The Blog - The Difference Academy - Photography TrainingThe Difference Academy

S.A.L.T | Entrepreneurship around the world

By Lynette Eby on February 8, 2015 in Inspiration, The Difference

Entrepreneurship is basically about taking a chance and going for it, but what if the opportunity or money isn’t there? A few days ago I had the privilege of chatting with a friend and fellow creative, Merle Fisher, to hear about his trip to Ghana, West Africa, and the program, S.A.L.T.

S.A.L.T stands for:

Shared Accountability
Lending
Teaching

This program is at present run by C.A.M. Ministries but is also a business model that has been spreading globally.

It begins with accountability, where a group of about 12 women will go together and apply for a loan, which is then shared among the entrepreneurs for what is needed to start their individual businesses. It isn’t exactly a group loan, as each woman is responsible for her loan but if necessary will receive support from the other women to pay on time and save a little bit beside. Part of the program is to teach the ladies (or men who participate) to lay a little aside each month so that when emergencies come along they have a plan B.

Meet one of the ladies who has started this stand as the result of a micro loan.

DSCF4948

Each of the groups has a group leader that is responsible for assembling the group who are then screened separately to make sure they’re good candidates for the loan. This group leader is the one basically vouching for each person in the group and also works with the group in the future.

DSCF4996

What is astonishing about this program is the return rate of nearly 100%. Most of this is due to the screening and accountability groups who have each other’s backs for when it really counts.

DSCF4958

The photo of this little girl is meaningful because her mother entered the program when she was pregnant with her, and several years later the lady is owner of a successful small, business and the little girl is healthy and growing.

DSCF4993

“This lady was one of my favorites. She is a seamstress and works by taking orders, having the ladies bring the fabric of their choice to her while she supplies all the necessary notions and accessories, creative design and labor.” -Merle

DSCF4927

Guy with his boat, i.e. fishing business.

DSCF4955

DSCF4945

The team in Ghana working to give these businesses and entrepreneurs a chance.

“From a creative perspective this wall was a perfect blend of color and texture. It’s the kind of thing photographers dream about and hardly ever see. It was fun to take pictures here.” -Merle

DSCF4964

“This picture was one of my favorites because it was so spontaneous. We were just riding around one day and stopped somewhere, and these two little girls came up to me hesitantly, and then shyly asked me to take their picture.” -M

“We didn’t have much chance to tour the countryside, and except for a fun ride home from the airport, music blaring and windows down at night and a quick trip to Elmina Castle we mostly visited clients. We did get out to a few places including the coast. That was amazing.” -M

Processed with VSCOcam with c3 preset

“For these coastal photos I didn’t have access to my camera so my iPhone stood in for some quick shots.” -M

To wrap this up, when asked about a finishing highlight of the trip Merle replied, “honestly, it was the espresso at ‘The Giraffe’ in the London airport. After 8 straight days with no coffee it was amazing.”

Creatives and their coffee, it’s hard to separate the two. Keep it real, y’all, grab some coffee and head on over to check out some of the rest of Merle’s work at merlefisher.com, or follow him on Instagram or Twitter. As a designer who has worked with web design, photography, and more recently brand and logo design, he knows what it takes to take a step outside of the norm and take a chance – as do all of the amazing folks from around the world.

All photo’s posted by permission of Merle Fisher.

Merger

By Lynette Eby on January 19, 2015 in Inspiration, The Difference

It’s been awhile everybody, and while we’re all shivering away in this chillier northern hemisphere my mind is going to back to warmer places, much warmer places. Join me in Haiti for a couple of minutes, and feel the heat of the tropics.

Haiti is an explosion of warmth and culture, and it was the first time I’ve stepped off a plane and felt like I was entering another world. I haven’t traveled extensively, so I’m guessing other places do this as well, but because Haiti is still struggling after a couple hundred years of devastating poverty and a major earthquake recently it has a completely different feel to it than any place I’ve been before.

We ended up in Merger in what felt like one of the more well-to-do areas of Haiti. Many of the houses were only partially built, which will be part of efforts from mission and humanitarian teams coming in the next few years to finish. The heat was intense, and we quickly learned that speed-walking everywhere in typical U.S.A style wasn’t the best idea here. Haitians walk slowly and gracefully, and when they get to the top of the hill find the nearest shade and stand under it awhile. After two days their idea seemed genius, and it worked much better for some of the steep, dusty hills we walked.

Every day we’d end up at the soccer field and the little church just beyond to hang out with the kids. With an amazing team of translators who could put life into the Creole translated we taught the kids, played with them, arranged for some crafts, and put on little dramas for them.

The saddest day for me was walking through the tent city near us and sensing the hopelessness of the greater amount of the people. Some had hope, but many of them were just barely surviving. It was incredibly heart-breaking to ask someone for a prayer request and get the answer time and time again, “please pray that we can get out of here.”

