Quinkan
NGARRA’s Uganda Village project is a community-based initiative aimed at empowering youth in a remote village in Uganda through the transformative power of photography and storytelling.
ngArRa
togetHEr As One
Sharing Stories.
Transforming Lives.
Together, As One.
Imagine a world where the voices of marginalized youth from remote communities are amplified, their stories are shared, and their dreams realized. A place where the way they see the world, their story, is the focus, and that their experience, expressed through their art has the power to change their community in ways they never had dreamed of. That is the power and the purpose of Ngarra.
Ngarra is a nonprofit project that empowers the youth in some of the world’s most remote communities by utilizing the power of photography to share their stories and create meaningful and lasting change in their lives. By providing cameras, education, and support, we enable these young artists to capture their unique perspectives and share their stories through the transformative medium of photography. These stories are then shared all around the world in gallery exhibitions, art installations, and events, with 100% of the profits being reinvested into their community.
‘Ngarra’, means ‘Together As One,’ (a word from the Dharug language in New South Wales, Australia). It represents an ideology, a philosophy, and a way of life — a path to change; a movement of togetherness, cultural preservation, and global change.
It is together, as one, that we can make a difference and change the world.
how does it work?
The project follows a simple yet impactful approach: we work with a community, providing cameras, education, guidance, and way to save and tell their story through the lens of a camera. Through immersive workshops, the program enables the community members (usually kids between the ages of 6-16) to tell their stories and share the way they see the world through their own lens, and give their story the power to create lasting change for them, their family, and their community.
These photographs and stories captured are then showcased in exhibitions held in galleries around the world, with 100% of the profits generated from the work directly invested back into the community. Imagine being a young person and providing your community with education supplies, with much needed healthcare and medical aid. Imagine the confidence that comes from seeing that their story is being heard, shared, praised by strangers, and that story providing water filters and food, infrastructure, and equipment that makes them, their family, and their communities lives better. What will that do to a generation of young people when they can see the world cares about their story, about their voice, and what will that do for those that experience these stories, that see they can be a part of, their story too can be a catalyst for positive change, and addressing needs within the community by doing social good?
The objective is to share photographs and stories, and use those to create lasting social change. But more importantly, this creation of art, and sharing it, empowers these young people, providing them with the space, platform, and support to tell their story to a global community. Through art, storytelling, connection, and lore, we can foster respect, understanding, reconciliation, economic empowerment, cultural conservation and preservation… Together as one, ngarra, we can change the world; one frame at a time.
Sharing Story. Changing lives.
By sharing their photos and stories on a global stage, Ngarra’s projects aim to initiate broader conversations, transcending boundaries of country, language, and belief systems, placing us all under what we call intercontinental-common-lore; a way of being together, as one, for the benefit and well being of each other and the planet. The Lore in the way we talk about it are the beliefs, rules, and customs passed down through generations by our ancestors and it guides us in how we live our lives everyday. The lore is more stories, but rules of living, the law, relational obligations to all things, and the ways to be and not to be – what we know as Right Story. The profound impact that the project can have, not only in the lives of people in the community but in everyone the project touches lies in the opening of minds and hearts, fostering understanding, and promoting collaboration across different cultures and diverse lands.
This is another important aspect of the project, for as we work with the youth, we too sit with the elders, with the parents, aunties and uncles, nanas and grandads, and listen to what they want to share with the world. Pulling all this together, collaborating in this right relation we can share stories, lore, ancient wisdom and knowledge systems from diverse corners of the world that can inspire, and change the way we all act in our lives, and the effect we all have on each other, and bring all of us back under the lore of the land, and take a step in the right direction we need in order to save the planet, and all its people.
Big goals, we know. We got a little carried away there. But bare with the thought – because its achievable if we work together.
To make sure we do this right way, we ground our approach in indigenous knowledge systems; what started in Cape York, Australia continues to integrate different peoples’ ways of being and ways of knowing from every continent people call home. Ngarra can also mean ‘the Law’, not only being together as one, but the ways of governance, and being in relation to each other. Ngarra does not share what IS known, but what CAN be known. Indigenous knowledge holds significance beyond the information and stories it shares. It embodies and holds a way of knowing and a way of coming to know – and this can be seen in every frame.
