Images are means of expressing universal emotion and experience. Through two different photography training programs, we hope to empower many young photographers and help them share information and ideas-the greatest weapons in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

PHOTOTHERAPY

HIV/AIDS robs too many children of their friends and family, and endemic poverty prevents those kids from having many tangible memories of those loved ones. So many of these children will never have a single photograph of a dead mother or sick baby brother; too many will never be able to look back as adults at pictures from an afternoon playing with friends.

Through what we call PhotoTherapy, these orphans and vulnerable children will be able to document and chronicle their own lives for themselves and those who come after them. The PhotoTherapy program endeavours to do several things.

The primary goal of PhotoTherapy is to teach children the basics of digital photography so they can have pictures of their loved ones and document their own experiences. Every child will keep every photograph he or she takes. By training local advocates and the children, TRIAD hopes to give the community a means of expressing itself in a way that transcends language barriers that often separate cultures.

And at the end of our training together, the new photographers get to show off their favorite pictures at an exhibition for everyone in the community to see. TRIAD will also keep digital copies of every kid's images and create traveling exhibitions back in the United States as a way to generate income to sustain the project for future cohorts. The traveling photography show, most importantly, will give voice to a generation of children living with hope amidst the despair of HIV/AIDS.

PHOTO PENPALS

The PHOTO PENPALS program brings together children from around the world. School children in our partner communities and in the United States create and exchange photo postcards. They learn that in spite of the distances between them, kids have more in common than they could ever imagine!

This is a fun and special learning opportunity for children on both sides of the globe. As all of the children with whom we work in southern Africa are orphans or vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS, we want to share their challenges and hopes with kids in the United States in an effort to educate and inspire everyone involved. Rather than focusing on their loss and despair, most of our partner children in southern Africa are happy and motivated by the same dreams as their new friends here in America.

TRIAD provides schools with digital cameras and photo printers. The children take pictures of each other doing things they love-playing sports, singing & dancing, reading & writing, or just hanging out with their friends or family. They then print out those portraits on the postcards and write a short introductory letter on the back.

TRIAD sends these photo postcards down to our partner schools & distributes them to kids the same age. PHOTO PENPALS empowers children by teaching them the value of images as tools for communication, understanding and compassion.

If your school is interested in participating, please contact us.

PHOTOJOURNALISM

In a world made increasingly smaller by technology, nothing empowers people more than information. As an offshoot of TRIAD's journalism programs, our photo experts offer training to bolster the skills of mid-career journalists and teach aspiring photojournalists.

TRIAD provides digital cameras, photo printers, and the consumables needed to sustain the program after we offer training.

TRIAD welcomes donations of used digital cameras. Please contact us if you have equipment you'd like to donate.