IMG_1488-2

The happiest (or saddest) day was different for all of us, but whenever we could help a little, or connect with people and pray for them, or just hang out and have fun in the courtyard while watching papa ak manman skip rope with us all, or have the girls braid our hair – we loved it. Everyone got down, got dirty, and boy did we have fun. People from all races, all kinds of jobs and lives, all came together in Haiti for one amazing week that stamped the country in our hearts and passports for ever.

I can’t romanticize Haiti too much while hope is still bleak for many of them. This is where we come in because we can empower them to support themselves, and nothing we can do will be as effective in the long run as getting resources to them. Gratitude and simple enjoyment of life they have, jobs they don’t. There are so many who want to help their own people and don’t have the means and here we can help.

Photo credits: Seth Haley

Vertical Street Life

By Lynette Eby on December 21, 2014 in Inspiration, Learn Photography, The Difference

As a continuation of the photos in Asia I wanted to finish it with these street shots, and the people that speak for themselves. My idea in doing this post was because of the tendency we have to over-romanticize other cultures, and I understand this because I do it myself. “Oh look, they’re eating with chopsticks, that’s so amazing and cool!” Well, it’s how they eat, and they have to eat just like everybody does.

My point is instead of taking a cool picture because we think it’s amazing how well someone eats with chopsticks, we should look for the reality of their life. Are they with, family, friends, coworkers? Is this their routine everyday? This isn’t just a random group of people at a table, this is a specific group that live very real and unique lives, and have this complex history we don’t know anything about. When we look at it that way, the photos are framed differently, and most importantly, we actually catch moments and details we’d otherwise miss.

Capture life, not just things within life

Asians value beauty, and they also value their kids. Despite the reputation of being overachievers, if you only have the chance for one child you will work extra hard to make sure he or she can be everything possible. How that works out in the long run can be debated but the love for children is always a good thing.

One of the things that is so cool about the Asian culture is their use of color. The combinations don’t always make sense to my taste, but I’m willing to bet it does to them. Taking it a little out of the box is how genius is born, and new things are discovered.

So it is. It is their life, and they live it everyday. Just as we live our lives every day like everyone else in our own culture and society. We all are unique, we are all special, and we are the same. Humans. People. Employees. Families. Children.

So from the still moment of a little lady sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the next customer, to the bustling streets of a wider scene, to the world of Hong Kong, Hanoi and China, thanks for the look into your life.

2014-09-29 20.26.04

Photo credits to Hannah and the team at Vision Beyond Borders.

The Mists of Asia

By Lynette Eby on November 25, 2014 in Inspiration, The Difference

“I have a friend I was talking to about going to Asia on a Bible smuggling trip, so I found the website and the specific ministry she mentioned and got in touch with them about going. Through the process of learning to know the ministry, and working out travel plans I was really intrigued and wanted to go. I love India, and have been wanting to do some more traveling in that part of the world so I was really excited for this chance.”

“It made me a little nervous at first, because there were all kinds of rules and little tricks for how to get past security with contraband, stuff like acting like you’re in a super big hurry and have to go, pushing them to get done fast, putting in headphones and listening to music, acting casual, mingling with large groups of Asian natives, that sort of thing. If they do catch you you’re often detained for awhile and they question you and that sort of thing. Because the system is corrupt, if you are handed a receipt for the Bibles you may have a chance to buy back the Bibles and keep going; sometimes the officials will even keep some which is really great because it gets the word out there in a place that is really controlled and watch over.”

(Lynette says) I met with Hannah at a local coffee shop for a vicarious trip to Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, and the misty shores of Asia. She had a lot of stories about their time, the people and the streets of the eastern world. We spent the evening with warm coffee and tales from halfway around the world.

It fascinated me to learn more of a culture I’ve never gotten to brush shoulder with, and to learn of some of their struggles and daily life. I’ve always had a lot of respect for the eastern world, because for thousands of years they emphasized the values of peace and quietness, which is refreshing when living in the raucous and rushing western world. Asia has changed a little, but in Hannah’s pictures I found a lot of people living and enjoying each other, instead of merely rushing to work all the time. These guys have the whole chopsticks thing down. Take lessons, y’all.

“In Hong Kong we also saw some of the pro-democracy rioting that is happening there right now. (More recent updates are on CNN.com) It was crazy to see the barricades and everything going on, though things weren’t too out-of-hand when we were there. Because education is so one-sided and controlled in mainland China wealthy parents sometimes send their children to school in Hong Kong to get a better education. If they can afford it and don’t mind processing they will take their children there for school each day which is a matter of crossing through the border and customs. Hong Kong is more pro-democracy, and their thinking is much more progressive there than mainland China, so if you read the news you’ll see its creating a hot situation between mainstream communism and the democrats.”

“One thing I noticed while out on the streets was how few children there were. I guess when you can only have one it really cuts down on the amount you see out and about. I did catch a few pictures.

“The underground church in Asia is alive and well. I have to be really careful what pictures I share to protect people there, but we did get to visit a place where the Christians can often meet. Having Bibles and teaching means to much to them, and they spend hours reading and singing.”

