Through the Eyes of Children: the Rwanda Project November 25, 2006

'Through the Eyes of Children' is an exhibition of children's photography from orphans of the Rwandan Genocide. A country roughly the size of Massachusetts and located in central Africa, Rwanda was the site of one of the most horrible events in history. As a result of ethnic clashes between the Hutu and Tutsi populations, the 1994 genocide left nearly 1 million people dead in approximately 100 days and caused the flight of 2 million internally displaced persons and 2 million refugees. The Rwanda Project began in 2000, conceived by photographer David Jiranek as a four-week photographic workshop inspired by and centered on the importance of the children's perspective and experience. Children ranging in age from eight to 18 were given disposable cameras to photograph themselves and their community. The exhibit is the result of continuing photographic workshops for children who live at the Imbabazi Orphanage in Gisenyi, Rwanda.