Creemore photographer gifts portraits in DR
Creemore photographer Bryan Davies has returned from a recent trip a changed man.
As a member of the Rotary Club of Wasaga Beach, Davies took part in a recent mission to the Dominican Republic as part of a Haitian Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team (HHART) mission.
Nine missions have been organized by Rotarian Steve Wallace to help the many people, mostly Haitians, living in poverty in the Dominican Republic. The mission work includes medical and dental treatment, improvements to housing, food programs, providing school supplies, water system upgrades, road work, and employment mentoring. From May 2-9, HHART also installed 68 solar lights in homes without electricity and set up a women’s centre.
Davies spent time documenting the trip and as a special project, he and a team of five volunteers coordinated family portraits for 60 families and individuals living in the batey of Cangrejo. The bateys are home to multi-generational sugar cane field workers and their families, who oftentimes are born to parents who are not recognized as citizens by the government, and therefore have no documents or access to social services. They worked at one time in poor conditions for little pay, but with the collapse of the sugar industry in the Dominican Republic, many are left without any work and no rights.
“Today, third generation Haitians, speaking Spanish and some speaking Creole live in less than ideal conditions,” said Davies. “Some families of up to 14 people live in a 20-by-20 foot dwelling with a tin roof and recycled wood exterior.”
“I felt good about making use of my photography skills as a tool for social change. We selected an old church with open sides, and invited villagers to come and get their family photographed,” he said.
People showed up in their finest clothes and it was a challenge to control the flow of people anxious to sit for their portraits.
They stayed up late printing eight-by-ten portraits on a printer donated by Staples Collingwood, set up in the hotel room.
The next day two villagers were assigned to make simple wooden frames to fit the photographs and a team of volunteers put the photos in the frames.
“When a few of us delivered the pictures to families, the villagers were overcome with emotion since most folks had never before seen themselves in a picture. Now through HHART the people of Congrejo have a legacy to leave future generations,” said Davies. “This mission was an emotional testament for me how we can use our skills and talents to greatly benefit those who have not. I came back to Canada a changed person.”
