History and Evolution of Clarke Photography Challenge (CPC)
In 2006 Jack and Barbara Clarke went on a study tour with then Christian Children's Fund (now ChildFund) to Brazil to see the work that Christian Children's Fund (CCF) was doing there. After the tour, they approached the tour leader Gary Duncan with a request to do hands-on volunteer work with CCF. They wanted to do more than simply dona
te money, they wanted to give back with their time and talent. Knowing of Jack's love of photography, Gary suggested a photography program on the Island of Dominica and so it began...
In 2009 the first photography classes took place in Grand Bay, Commonwealth of Dominica in partnership with CCF. At the conclusion of the course, there was an exhibition of the children's best work at the Grand Bay Community Center, attended by then Dominica President Nicholas Liverpool. CCF staff connected the Clarkes with a local photographer, Irvin Durand, who continued the program. To date, some 300 youths in Dominica have participated in the CPC course. One of the young men taught by Mr. Durand, Denzel Mathews, wrote in his final evaluation that the CPC course had helped him change his life direction, and he decide to not take the path of violence and crime, but to be a mentor in his community. The Clarkes sponsored Denzel to come to New York and speak at the United Nations on child poverty. In 2012 Jack and Barbara were visiting Ecuador in the very remote and beautiful village of Zuleta in the province of Imbabura in the Andes mountains. While there they met Fernando Polanco, the grandson of Galo Plaza Lasso, a former president of Ecuador. Fernando runs the Fundacion Galo Plaza Lasso, dedicated to improving the lives of the people in Zuleta and the surrounding area. After hearing of CPC in Dominica he urged that they bring the course to Zuleta. And so it continued.....
In January 2013, the Clarkes went back to Zuleta, Ecuador and taught a two week photography course to ten students with the assistance of an interpreter. At the conclusion of the course there was an exhibition in the town attended by many of the people in the community. They returned to Zuleta in January 2014 for additional workshops and will be back again in October 2014.
