Orphans stage photo display

WORK created by Malawian orphans is to go on show in Dorchester as part of a pioneering project.

Jessica Lousley spent two months working on the photography project in Malawi with teenagers from the orphan care charity Consol Homes.

Now their work is to go in display at an exhibition in Dorchester Arts Centre from Thursday.
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West Dorset-based Ms Lousley travelled to Malawi with cameras and film donated by Camera Corner in Weymouth and Cameras Etc in Bridport, where she encouraged the young people she met to record their every day lives.

She said: "Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 40 per cent of people surviving on less than $1 - 50p - a day. With one in seven of the population HIV positive the average life expectancy has dropped from 45 to 39 and there are now around one million orphans in the country, with this number steadily growing.

"All too often it is bleak, faceless statistics like these that shape our perceptions at the expense of individual voices and experiences."

Their work Chitsanzo' has already been displayed in Malawi and now it is going on display in Dorchester.

The exhibition opens on Thursday from 6pm to 9pm at the Dorchester Arts Centre.

Entrance is free and reproductions of the images will be for sale with all proceeds from the exhibition to go to Consol Homes Orphan Care (Malawi) to fund the building of community childcare centres.

School and community group viewings can be arranged for the week following by contacting the exhibition organiser. For more information contact the exhibition's organiser Ms Lousley on 01305 269 681 or www.consolhomes.org/exhibition Copies of the work will be available to buy, with all proceeds going to Consol Homes.