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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: International, International Relief
Mission: For over 25 years Fotokids, originally called Out of the Dump, has worked as a non-profit organization breaking the cycle of poverty through training in visual arts and technology. Over the years, the project has grown to provide services to children from poverty- and violence-stricken communities around the country. Today, Fotokids provides services to more than 215 children, aged nine to 23, located in six communities in Guatemala, and in the Central Valley of California working with children of farmworkers.
Target demographics: young children
Direct beneficiaries per year: 200 students
Geographic areas served: Guatemala, California, Honduras
Programs: Primary and middle school fotokids classes expanded. Believing that it is essential to reach the children and formulate values before they are recruited by gangs, fotokids added a new class for 4th to 6th graders in mesquital, a dangerous barrio of guatemala city where many families have fled due to gang violence and extortions
santiago atitlán-1997 to present: our program in this poverty stricken tzutuhil village began in 1997 as noted in 4a, under the shadows project, that examined the effects of the war years on children in rural communities around the country. Some of the students who took part in the original program now work for the commission on human rights and study journalism and law in university. Others, who received training in photography, digital story development and graphic design, went on to work for the organization's design studio, jakaramba! Additional tzutuhil fotokids graduates serve as teachers in santiago atitlán, training young students from primary school onwards in the basics of photography, photoshop and graphic design and critical thinking. They are part of the fotokids scholarship program. Santiago atitlán fotokids has worked in this poor indigenous community since 1997. This year the students worked with international photography mentors to build up their portfolios. They continue to study contemporary art history and adobe illustrator and indesign. A new program was added with 20-30 additional children (5th and 6th graders) who are studying the ecology of lake atitlan and trained as proactive leaders to spread environmental education. We currently work with 56 children and have instituted a lunch program and food distribution to families in crisis.
central valley of california- working with the tulare school district fotokids works with 75 children of farm workers in three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.