked me to talk about the DREAM series which I worked on at the orphanage this past December. Some of these images are published in my book, "Kutuuka"; some didn't make the cut, though, and I have revisited those this morning. Here is one which found its way to the edit room floor. I still like it and hope to include it at some point in the portfolio.

book work

The collaborative process of making a new book has begun.

The photographs have been selected with the help of curator Keith Davis. Photographer and teacher Thatcher Cook, and Ann Thomas, therapist, are writing essays; Sam Brandao is editing them. Lindsay Laricks is busy with the design of the book. And Meridian Press is gearing up for the printing of it.

And I have been spending glorious days in my digital darkroom making reference prints and hammering out an essay of my own. Blissful activities for this lucky girl.

The book, still unnamed at this point, has a long way to go before it makes its way to the east coast for printing and binding. It is interesting and gratifying to watch it all come together, as all these talented people - located in different parts of the country - help weave together the finished product.

Included in the book will be my black and white work made in Uganda in 2006 and 2007, as well as the color dream pictures made on the most recent trip in 2008. We may even include some of the artwork made by the children at the orphanage.

dreams

“I dreamed that I fell in the lake. Then I shouted at the water.” – Nahia, age 12



“I dreamed that a dog bit me. I dreamed that snakes bit me.” – Martha, age 9



“I saw a devil coming to kill me. I shouted to Mummy to come and help me. I shouted loudly. My mother refused to open the door for the devil.” Leku, age 14



“I dreamed when they were going to take us to war. I was the leader of my team. There was a man who was a president, and he was the one who commanded us to go and fight.

There were seven of us. That man gave us an airplane for war.

The soldiers got a helicopter to come. It was going to kill all my soldiers. We jumped out of the airplane, and the blades started but my team won the war.

We went back to the base, and we made a party for my team.” – James, age 12

dreams

"In a nick of time, having lay down on my bed, I was caught up in a deep sleep down in the forest where we fetched water in the village.
As I dropped the bucket down in the well, an unknown sound from the forest started shouting loudly in a scary voice: 'I have you today.'

Before I could fill my bucket to the brim, my sister Sarah had left. I knew now that I was in for it.

I started hearing a voice coming from all sides of my slim body: ‘I need you.' That’s what it said.

Trees around me started shaking.

I shuddered, then my voice started dying out. However much I could call for my twin sister, Sarah, for a rescue, it was all in vain!

My heart drummed against my chest; it felt like my hair was off my head. I opted to run, but the legs could not make it to their best.

After all this shivering and scary moments, I heard the voice of Sarah saying, ‘Nelson, I am dying. Please come and help me!’

I tried to follow where the voice was coming from, but I was disturbed by the echoes in the forest.

I ran following the background of her sound. I saw her. She cried at me with her tears flowing like a faulty tap. ‘Nelson, can you do something?’ I now started crying as I saw this: an unknown animal I have never seen before.

I came close to her only to see her belly being cut and made open. This gave me much fear and proved little chance of survival. Genuinely speaking, I had no way to help Sarah, and there she died.

The animal then came close and ran after me. I ran backwards calling out for help. Tears of melancholy cascaded down my muddy face as the animal jumped and caught me up. I woke up only to remember that it was just a dream. I felt relieved!" – Nelson, age 18

dreams

Sifting through images I made of the children's dreams, I am finding obvious recurring themes. I am finding that there were few "happy" dreams, even though I often encouraged the children to try to recall those specifically.

I am finding that I am constantly thinking about their dreams, even as I am here in the US on my comfortable bed trying to have my own.



“I walked to our village. It was very far. There my mum was going to the garden and she saw a big snake. She killed the big snake. The mother of the snake wanted to kill my mother because she had killed its child.” – Mackline, age 10



“When I was asleep, I dreamed that I was with my mum at home, and an Englishman came to our home. He took me to England to play football. When we reached there, I started playing, and I sent my mum money.” - Caleb, age 11



“I was playing with my friend, and he pushed me into the lake. I started to swim, and my clothes got wet. After that I went back home, and my mom asked me where I had been.” – Douglas, age 9



“At night when I was sleeping, I had a horrible dream. I saw a night dancer. He chased me all night. I was in the village, and the only solution which I had was to run up to the house. My big brothers came for my rescue, and they chased him away. He went back to his home. He left behind bones of the dead.” - Vincent, age 10



“I mostly dream that my father is one of the richest men in Kampala.” – Billy, age 16



“Sometimes I dream that the ground is breaking and I am falling down in there. When I wake up, I think it is true and I cry.” – Isabella, age 11

dreams

“I had a dream and it was when somebody was running after me, and I was afraid. I looked behind me and I saw a man with a panga and an axe. I ran as fast as I could.” – Miriam, age 12