(Back to Lynette) Come back for more visual story-telling, next time round will be some cool street art, crazy talented artists and more stories about Asia. Meanwhile please check out Vision without Borders, they have a fine line to walk in Asia and could use all our prayers and support. One of their leaders said: “I just have to emphasize this point, it is always a tricky line to walk. We want to spread the word about the work and the need for Bibles, but the last thing we want to do is be the reason why someone gets into trouble (internet can be a tricky thing).”

Meet Hannah, the girl with the heart behind these photos.

All photos and stories used by permission of Hannah and Vision without Borders. Thanks y’all.

**To clarify this collection of photos is both of Hong Kong, China, and Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

The Brown Eyes at Casa Shalom

By Lynette Eby on November 9, 2014 in Inspiration, The Difference

In 1986 an orphanage was born a few miles outside of San Lucas, Guatemala that began to take children from all over Guatemala from every kind of tragic story and situation. Headed by directors Josh and Jessica Hanson, one of the most common stories of children rescued, was from coffee fields where they are forced to work at extremely young ages. Many experienced starvation, abandonment, sexual and physical abuse, and Casa Shalom built a place a shelter, healing and chance to become whole and well.

Guatemala is one of the places nearest and dearest my heart, because I’ve personally held the children who were abusively thrown into fires, had bones broken, and hearts abandoned by parents that couldn’t or wouldn’t care for them. Brown eyes are said to be warmest, and yet they feel and express the pain of life heartbreakingly well, and the one who has the honor to stand guard over those eyes and heart and fill them with love is indeed given a privilege.

It is true there is a special kind of heartbreak with orphans, but I think that that isn’t any greater reward than loving children that don’t have anybody else to love them, and to watch the sunrise light up in their eyes when they realize they are in a safe place where people laugh and food isn’t as scarce. Join me in meeting these children at Casa Shalom who have experienced the difference between light and shadow.

MARIA MEIJA LUX

All text in “q.” is used with permission from Serving Orphans Worldwide.

“Maria Meija Lux was 12 years old when she came to Casa Shalom. She is the oldest of 8 siblings who have all shared a very cruel childhood up until they came to the orphanage. Maria has three younger brothers, Jose’, Miguel, and Santiago, and four younger sisters, Catarina, Viviana, and twins Magdalena and Candelaria. This family now share a very normal childhood; the boys love to play soccer and get dirty and the girls do each other’s hair and love putting on dresses.

However, before coming to Casa Shalom these children’s lives were anything but normal. Maria’s parents had abandoned them in the winter of 2010. Though this is not uncommon for parents to do in Guatemala, it is unimaginable the terror that must have filled this little family when they woke up one morning to find that their mother and father had abandoned them, leaving their home and family behind to fend for themselves. With no resources and no provision, Maria and her siblings were forced to figure out life on their own.

This little family had no income so Maria’s younger brothers, Jose’, Miguel and Santiago, who were eleven, eight and seven years old at the time, were forced to find work on a nearby coffee farm in order to provide income for the family. The boys labored extremely hard in the the coffee fields amidst frequent rain and cold temperatures, and only made a dollar a day for wages. Meanwhile, Maria stayed at home and tried her best to take care of her younger sisters and the twins who were only two at the time. Maria remembers that it had been several months and all that they had to eat during that time was cold raw tortilla dough and coffee. They didn’t even have the resources to start a fire to cook or stay warm. They were on the brink of starvation and there seemed to be no hope for rescue in sight.

In January of 2011, Guatemalan Social Services arrived at the Meija Lux’s home to find the two year old twins playing in the front yard unattended. The babies had not worn diapers for months. All of the children were filthy. Unsurprisingly, they were all malnourished, since all they had eaten for several months was uncooked tortilla dough and cold coffee. That evening the children were taken out of their home by Social Services and brought to Casa Shalom.

MejiaLuxarrival

That night in January is one that Jessica Hanson and her husband, the Casa Shalom orphanage directors, have never forgotten. She remembers the fear that flooded the children as they were brought into unfamiliar surroundings. “Jose, Miguel and Santiago were trying to escape and were screaming because they were terrified of being taken from their home, and the girls were crying… but our caregivers and orphan boys stepped up and calmed the boys down and assured the family that they were in safe hands.” Jessica recalls that the moment was overwhelmingly emotional. Yet, she remembers the pride that she felt towards her Casa Shalom boys in that moment. In the midst of the chaos, they showed enormous love and presence of mind. Eventually, the family of eight children were fed and bathed. That night they were given a safe, clean place to sleep for the first time in their lives.”

I’d highly recommend hopping a plane to Guatemala, (it’s a beautiful place with even more lovely people) but if you can’t go love on these kids, help others keep loving and caring for them all they can. Guatemala’s adoptions have been officially closed for several years because the human trafficking that was resulting with corrupt lawyers and poor mothers, but it’s created a big problem for all the existing orphanages who have been filled to overflowing. More children end up on the streets, and only a fraction of them end up in secure places where someone isn’t taking advantage of them.

Meanwhile, big thanks to Serving Orphans Worldwide, and photographer Mia Baker for allowing me to write about and use stories and photographs of Casa Shalom. It’s always a pleasure to write and post pictures of my second home.