Reports From the Field
April 2007
Journal Entry from Sandrine Pont-Turco (Program Manager – Kibondo, Tanzania)
January 13, 2003
FilmAid Screenings Draw Largest Crowds Yet
February 2002
Report on Caroline Baron’s Assessment Trip to Afghanistan by Nina Teicholz, FilmAid Volunteer
April 17, 2002
Anecdotes From Kenya, by Natalia Tapies, Program Director
December 18, 2001
First Report From Natalia Tapies, Program Director
Journal Entry from Sandrine Pont-Turco (Program Manager – Kibondo, Tanzania)
It’s a cold rainy grey day but my eyes are attracted to bright colors, wandering from one kanga [A women’s garment] to another. There are so many people walking down the dirt road today. I am reminded by the number of World Food Program ration plastic bags littering the road that it is food distribution day. We are in Mtendeli refugee camp, where Film Aid International started its Tanzania program. This is a short visit to check on daily life and rumors. The camp is to close soon and be consolidated with Nduta refugee camp.
International and national partners had expected the repatriation [return to home countries] to accelerate in view of the consolidation, but it is just not the case. Refugees are awaiting harvest and the survey on intention of return has shown that fewer refugees than expected are willing to return. It also does not help that some Burundians have come back to the camps in Kibondo and shared their bad experience back home.
They had returned to Burundi because they felt it was safe but now they are back due to hunger rather then persecution, which means they do not meet the international definition of a refugee any longer. Because they are not registered in the camp, they are often sharing ration cards and living space with relatives or friends.
We can read concern on people’s face in the camps. There are still more than 150,000 refugees from Burundi assisted by UNHCR and implementing partners in Tanzania, and more than 285,000 from various countries. The collaboration between international, national Tanzanian staff and camp staff is motivating in itself, as all of us work toward the objective of a sustainable dignified return and the rebuilding of Burundi. The participatory approach, the collaboration with elected members of the community through Advisory Committees, is challenging but definitely the core of success. Children screaming at the top of their lungs “FilmAiiiid”, just confirm a positive reputation has been formed.
Today, FilmAid is recognized by partners for our professionalism, by beneficiaries for our support, and it is not a given thing these days. There are so many who look to FilmAid for entertainment, education, and skills training; meeting the great demand is our biggest challenge.
FilmAid Screenings Draw Largest Crowds Yet
Two FilmAid screenings held recently in Tanzania successively broke records for attendance. On January 13, 2003, the film Neria was shown to an audience of 21,857 in the Mtendeli Refugee Camp in northwest Tanzania.
Neria is a film from Zimbabwe about a woman who takes her brother-in-law to court in a struggle to retain the rights to her property after her husband dies. This feature film was preceded by two cartoons and Sara--the Special Gift, an animated UNICEF short about a girl who fights to get an education when she is told that she has to quit school in order to work.
Just three days later, on January 16, the record was broken once again. For its final evening screening in Mtendeli, FilmAid drew a crowd of 27,583! The program that night was Saikati, a Kenyan film about a girl who runs away from home to avoid marriage and to continue her education. After becoming disillusioned with what she finds in the city, she returns home to struggle against the patriarchal family structure. Saikati was preceded by the usual cartoons and Karate Kids, an animated short for children and youth about how to ward off unwanted sexual contact and protect themselves from HIV and AIDS.
Our Technical Manager on the ground, Roisin Gallagher, was relieved that despite the rainy season, the weather cooperated for these two highly successful screenings. "It was good to end on a high note!," says Gallagher, referring to the fact that after five months in Tanzania, the program is unfortunately closing at the end of January, with the conclusion of the grant from the U.S. State Department.
As our field staff knows only too well, it is hard to close a program when the audience is clamoring for more. In the short period we have been operating in Tanzania, FilmAid has made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of refugees. We sincerely hope to return soon. Congratulations and thanks to our staff in the field for making this program such a success!
Anecdotes From Kenya by Program Director Natalia Tapies:
Hello all:
Here comes the anecdote of the week:
We have an exact reproduction of the FilmAid truck made out of metal wires by one refugee child!
