NEWS: Art Meets Education – Educating Underprivileged Children Through Photography – Crowdfunding Campaign

AME have launched an ambitious crowdfunding campaign aimed at getting 40 children in Manila the chance to receive 12 years of schooling.

Since December 2016 AME has been working on facilitating underprivileged children in Manilla to be able to attend school through the power of their own photography. Started by Nico Klein-Allermann – who Hamish interviewed earlier this year – and is helped by a team of 20 volunteers, AME’s mission offers the opportunity to take the children’s future into their own hands by giving them photography workshops and the means to document the world from their viewpoint. The resulting images are then sold online and at exhibitions in Germany which go on to fund a child’s complete education.

“The aim of this project is to give 40 Filipino children access to education. It’s not about giving alms to the poor, it’s about promoting self-help, about empowering children and giving them sustainable space for individual development.”

AME really does set itself apart from other charities in that respect, this isn’t just donating, it’s giving the platform and means to children to be self sufficient- this idea sparks from the realisation that Nico felt he had only been able to achieve things he has through opportunity he had been given throughout his childhood. He wants to give the same to these children, photography is just a great vehicle to actualize these goals, whilst offering a unique perspective on life from the children’s point of view in life. The creativity is there just waiting to be uncovered.

” This month we are working on our forthcoming project: Enabling 40 chlidren from Manila to get 12 years of school education – 4800 months of school. We will travel to Manila end of this year or in spring 2021. However, the project`s realisation will need 15000 euros. For this purpose, we recently launched a Crowdfunding: Our Startnext campaign “Creators of tomorrow“.”

The campaign goal if successful will fund everything necessary to create art with the children. The travel, equipment, workshops & implementation of them on-site in Manilla before moving on to the later stages of the production of prints and other products ready for online sale and exhibition all of which are reinvested straight back into paying for more education.

I really endorse this style of charity, it’s deliberately not saviourism but a chance to give children growing up equal footing and opportunity to make their own path and forge their destiny, after all the children who participate choose to get involved in the project. Some who were part of the original workshops are now assisting in teaching them. This vision isn’t only extended to Manilla too, AME have plans to launch identical projects in other countries as the organisation grows and run them in tandem showcasing their creativity worldwide and helping all of their futures.

The crowdfunding campaign is live but finishes on November 8th so if you can, consider donating to this very worthy cause. There are options to back for as little as €7 to receive two postcards as well as tote bags and sweatshirts! support it here

If you’d like to read more about AME you can do so here on their website here

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