Meet Gadi, one of the ‘photo kids’

Gadi Habumugisha is an orphan who was raised in Imbabazi Orphanage in Rubavu District. He is the young boy who appeared in the 2001 award winning photograph of 8-year-old Jacqueline called “Gadi at the Market”: The picture won the “First Prize - Portraiture” in the 2001 Camera Arts Magazine Photo Contest. He was born in 1992, and attended his primary education at Group Scolaire Gisenyi; he recently completed his secondary education at College St. Andrew in Kigali. The 19-year-old said that he had the opportunity to hold a camera at the age of eight and this moment changed his life forever. He is among the 19 children (photo kids) that make up the project, ‘Through the Eyes of Children: The Rwanda Project,’ that was founded in 2000 by the late David Jiranek, who was a Broadway producer, writer, and photographer. Gadi and his colleagues have participated in annual photographic workshops in Rwanda since 2000. They exhibit their photographs to raise awareness and to collect funds for their education among other factors. “I was lucky to be selected for the workshop ten years ago since it has changed my life in so many ways. The photographs we take are exhibited in the different parts of the world. At the age of 8, Jacqueline took a portrait of me called “Gadi at the Market” and her photo was awarded, ‘First Prize Portraiture’ by Camera Arts Magazine during an annual photo contest,” Gadi said. Gadi said he has big plans for the future plans.“Since I majored in sciences, I would want to be an Engineer although photography will always be my passion,” he said. ‘Through the Eyes of Children’ began as a photographic workshop in 2000 and, has inspired many children especially those from Imbabazi Orphanage. With just the use of disposable cameras, the children photograph the beauty of their environment and share these captivating pictures with the rest of the world. Dorau20@yahoo.co.uk