Thank you for making our first annual Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto such a success!
Zanmi Lakay has successfully completed our first annual Jouk Li Jouk Kan Foto with an amazing team of young Haitian photojournalists and outstanding volunteer pros. We were inspired by the Haitian saying Jouk Li Jou that means: we’ll never stop until the day is over, working hard to see a better life, and we’ll keep fighting until the end.
Every morning during Kan Foto our students chanted Jouk Li Jou! Jouk Li Jou! for inspiration. When the whole team made our group shot, we all chanted Jouk Li Jou! Jouk Li Jou! At odd hours throughout the days and with raised fists, children would burst out with Jouk Li Jou! Jouk Li Jou! During the opening exhibition our students, friends, and Haitians together all chanted Jouk Li Jou! Jouk Li Jou! while the Zel Maturin devils banged their wooden wings in unison and the words and sounds echoed around the walls of the gallery.
We believe in the positive power of Jouk Li Jou!
Thank you to all of our talented and creative young Haitian student photojournalists, the staff and children of ACFFC, our guests from Kole Zepol, Prince Luc and the FOSAJ Gallery, our driver Serge, Hotel Cyvadier, Joel Petion and Rodolph Lapointe, and all of the organizations and people of Jacmel for allowing us into their lives. Thanks to everyone who made this project happen by supporting us with your help, networks, equipment, supplies, and funds. Very special thanks to the Zanmi Lakay volunteer team of Kerry Rodgers, Mark Olson, Josh Curry, Shelley Eades, and Jakub Mosur for the extremely generous gifts of time and talent, hard work and creativity, and dedication and love for our project and the kids.
Thank you for sharing in our vision of creating a positive community event celebrating the visual stories of daily life as photographed by Haitian youth. These students, their families and the community are all about Jouk Li Jou no matter what happens in Haiti, and this event reflected their talent, learned skills, and creativity, as well as their resilience, dignity, and enduring spirit.