Empowering Youth
Through the art of storytelling
In a world of near instant constant change and interconnectedness, we have never found ourselves more disconnected from what really matters. From family, from community, from each other. The role of the youth as catalysts for transformation has never been more critical for they still hold the patterns of creation, they see the world differently. It’s that vision that is of incalculable value. The stories we tell shape not only our understanding of the world but also our place within it. Empowering youth with the ability to articulate their experiences, dreams, and challenges through storytelling is a gateway to self-discovery, confidence, and a strong sense of agency – partner this is a world who wants to hear their stories, to support them, and the economic independence that comes with this, the possibilities are endless.
Now, more than ever, as societies grapple with complex global challenges, the voices of young people, and their communities need to be amplified. From cultural preservation to environmental stewardship, youth perspectives offer fresh insights and creative solutions that can drive meaningful change. By embracing the power of storytelling, we provide a platform for these vital voices to be heard, celebrated, and, most importantly, acted upon. So let’s empower the next generation of leaders through the art of storytelling, creating a ripple effect of positive impact that extends far beyond the present moment. Let’s embrace their knowledge systems, the stories that are rooted in place, and in lore, that provide the way forward to help change the world in ways we desperately require.
Projects
A Ngarra Project is a transformative experience that brings together youth, photographers, artists, educators, and community to capture the life of culture through powerful storytelling and photography. Through community collaboration these Projects act as a way to preserve traditions, share unique perspectives, and foster positive change for both the communities involved and the wider world, and forster economic empowerment with the work being supported through our galleries and exhibitions – but the core of the Ngarra project starts here.
Exhibitions
A Ngarra Exhibition is a captivating celebration of photography, film, art, culture, and storytelling from a Project. It showcases the captivating work of young photographers from community, sharing their unique perspectives, cultural heritage, traditions, passions, and ways of life. Through the use of an auction, these limited edition exhibited artworks find new homes, with every dollar raised going directly back to the communities, supporting education, healthcare, and sustainable development initiatives. It’s an empowering event that fosters cross-cultural connections, sparks conversations, and leaves a positive impact on both the communities and the hearts of all who attend.
Gallery
Our digital galleries serve as portals to another world, each one offering a profound glimpse into the lives of the communities we work with. As you navigate through these galleries, you’ll not only witness the power of photography and art but also become part of a global community committed to fostering understanding, empathy, and positive change. These are more than just a collection of photographs, the galleries are windows into the lives of the people, a new way for their voices to be heard, their cultures to be celebrated, and their stories to be shared with the world. Photographs, films, and immersive VR experiences, all complement the Exhibition goal, with all images available as Print-On-Demand service, with 100% of the profits to continue to fund the community.
Shop 2 Give
Shop2Give is the marketplace of the Ngarra project and extends from photographic prints to a curated art space with social impact. Every purchase made through the Ngarra marketplace gives 100% of the profits back to the communities we work with, or the art comes from.
Every image from our projects or on this platform is for sale in a Print-On-Demand service so you can support any project at any time. We collaborate with likeminded, passionate individuals and businesses around the world to create limited edition exhibition prints, wood prints, postcards, artisanal products, textiles, and are always creating new and unique ways to share stories and generate funding for their community and families.
In the Ngarra Marketplace, you purchase with purpose, and you see directly that your purchase is making a difference in the lives of others, creating lasting positive social change, fostering sustainable development, and empowering communities around the world.
Programs
When we started to see the power of connection, collaboration, and creativity to make a meaningful impact around the world, we started to see the possibilities of what we could accomplish. So with the help of some friends, began to expand to incorporate Programs that can support and complement the projects.
Whether it is the Schools for Schools program, where we inspire the spirit of social entrepreneurship in students empowering them to raise funds and build schools in remote communities, the Firestick Mentoring Program that connects young talents in communities with accomplished artists from across the globe, the Alinta Alliance a girls mentor scholarship program providing education and resources to young girls, or the One Fire collaboration with The VA Network that goes beyond still images and uses film to capture stories and experiences creating immersive documentaries made by the youth of the community, we even explore new technologies in what we are cheekily calling (IN)FTs – Indigenous Non-Fungible Tokens, where photographs and art becomes a force for positive change as NFTs, supporting communities and their aspirations in a way no one ever thought possible.
Every program has a common thread: collectively embodying our commitment to transforming lives, bridging cultures, empowering communities, preserving indigenous cultures, languages and identities, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and building a brighter future, together as one.
Supported By the best
collaborations
Featured by the greatest
talked about around the world
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Thank you
together as one we can make a difference.
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