“I dreamed that I was going to dig in the garden to plant my mother’s crops.” – Geoffrey, age 10



“I dreamed I was kicking the ball. I shot a goal. Then the night dancer came and then I woke up.” – Bishop, age 9



“We were in the dormitory, and it caught fire. We shouted for help. Everyone was asleep, so there was no hearing for anybody to come and help.” Cissy, age 12



“I had a dream that I was in the airplane. Then mummy told me to sit properly because I will fall down out of the airplane, and I told her that I can’t fall out of the airplane because it is locked. Then I laughed and woke up.” Rosette, age 16



“One night I dreamed that robbers were coming to attack me, but I ran. Both of them had knives for killing me. I was running back home and found a big, big dam and when the robbers were getting near that dam there was the tall-grassed bush. So I hid away from those two robbers, and they could not find any way to attack me.” – Jacob, age 12

dreams

“I dream I am driving a car.
I dream I am swimming.
I dream that a snake is biting me.
I dream a car has knocked me down.
I dream when I am on the bus and a lion is going to eat me.”
- Ali, age 13



“My mother died. In my dream, she is going to the market. And my father came to pick her up. My father died, too.” – Kato, age 8



“I was at home playing with my friends, and we were skipping the rope together.” – Angella, age 11



“When I was sleeping, I got a dream that I was grown up, and I was a boss and I was rich.” – Julius, age 11

dreams

My photo/writing project continues, as do dorm painting, play and art therapy. We are having such a wonderful time. So are the children.

Here are some entries from the dream series the children and I are working on:


“One day I was at home around 7 o'clock, one week after my mother had died. When I went to my bed to sleep I dreamed of four white ghosts in the dark, thick forest coming towards me. At first there were twelve cows, but the sad thing was hat they were all white and they did not have horns at all. When the cows saw the ghosts they just went into the darkest part of the forest. The ghosts then came toward me saying, ‘what a beautiful boy to be taken to hell.’ But for me, when I heard that I started to run and I screamed too, loudly. But the sad thing was I went running to the dark place, but it was not only the dark place - it was just a big hole going down. Deeper and deeper I fell. But I was not reaching down, I was going deeper and deeper.” - Willy, age 14


“I sleep at night. When I sleep I see a cup and clothes. I drink tea from the cup and I am wearing the clothes.” – Tina, age 7


“There was a night when I was with angels. We were happy and we were dancing with God.” – Catherine, age 12


“I dreamt one night that I was flying in the air like a bird. In that dream I was one of the Easter bunnies. I dreamt that my work was to treat sick children, not to supply eggs to the children. I could run, hop and fly, and I flew in the air to America and would go to every continent searching for sick children, and of course, I was the fairy doctor and sometimes I flew in the daytime. But I could not finish my dream when I was waked up by my dormitory leader to go to school.” – Nicholas, age 12

day 2

Truly a glorious day! As our van pulled onto the grounds of the orphanage, children started running to greet me. I have never been hugged so much all at once! A sea of faces - some familiar, some not. Samalie, Kato, Nicholas, Zaberah, Henry, Billy, Edward, Doreen… It was exhilarating!

I met for some time with the directors, and we plotted out future projects. Rosemary and Joseph are so good at outlining past, present and future collaborations. The paper work they gave me represented a lot of in depth analysis. It is so helpful for me when I present information/ideas to the board of CTT. I applaud their integrity and their thoroughness. But mostly, I admire their dedication to these children.

The grounds of SMK were buzzing and full of energy today, as the children were preparing for their parent/guardian open house tomorrow. Today was the last day of school – they are out now for over a month. Tomorrow begins their equivalent of American kids’ summer vacations. Each class will present a song, dance, skit, reading or something of that sort for all to see. The older boys were busy setting up a stage, a tented area and planks for seating. The younger kids were practicing. It should be quite the event, and I am so looking forward to attending.

The children have really sprouted since I saw them last. Taller, fuller, broader, longer hair, more poise, better English and a stronger sense of self-confidence. I was constantly shaking my head in awe. “Is that really you in there?”

I think I have decided on my photo project for the month. At least for now, I am going to try spending time with some of the children on an individual basis, helping them write about a dream they have had. The word for dream in the Lugandan language is “ekilotto.” Once they have talked about the dream with me, or written about it themselves, we will make a portrait.

I started with Tonny, a young boy I noticed often last year. He was shy, but by the end of my stay, we were speaking a bit. He greeted me warmly today, and we set about the task of getting to know each other a little better.


Here is the picture we made, and this is what he wrote about a dream he often has:

“When I sleep, I see a man with the face of my father.”