Looking Through the Lense

 An elevation change of over 1200 feet may seem like a lot. In the hills of Rwanda, large elevation differences from the floor of the so-called valley to the top of the hills are normal. When I traveled just outside of Kigali to see one of the cooperative members from Komera my car with a little effort climbed the winding road to the top of the hill. After finally arriving at Jolly's house we asked her about the hills we had just climbed. She then shared briefly how before being a part of the cooperative she and her family had to walk down to the valley to fetch water. This trip was about 5 kilometers just in distance not to mention the climb in elevation. Over time the government put multiple wells on the hills leading up to their house but they were all still more than a kilometer from their house. Jolly with the money she received from her work at the cooperative was able to put a spicket in her family's compound. Now instead of a steep climb to get water, it's only a few meters from her home. I was able to visualize Jolly's story a little better because of her participation in my photovoice study. She documented what her life was like before to what it looked like now. 

Looking from the top of Jolly's hill to the other hills across the valley

Jolly next to the spicket now in her families compound

I conducted a photovoice study with women from Komera Creative and Umutima in Rwanda. Like Jolly, all the women were given a smartphone to take photos and given instructions to document the impacts the cooperative had upon their life. They were told to take as many pictures as they wanted to but no other directions were given on what else to do. Most of the women did something similar. Many of them documented what life was like before the cooperative and then how it was now. When I conducted visits with many of the women they eagerly shared how they reenacted how their lives were before. Some showed how they cooked before the cooperative or what their previous home looked like. It was very interesting that the women all did something similar and were eager to share how life had changed. Even in my interviews, I asked the women from their photos if there were negative aspects to the cooperative and some detailed small things. But they all wanted to focus on the positive aspects of how their lives had changed. 

Many of the women showed pictures of themselves next to their homes, work, property, crops, or other investments that had become possible because of their work at their cooperatives. I asked many of the women why they included themselves in many of these pictures. Multiple women said that including themselves was a way of showing that they made those things happen because of their work. Many detailed how pictures they took of themselves showed how their confidence had grown of themselves or even how they presented themselves had changed. I visited all the women's homes and all of them were so appreciative to share about the impacts of the cooperatives in their lives.

Josephine works at Komera Creative with her daughter Ester. So both of them were able to take pictures together at their home. When we visited their home they described that they had recently bought their home that last year because of their work at the cooperative. When interviewed they started laughing about their experience of taking photos. They were the first ones to have a camera. So they decided to act out how their lives were before and then how they were now. They first pretended to cook with the type of stove they had previously used. Then they showed how they stored their fruits and vegetables. They shared with me how this activity was fun and gave them something to laugh about after they finished it and were looking through the photos. 

This is what they used to sit on before the cooperative. Usually, they ate meals outside as well

They stored their fruits and vegetables just off the ground on a sack before in their outdoor kitchen

This is how they used to cook with a charcoal stove in their outdoor kitchen. 

Now this is what they are cooking most of their meals with.

Now they own a fridge and can store their food in it so their produce lasts longer.

Overall the women all shared some very telling photos in my project which I plan to report more on later as I analyze the data I received. Having done interviews at the cooperatives before and then being able to travel to different members' homes really helped me understand the impacts the cooperatives have had upon their lives. 

Mary posing next to the house she recently built.

Jolly standing next to her house helped add another room as well as paint the doors green.

Gabriel standing next to her tilapia fish farm. 

Sarah standing next to the home she owns.

Emily is at work sewing.