This is from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

LightSource Podcast with ME!

I have started this post in my mind several times, and all of the eloquent beginnings have been forgotten. 2 weeks ago today I re-entered American life for the second time this year. This re-entry proved to be much smoother than from India. In fact, it was 2 days before I left for Kenya, that I felt back to normal for the first time since being in India. The trip to Kenya was equally impacting on me. I am falling in love with the work and people of the church in developing nations. I am starting to understand the meaning of “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. May I say that if you read this from the comfort of your American home, you are RICH. What is normal worldwide, is the way in which most of these people live. But, of course as I re-enter, I enjoy and type this from the comfort of my air conditioned home and my privacy and my latte and my…. So, I am conflicted. I am astounded at how much impact even one American dollar can have in the economy of a poverty stricken area. I wrote earlier about my sponsored child Athuman. $38 affects change, real change, in not only his life but the life of his entire family. Wow. Forget about your faith or lack there of, or non-belief in God, just do something for someone who can’t do anything for themselves.

I don’t want to rant, I want to inspire, so I will quit now. I think if I continue I will probably piss you off. I can promise this, I have been more blessed by being a part of this kind of work, a very small and insignificant part, I think you would be too.

This is Mathare. As defined by Wikipedia: Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a population of approximately 500,000 people; the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people.

We visited a Compassion International project in Mathare. It was truly a light in the darkest of places. I have updated my web site with a gallery of portraits of people that Compassion International serves. In the gallery you will see school children that are part of the Child. This program takes ladies that are pregnant and makes sure they have prenatal care, and education on how to correctly nourish their children once they enter the world. I will talk about the Leadership Development Program soon. Until then, enjoy these images:

http://www.jasonwallis.com/#/PORTFOLIO/KENYA/1

A few years back I was introduced to a documentary that I blogged about, Born Into Brothels.  That movie impacted me in ways that I am still understanding.  It showed me that my camera can affect change.  I am humbled to see that come true.  I had always hoped that I could be a part of something like Zana Brisky did by using photography to bring about change in the lives of children living in the midst of prostitution.  That so moved me, that I bought a print online.  By buying that print I knew that I got an incredible piece of art with an incredible story, and I was a part of providing an education for the little girl that took that picture.  Now, I am able to do a similar thing.  I have posted a gallery of the images that we sold from the India trip.  You can peruse that gallery on my website here. As you look through, click on the info tab directly below each image to see prices and sizes available.  Please consider buying a print, every dollar goes to providing clean water to those who don’t have it…EVERY dollar.

I also want to thank Greg Wingo, a professional art curator that I met just days before the show, who came in and donated his time to hang the show for us.  There’s no way we could have done it without him.  There’s no way we can repay him, but we thank him so much for making the show happen.  My friend Jamie Warren shot an amazing video edited by Chuck Chambliss with custom music by Danny Dunlap, who both came in and completely blew us away with their talent and generosity.  Take a look at their hard work….

Also, if you are near Birmingham don’t forget our opening of the NeverThirst Art and Film exhibit next Thursday night at Second Row Studio from 5:30 to 8:30, come as long as you want.  Prints will be for sale at the show, and any we don’t sell will be up for grabs online.  All money goes to drill wells in Northern India.  Here are a couple of available light portraits from my trip.