Nearly 5 years ago Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. We all remember the devastating aftermath of the storm. Pictures poured in of leveled houses, flooded streets and people displaced. New Orleans took a front seat in the media due to the devastating loss of life in the city. In the aftermath, as the country questioned the response of the government, non for profits poured into the city in an effort to lend a hand.

Make It Right, an organization started by actor and architect enthusiast Brad Pitt, found its beginnings as a response to the displaced individuals in New Orleans. Their goal was to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward for the residents who once lived there and bring progress to the area.
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We use the word “community” a lot. Over the past 5 years the internet and social media have taken the definition of this word to whole new lengths. Where it used to be the only communities you were a part of were ones that were in close proximity to your home, now this is no longer the case. The amount of online communities you can be a part of is literally endless. From Facebook to SecondLife and any niche that you happen to fancy, there is an online community with which you can participate (or not), and at any level you like.

All of this connecting and interacting with people you would have otherwise never known has its benefits for sure. The sharing of information and experiences has made us the most informed generation yet. With all of this information at our finger tips we are able to react to people in need faster and more efficiently than ever before. When the earthquake in Haiti hit, people all over the world were able able to mobilize and start working to raise money in an effort to help those effected. The team at R29 even threw our hat into the ring and participated in The Haiti Poster Project, which was a strictly online effort, to do our part.

Like most things, though, there are negatives that accompany these positives. When everything is just a click away sometimes making connections in the community in which you actually live becomes difficult. While participation in online communities can be beneficial, often times there are people in the home next door that could genuinely use a helping hand. Read the rest of the entry >

We like Salvage One. Located on 1840 W. Hubbard Street in Chicago the multilevel building is decorated with quirky chandeliers, strange odds and ends and things that you would definitely find in an old, abandon building garage sale. It is awesome. The strange items intermingle with beautifully restored furniture and stained glass makes the space sort of enchanting and wonderful. This environment does not come to being on its own, but through the tireless efforts of those with a mission to make this world a better, more beautiful place; a mission that resonates close to our hearts. It’s evident that they communicate this through the excellence in their work.
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I’m on my way home from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya after working on our second documentary film. I’m exhausted, and my head is continually spinning. To put it simply, as with every Africa trip so far, I will not be the same. I was hoping to post every day while there, but with limited web access and two great writers, Bob Davidson and author Kelsey Timmerman on the trip, I decided to simply photo blog (via Facebook) and spend the majority of my time trying to run the crew as best as possible and fully soak in the experience.

It’s hard to explain or express what an experience this trip to Africa has been. Filming a documentary in the slums is bound to change you, but I was not expecting this. I had been to Kibera (Africa’s 2nd largest slum) and Mathare (Nairobi’s oldest) before, but not up close and personal.

We spent seven straight days trying to get to know the slum residents, seeing what they see, walking, touching and smelling their environment. The location was different than our last documentary project (This is My Home), but sadly many of the same issues exist, all of which are simply not right. Dangerous living structures, no roads, unhealthy water, no sanitation, no waste removal, lack of education, no health care, crime, fear, HIV/AIDS, loss of hope, and the vulnerability of children to simply name a few. It was a rare day when you didn’t turn your face to cry for a few minutes.

The issues of the slums are so complex – government corruption, health concerns, religious culture, commerce, structural issues, etc… And the fact of the matter is that us Westerners tend to think we actually live in an Extreme Home Makeover world. If we build this, or fund that project, all things get fixed and fall in place. But that way of thinking is simply not accurate, and it inevitably continues to add to the issues. The reality is that we need to help battle the biggest monster of all: generations of slum residents with mindset that slum life and its living conditions are acceptable. But, hopelessness cannot be an option.

However, it was a feeling that continued to surface wherever we went. Mathare Valley (a section of the Mathare slum) is without question the worst place I have ever been. With a contaminated river, treacherous pathways, raw sewage, horrible living conditions, and water not safe to drink – it’s simply an awful place to try to survive.

I will be sharing more stories and details related to the slums leading up to our documentary premiere (this Fall); however, I will leave you with a few facts, thoughts, and stories from this week: Read the rest of the entry >

Last year we filmed our first documentary with @liaint and @macdonaldphoto called This Is My Home. It was a challenging, heartbreaking and beautiful journey. Our combined efforts helped raise over $300,000 for LIA’s project with the street kids in Ethiopia’s capital. This year the bar has been raised. We have been asked to go to one of the most challenging slum areas in the world and will be spending 8-10 days telling the story of a poverty that shouldn’t exist anywhere (here are some thoughts from my first trip to these slums Mathare and Kibera two years ago). This year the Life In Abundance USA director has gone before us to help line up the access and various items needing coordination. He recently sent me a note to share with the team, from which I’m sharing an excerpt with you. I couldn’t write for you what is ahead as well as he could, please read and keep the team in your thoughts from April 25-May 5.

/// Real and Raw ///
by Justin Narducci, Director of Life In Abundance

To be honest, it is easy to say that the poor will always be poor and there is nothing that can be done about it. This is especially true, if you see the tremendous needs that are present in Africa in light of and the tremendous amount of resources that have been poured into the continent over the last twenty years. At the very same time, this disposition also comforts those of us who are looking for a self-justifying way of not being involved with the plight of the poor, though few of us would probably admit to it.

Even me, as I walk the streets of Nairobi with my wife and children over the past few days, my gut reaction is indifference and apathy rather than compassion and grace. Naturally, I want to walk as fast as I can through these ‘uncomfortable’ alleyways with the implied purpose of ‘getting my family out of there as fast as possible’. ‘These streets are dangerous,’ I further reason, ‘these cars could easily hit and kill my toddlers’, or ‘these men could easily abduct my wife and do who knows what to her’ are the thoughts raging through my head. My body sweats, my heart pounds, my alertness seemingly suffocates any form of rationalization. This still happens to me and I have been working among the world’s poor for the past five years!

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