The New Orleans Kid Camera Project is an “unfiltered view of New Orleans through the eyes of its youth.” If you get a chance, check out the website. It seems like a wonderful organization.
From the NOKCP website:
The New Orleans Kid Camera Project was created to address the psychological and emotional impacts of Hurricane Katrina on children returning home to New Orleans. Through the use of photography, creative writing and mixed media, children from flooded neighborhoods explore their environment and express themselves, their stories and feelings with their friends. This project provides a venue for growth and recovery. By teaching the children tangible skills and exposing them to new means of expression, we hope to empower them to impact their lives and environment.
Hurricane Katrina [Complete Beauty], shown above, was a photo that I took at the Houston Astrodome following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. When I met Dijonaisse, she was carrying books in one hand and holding onto her five-year-old cousin with the other. A beautiful spirit, she radiated kindness, intelligence, and maturity beyond her years (she was 12 at the time). She kept a smile on her face and a skip in her voice, and she seemed undaunted by the less-than-ideal circumstances. I can’t help but think that her positive presence made it easier for others — others who might not have had the same optimistic constitution as Dijonaisse. She was a complete beauty, inside and out, and I know she’ll have a bright future.