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Small Survivors: Vulnerable Children of Uganda


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Published: Apr 2, 2008

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Opening reception Sun., April 6, 1-4 p.m., exhibit runs through Aug. 15, free, Borowsky and Open Lens galleries, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-545-4400, gershmany.org

For the past eight years, Stephen Shames has been photographing Ugandan children who've experienced the destruction of war and devastation of loss — child soldiers, prostitutes, orphans whose parents died of AIDS. His Stephen Shames Foundation is all about raising funds and awareness for Ugandan organization Concern for the Future: Together, they locate troubled but gifted Ugandan kids and send them to the best schools in the country.

"I guess I reached the point where I didn't want to just hope that my pictures moved someone else to action," says Shames. "I just started doing things myself." Included in Gershman Y's upcoming exhibit of his images, "Small Survivors: Vulnerable Children of Uganda," are drawings and stories from the subjects themselves, which Shames hopes will show people what is possible with more funding.

"If we shut down the war in Iraq for one month and diverted that money into education," he says, "we could send 10 million of these kids to school for a year. Think what that would mean five years down the line. It would transform some of these countries."

Currently, half of the 78 students involved in the program are studying — and excelling — in the top 11 high schools in Uganda. Nearly half are ranked in the top 20 percent of their class. Says Shames, "The idea is to put [Ugandan youths] in the best schools, teach them to be leaders, give them the skills necessary so that kids in Uganda will be in the position to help solve Africa's problems."