A slap administered by a well known local artiste to his female companion in public coupled with the constant fights of her neighbours are just a few of the experiences that prompted a young woman to join the Margaret Clemons Foundation Witness Project which aims to bring attention to the effect of gender-based violence on children and youths through photography, written words and eventually video.
For some of the others it was the constant fighting and quarrelling of people who occupy the Stabroek Market space; the everyday beatings children receive at the hands of their parents; and the pain of watching old people struggle with a heavy weight on the road that pushed them into wanting to make a difference.
“One time I was going into a boat and I saw this artiste slap this woman who he was with, and I was so shocked, twenty-year-old University of Guyana student Judith Cameron told the Sunday Stabroek in a recent interview.
The young woman was afraid to cross the Demerara River in a boat and insisted that they take a minibus instead.
“She was like, I don’t want to go with the boat and he was like ‘pie’ [slapped her]; she got into the boat, took a seat and that was it,” Cameron said, and what made it more shocking was the fact that the many persons who witnessed the incident were in no way affected by what the well-known personality had done.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I really look up to this guy and I like his music and so,’” she said, revealing that since that day she has stopped listening to his music and developed a “hatred for him.”
In the past she ensured that she got all of his latest releases, but now she does not purchase his music. She is concerned that many young people look up to this individual.
‘Did not want to marry’
Cameron wanted to become more involved, and she felt that the Witness Project was one where she could make a difference.
Before learning of the project she was a bit puzzled about the photographs the project had put up around the city and was concerned that they were of victims of violence.
“The thing about this project is that it allows the citizens of Guyana to talk about domestic violence, to start the conversation that many people [should] combat domestic violence… We as youths need to stand up talk about it and how we are doing it – we are doing it through art, writing, photography and videos…”
The project has changed her because she used to listen “to a bunch of crazy music,” but now she has re-evaluated her choice of music and questions how could have listened to music that degrades women.
She recalled seeing married couples fighting all the time, and it affected her greatly to the extent of not wanting to be married.
“I said I didn’t want to get married because I didn’t want anybody beating me like that, and I used to be like, this is what a man got to do me if I talk something, he has to beat me?”
However, being part of the project has changed her perception as she has realized that women should not be treated in such manner.
And Cameron is not against parents beating children but feels that it should be done “to a certain extent.” However, she suggested that parents also find alternative ways of disciplining their child and not just with lashes.
Sixteen-year-old Haresh Bhagwan has been part of the project for the past six months, and it was the photographs of the eyes and faces on the page of a Facebook friend that got him enquiring about it, and he later joined.
“She told me it was basically about promoting non-violence among women and kids and basically everyone, and I have witnessed violence around me a lot, and supporting a cause and making a difference…[prompted me to join],” Bhagwan told the Sunday Stabroek.
While he described his participation as work, he said it is a lot of fun too and in the six months he has been a part of the project he has taken over 1,000 photographs mostly of nature scenes.
Haresh’s parents own a business in the Stabroek Market and he spends many hours in that environment where he said is a lot of violent behaviour is exhibited.
“Over the time I have seen a lot of fights between women and women, men and women, kids… it goes on, and I have witnessed it really close because sometimes the fights get really close to you…” he said.
Because of this the young man, who will soon be entering sixth form, no longer wanted to be a silent observer but wanted to do something.
‘Stopping the violence’
Twelve-year-old Danita Jaundoo, who lives in the Tiger Bay area but goes to School of the Nations initially became interested in the project because it sounded like fun, and she had a camera to work with.
Apart from the many fun activities and the tours around the country she had some difficulty taking photographs, and as such many of hers are of children.
“I told them that the project is about stopping the violence against women and children because we as children see violence every day, but our parents really don’t witness that…” she said.
She is quick to add that violence does not just affect women and children but men too, “because you know there are some really ignorant women too and the men are not really hurt by beatings, but emotionally, and then they react and then there is violence.”
The youngest of the four who visited this newspaper, Danita spoke for the rest of the team when she explained that in the past she felt helpless when she saw violence, but now she feels she is doing something to make a difference.
“Now I get the opportunity to see violence and write and it can go into a newspaper page and it can be seen around the world…”
For her she is very concerned about the “emotional violence” against old people who are forced to walk down the road struggling with a heavy load, and she hopes that one day she can afford to build a home for old people.
“I always wonder why people make children and then they [the children] turn back and are ungrateful to them; they don’t appreciate what their parents did for them. That is my sort of violence that I look at too, those are things that I feel for.”
Fifteen-year-old Verney Henry, a fourth-form student, described the programme as making her a “more open person,” as before she never spoke much, but now she has no problem expressing her feelings.
She has had a few rejections from persons who refused to allow their photographs to be taken, but she moved on and quickly found someone else.
“I have witnessed lots of violence before… it was like if I saw my neighbours beating their children I would think they are bad and they deserved it, but now I think in another way and say there is another way to deal with it.”
And when she was younger she herself received some lashes which she never liked. As for Danita, she hated being beaten to learn her school work.
Local Director of the Project Roshini Takechandra said the photography part of the project ended in February which saw over 600 photographs being taken. All those who allowed their photos to be taken were saying in effect they were against gender-based and child-directed violence. That project had 15 youths but now there are 20, and they are working on a newspaper project which would see them having a youth column in this newspaper, while later they would have a video project.
She said that for the stories the children would change their names and those of the villages not only to protect the victims but also the authors of the stories.
The Witness Project is an initiative of the Margaret Clemons Foundation, which seeks to draw attention to and spark conversations about the effects of adult human behaviour, particularly gender-based and child-directed violence on society’s most vulnerable and impressionable witnesses, our children.
It is also part of the global photography project by the French artist JR called Inside Out, and the New York-based technology, entertainment and design (TED) Prize.
As a result, video footage of the project, some of which would have been recorded earlier this month, is to be included in a documentary film that will reach an international audience.
The 20 children who are involved in the project were selected by the Ministry of Human Services, Help and Shelter and Varqa Foundation, which is the School of the Nations after-school literacy programme for the children from Tiger Bay.
