Africa beyond World Cup

With the first African World Cup ever to be held in June, media from all over the world are starting to focus more of their attention on the continent. To further public awareness of Africa in Japan and focus on the World Cup, Time Out Café & Diner will be opening a special photographic exhibition from April 29. Through a collection of images from various NGOs that are presently active in Africa, the exhibition offers a unique chance to gain an honest insight into the current state of Africa.

Each of the NGOs contributing to the exhibition, including the African JAG Project, Rocinantes, Terra Renaissance, and Medecins Du Monde are active in countries such as Malawi, Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia, respectively.

Often operating in severe environments that include conflict zones and regions stricken by poverty, they provide services such as medical and humanitarian assistance, and aim to help people recover their self-sufficiency and sense of hope.

The exhibition aims to encourage people, in light of the World Cup, to give some thought to the difficulties that the African people face by offering a glimpse into current state of Africa and the realities that the NGOs working there deal with on a daily basis.

Photos of hope at ‘Kizuna Vol. 1 - Africa through NGO eyes’
Date: Thur Apr 29-Wed May 12
Time: Mon-Fri 11.30am-11.30pm, Sat 1-11.30pm, Sun and nat. holidays 1-10pm
Location: Time Out Café & Diner Gallery Space (Full details & map)
Sponsored by: Time Out Tokyo, Es.U.Es Corporation, Liquidroom

Contributing NGOs

African JAG Project www.africanjag.org/

Main regions of activity: Republic of the Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Federal Republic of Nigeria, amongst others.
Activities: This group aims to provide emergency support in poverty-stricken areas to both people suffering from HIV/AIDS and children who have become orphans through the death of one of both or their parents through AIDS. It also fervently distributes coupons for use in gaining transport to hospitals, and initiates projects for improving general sanitation and water quality.
Additionally, the African JAG Project also supports talented young local artists and musicians, and incorporates an initiative to further global awareness of African issues through the release of media, such as a musical compilation album entitled ‘African JAG Vol.1’.
Message: ‘We present images from poverty stricken areas in Malawi – images that, despite the extreme conditions, include smiling children. We ask that these smiles not be forgotten.’

Rocinantes www.rocinantes.org/

Main regions of activity: Republic of the Sudan.
Activities: In addition to the organisation’s main task of giving medical assistance to the people of Sudan, a country where strife and violence still continues, Japanese Dr Naoyuki Kawahara and his team are also active in a range of areas such as improving water quality, establishing schools for girls, maternal and child health care, and even in setting up local soccer teams for youngsters. In March 2010 the organisation generated additional publicity with the launch of a new book entitled ‘Mou Hitotsu no Sudan’ (published by Shufu-no-Tomosha).
Message: ‘Through supporting those in need, we are, ourselves, given a unique chance to better understand the importance of our own lives.’

Terra Renaissance www.terra-r.jp/

Main regions of activity: Republic of Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Activities: Terra Renaissance provides support to children in Northern Uganda – children who were previously kidnapped and forced into either marriage or to fight as child soldiers. The group aims to help the kids to become independent and self-sufficient. Support activities include work-related training, psychological therapy and providing an education that aims to engender a sense of peace.
Message: ‘We hope to portray more than just the sense of despair that goes hand in hand with the image of child soldiers. We wish to portray the idea of the hope that can be brought about by helping people to overcome their past and look to the future. We believe that everyone has the power to change their future.’

Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) www.mdm.or.jp/

Main regions of activity: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Republic of Angola, Republic of Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Chad, Republic of Mali, Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Rwanda, and many others.
Activities: Medecins du Monde provide international humanitarian aid through the dispatch of trained medical staff and health care specialists to countries across the globe. By transcending all barriers such as nationality, race, ideology and religion, Medecins du Monde aim to reach out and support vulnerable populations around the world.
Message: ‘In addition to providing worldwide medical support we also consider it a part of our overall mission to further global awareness by testifying to the circumstances in the localities in which we work. Through means of the photographs we exhibit, we hope to convey both a sense of the harsh realities that people face in different parts of our world and a sense of the incredible determination that people show in overcoming those realities.’