He is the son of Florence, a Ugandan refugee who works with FilmAid. Her son is about 11 years old, and is so fascinated by the films we show that he has built himself a FilmAid toy-sized truck made of metal wires that he got from somewhere around the camp. It is EXACTLY like our truck, the same front box, the same distribution of spaces, everything. The truck itself is a wonder. And is all out of his own initiative.
He has then drawn different scenes on paper, including one on Pusha (a new cartoon we are showing on street children) and Tiyane with the baby at his back (of Yellow Card), taped them together and rolled them around a wooden stick. He then places the drawings on the side of the truck (like one of our roll up screens) with the top and bottom rolled around the two sticks and scrolls down as if he was showing a movie. It is absolutely adorable. But the best is that he is now the success among his neighboring kids, who come to watch how he "shows" movies in his truck as we do. And they absolutely love it! We thought of getting him as our projectionist!
All best,
Natalia
April 17, 2002
First Report by Program Director Natalia Tapies in Kenya:
E-mail From the Field: FilmAid’s First Screening in East Africa
From: Natalia Tapies
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001, 7:05 AM
Subject: FIRST SCREENING--A SUCCESS!!!
Dear Caroline, Julia, Pamela and all:
Just a very brief note on yesterday's screening, as we are busy busy finalizing details for the screening in the camp tomorrow.
The screening yesterday in Kakuma town was A TOTAL SUCCESS!!!!! We had about 1500 people!!!!! This is approximate, as it is very hard to count when it is pitch dark.
We had some volunteers from Kakuma town to help with the crowd, so we seated the children in the front, and the rest were standing behind them. It was possible to see the screen even from the back of the crowd.
It was an incredible experience, under the sky full of stars, and the excitement of people! I have never seen anyone so expressive watching a film, people making comments, excited about what is happening, children absorbed--it was absolutely magical and very moving.
We started with a few words to welcome everyone from Mary in Turkana and Ki-Swahili, which the crowd loved (they called her the Turkana Muzungu, which means white person), and a few words from me to introduce the programs. Then...we showed:
1. Tweetie Bird cartoons (three episodes--had originally planned two, but after hearing the reaction of the children, laughing hysterically, we showed a third one). The laughter of the children, it was just amazing, children's faces, mouths open, in total absorption.
2. Mr. Bean cartoon (five minutes). People did not get the jokes very much, but enjoyed it.
3. A little surprise. Mary had edited a short piece with footage from when she was here in July, showing local guys carrying bags of flour in the compound. Most of them are local Turkana who work around here. This was the star of the night. EVERYONE cried with delight when they first saw the Kakuma signpost, and their neighbors or friends. Every close-up of one of the workers, the laughter and delight was absolutely incredible, we even taped the sound! Just amazing!
4. A public service announcement on HIV and AIDS
5. The Immigrant by Charlie Chaplin. They absolutely loved him. They all laughed, made comments anticipating what was going to happen in the next scene, got engaged in the development of his adventures. You could not see the faces of the crowd, but the exclamations on each scene were just so great. They were delighted with Charlie Chaplin's tenderness and clumsiness.
We had no security issues. The police came to help out, but there was no need. Everyone was absolutely absorbed by the screen. We had no technical problems, the truck is a marvel, it works great and is very simple to set up and operate. Mary did a brilliant job with it. The crew were also great, their first night! They set up everything in less than one hour, and had time afterwards to adjust the projector, etc.
It was just amazing, we were all so moved. It was a profound experience. I can't wait for tomorrow night. We are showing Yellow Card, as you know, as well as some cartoons and a public service announcement.
Will let you know more after tomorrow's screening. We have the Reuters people here now, who will come this afternoon to film the PVP.
We thought of you all last night. All your work, late nights, packet stuffing, endless editing of documents, grant proposals, meetings, discussions on the future, they all translated into that evening of joy. You were all there last night. And you will be there tomorrow. And in every screening. Because every piece of equipment, every tape, every screw on the truck, they all carry a little part of each of you who have given so much to this project. All efforts are worth it, I can assure you. To give those moments of joy are worth anything.
Love,
Natalia
