Wednesday, November 26, 2003
IMBABAZI THANKSGIVING
Excellent word comes from ABC News, if it holds. A report about
Frederic, the Imbabazi Orphanage artist and photographer, is scheduled
for Thanksgiving on "PrimeTime Thursday" (10 p.m.
ET, 9 p.m. CT). His hands were amputated during the Rwanda genocide
of 1994 and have since been replaced by prosthetics with help from
supporters of the Rwanda Project: Through the Eyes of Children.
Frederic's story was originally supposed to run Aug. 14 on ABC's
"World News Tonight" but didn't: That turned out to be the
night of the big Northeast blackout. This time the piece will have
an added mention about project founder David Jiranek, who died accidentally
on Aug. 17.
I've written about the Rwanda Project many times before as "an
arts project of the most stirring kind." (Definitely click
on the flash introduction.)Frederic is one of 13 children who were
part of it. See for yourself who Frederic is. Go to the group photo
"Meet the Children" and run your mouse over his face in
the upper lefthand corner (he's the one in the yellow shirt).
Meantime, as I've written before, you can listen to an NPR interview
of orphanage founder Rosalind Carr, who is 90 and still going strong.
"She's everybody's feisty grandmother who can entertain you
for hours, sitting at her knee, listening to her fabulous stories,"
David Jiranek said not long before he died. "She has perfectly
coiffed gray hair, is a magician with gardens and plants, has tea
every day at 4, and then slugs [it out] with the government, landlords,
etc. fighting for her kids."
As I've also written before, how about buying a print of one of
"The Rwanda Project" artists? Hell, buy more than one.
It's a tax-deductible donation. Here's how to help. If you can't
afford the price of a print ($100), just enjoy the photos on the
site and forward the URL to friends.
POSTSCRIPT: Late word comes that there will be no mention of David
Jiranek, founder of the Rwanda Project, in the "Primetime"
piece. No matter, even if it's possible that of all the stories
connected with the Imbabazi Orphanage, Jiranek's might actually
be the most fascinating. He was too modest ever to have believed
that and, had he lived, he never would have allowed anybody else
to believe it. But those who knew him will appreciate what
I mean.
posted by janherman @ Wednesday, November 26, 2003
|
