Curator: Maya Benson
Artist: Tamar Shemesh
Over 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to clean water, and one in three people suffer from water-related illnesses due to the lack of potable water. Innovation: Africa is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide solar, water and agricultural technologies to rural African villages. Since its establishment in 2008 by Sivan Ya’ari, Innovation Africa, has completed over 950 solar and water projects, providing light and access to clean water to more than 4.2 million people across 10 African countries.
Following the intervention of innovation:Africa in the year of 2022, The exhibition chronicles the compelling stories of three heroines in Kondwelani, a village located in the Sinda District of Zambia’s Eastern Province. These three women, spanning three generations include Agatha in her 70s, Jessie in her 40s and Monica in her 20s. Together, their stories vividly illustrate how access to clean water has profoundly reshaped their lives.
As bearers of the traditional burden of providing safe water in developing areas, the heroine’s images, testimonies, and personal details encapsulate the shared struggle of African women and extend to women worldwide.
Drawing from the Photovoice Methodology, the exhibition combines classic portraiture alongside Polaroid images captured by the heroines themselves. These photographs provide an intimate and firsthand glimpse into the impact of clean water on their lives, offering a unique and personal perspective. The photographs and accompanying textual interpretation, empower the women to take ownership of the visual narrative. They are not merely subjects by the storytellers who shape and convey their own journeys.
In collaboration with Innovation: Africa
