Watoto Canada has just launched the “It Takes a Village” photography competition. This creative contest will solicit photographic submissions illustrating what the African proverb “It Takes a Village…” means to Canadians. Three winning photographers will be given an all-expenses-paid opportunity to travel to Uganda in June 2012, where they will take photographs of Watoto’s community building work in action and blog about their experiences. The three winners will also receive tuition from award winning Canadian photojournalists while in Africa. The contest will run from 16 Aprik - 7 May 2012. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: It Takes a Village

Watoto Press Release

It Takes a Village Photo Contest

Watoto Canada would like to invite you to participate in an exciting online photo contest supporting Watoto Canada’s charitable humanitarian work rescuing babies and children, and helping women with HIV in Uganda. Watoto currently cares for over 1,400 children in our Watoto Villages, as well as almost 200 previously abandoned and discarded babies in one of our three baby’s homes. Watoto also helps HIV+ women regain their dignity by teaching them income generating skills through our Living Hopeprogram. Our work in Northern Uganda includes rescuing orphans and supporting the local community, former child soldiers and victims of the LRA civil war through our trauma rehabilitation programs.

This creative contest will solicit photographic submissions illustrating what the African proverb “It Takes a Village…” means to Canadians. Three winning photographers will be given an all-expenses-paid opportunity to travel to Uganda in June 2012, where they will take photographs of Watoto’s community building work in action and blog about their experiences. The three winners will also receive invaluable mentorship from award winning Canadian photojournalists while in Africa.

Upon their return, a selection of their Ugandan photos will be exhibited in an online gallery. The winning photograph will be announced in August 2012 and featured as the poster image for Watoto’s new “It Takes a Village…” campaign as well as in a high profile publication.

The contest will run from April 16th - May 7th 2012, with the top three photographers being announced on May 15th, 2012.

http://watotocanada.com/photo

Panel Members

Tyler Anderson was named Canadian Photojournalist of the Year for the second time by the News Photographers Association of Canada in 2011. Tyler has been a staff photographer with the National Post since 2005, studied photojournalism at Loyalist College and later attended Trent University pursing a bachelor of arts. Darren Calabrese, award winning photojournalist is currently based in Toronto as a staff photographer for the National Post. He has covered major news and sports events across Canada, the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa. Darren attended Dalhousie University where he holds an advanced English/History degree, as well as a post-graduate certificate from the Nova Scotia School of Arts and Design and the Loyalist College Photojournalism program.

Paul Bettings has been capturing social, cultural and geo-political issues through a camera for several years. Paul is a humanitarian whose love of traveling and desire for social justice has taken him around the globe. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in Art History/Cultural Studies from York University and completed graduate and post-graduate schooling in Photography at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Melinda Estabrooks is a dynamic motivational and in spirational speaker as well as a co-host on the CTS TV show Full Circle. Melinda spent five years working with World Vision Canada raising awareness of global poverty and HIV/AIDS. Melinda is also a co-host on the Drew Marshall Radio Show as a strong female mentor for a broad demographic.

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