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Study/Research grant

U.S. Fulbright

Bringing Darkness to Light on Fulbright, By Samantha Lakin, 2011-2012, Switzerland

December 27, 2011

My global perspective has truly evolved during my Fulbright grant in Lausanne, Switzerland.  The essence of my Fulbright research has been to record and analyze oral histories of child Holocaust survivors who were rescued as refugees and brought into Switzerland during World War II.  My project has become much more than a series of interviews with some of the world’s most unique individuals.  By meeting people who experienced one of history’s darkest periods of persecution and fanaticism, I have learned perhaps one of the most important lessons influencing my perspective: meaningful work and life in a multicultural environment require truly accepting others and extending oneself to build trust.  Many of the Holocaust survivors I’ve interviewed were rescued by non-Jewish citizens of different nationalities who risked their lives to combat the hatred the Nazi regime embodied.  Through their experiences with genocidal madness, these survivors have solidified my global perspective and helped me to believe in the strength of the individual.

Living and working in Switzerland as a Fulbright U.S. Student is exciting and challenging.  I have received an incredible response from the international and Swiss academic community, meeting with top World War II history scholars and gaining advice from some key players in the field.  I also had the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Serge Klarsfeld, the most famous modern lawyer known for trying Nazi criminals for crimes against humanity, and to speak with him about my Fulbright experience.  The respect I’ve gained as an up-and-coming scholar in Switzerland is rare.   The support from communities in Lausanne, Zurich, Basel, Geneva, and other local Swiss governments has been overwhelming.  I even had a chance to accompany a Swiss historian on a day-long trip across the French-Swiss border to learn about the history of border crossings during World War II and to gain a visual for my documented stories.  Additionally, videotaping interviews with the last generation of Holocaust survivor children (specifically, adolescents who were rescued and taken to Switzerland to escape Nazi persecution) has been an eye-opening experience.  Some survivors escaped through legal routes like the KinderTransport that left Germany for Switzerland right before the war, and others escaped clandestinely with organizations and “passeurs,” or smugglers, risking their lives to cross French and German borders into Switzerland.

As a Fulbright cultural ambassador to Switzerland from the United States, I have been able to make many connections that have enhanced my research.  At the United States Ambassador’s reception for Fulbrighters and alumni in Bern, I was able to meet Laura Bernier, a professional photographer and former Fulbrighter to Switzerland.  Since this meeting, Laura and I have been working together on a photographic representation of my research.  We’ve taken photos of the places in Switzerland where refugee children crossed borders and subsequently lived and worked, as well as portraits of the Holocaust survivors I’ve interviewed.  Ultimately, I cannot wait to finish my research, which will culminate in the publication of an article in an academic journal and also in a presentation at the United States Embassy in Switzerland in May 2012.  The Fulbright Program has allowed me to shed light on a multifaceted aspect of World War II and to showcase one of its little known histories.

For those recent graduates applying to the Fulbright Program to pursue a study or research grant, my advice is simple:

  • Find a project about which you are truly passionate and let your love for the subject shine through in your application.
  • Once you’ve found a great idea, focus and ground yourself in realistic expectations. 
  • Make sure your essays reveal your personality, but are also focused on what you can reasonably accomplish in a short year, why your research must be funded and why you are the right person for your project. 
  • Rally support from professors, scholars in the field and others.  Don’t be shy in asking for advice from your Fulbright Program Adviser or former Fulbrighters. 

The Fulbright experience — the unique opportunity to follow a passion for one year — is worth any challenge you may encounter beforehand.  I wish the best of luck to all of the 2012-2013 applicants!

Top photo: Samantha Lakin, 2011-2012, Switzerland, navigating the streets of Lausanne

Middle photo: Samantha Lakin, 2011-2012, Switzerland, interviewing a Holocaust survivor

Bottom photo: The French-Swiss Border, Crossing Point 50

All photos taken by Fulbright alumna Laura Bernier, 2008-2009, Switzerland

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U.S. Fulbright Unknown

Seeing Through the Mirror, By Liz Lance, 2008-2009, Nepal

December 21, 2011

After visiting Nepal periodically since studying abroad there as an undergraduate, I returned on a Fulbright grant to work on a documentary photography project on beauty and body image in young women. I spent the next ten months interviewing and photographing my subjects, and although I worked independently, I still benefitted from a support network for encouragement and inspiration. Not long after returning to Nepal in September 2008, I began hearing about photo.circle—a community of photographers and photography enthusiasts, Nepali and bideshi or foreigners, that met monthly for photography viewings and discussion. In short order, I spent the first of what was to be many Saturday mornings in the company of a dynamic group of primarily young Nepalis who were engaged in multimedia storytelling and other creative pursuits.

The connections I made through photo.circle helped propel my work in fascinating directions throughout my Fulbright year. I traveled with Kathmandu musicians to Palpa District in Western Nepal, where I spent a few days with a young woman who ran a beauty parlor. I visited Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a contingent of Nepali photographers for the biannual Chobi Mela International Photography Festival. I met another engaged group of creative storytellers at VENT! Magazine, and with them, I taught a two-day photojournalism workshop to about 15 Nepali photographers.

By the end of my grant year, when I had completed five multimedia stories on different women, I presented my work to the photo.circle community and engaged in a layered discussion on beauty and femininity with a packed house of Kathmanduites. Photo.circle was all that I was looking for and more: not only a supportive and inspirational community, but also a series of open doors that facilitated the growth of my project in unexpected and fulfilling ways. Beyond the scope of my work, photo.circle also introduced me to a number of Nepalis who would come to be great friends.  I even helped introduce two friends who will marry in the coming year!

In all of this immersion into the community of Kathmandu artists, I began to think less and less of myself as an American among Nepalis, and more as photographer among other photographers. But I think the impetus for that was as much a reflection of how I was being treated by my Nepali friends and colleagues as it was how I felt about living in Nepal on my Fulbright grant. My Nepali slang had sharpened enough that I no longer needed constant translation for their colloquial shorthand, my Nepali friends were passing around the same viral YouTube videos that my friends back home would send me, and we were all updating our statuses and posting photos on Facebook (when not suffering from Kathmandu’s crippling rolling blackouts). Though we came from vastly different cultural upbringings, we looked to the same sources for creative inspiration and “geeked out” in eerily similar ways over technical achievements in Photoshop and FinalCutPro. As is often the lesson in cultural exchange, we were more alike than we were different (though they had decidedly better food).

Over a year earlier, back home in San Francisco, I spent three months researching and honing my Fulbright proposal; foregrounding the issue––beauty and body image––I was examining and stressing the contribution I would make to their domestic and international understanding. Though I will never know the specific reasons why I was awarded a Fulbright grant, I think one of my proposal’s strengths was the public nature of my proposed work. A journalistic project naturally lends itself well to projecting an issue into the public discourse that allows for meaningful cultural exchange.  And while every project need not become journalistic, nor every journalistic project be funded, an application that includes a specific and organic avenue for sharing it with your community at home and abroad is likely to appear stronger. I was also able to craft a successful proposal because of my friends’ input. I sent a draft around to four or five people who gave me very specific feedback.  I was able to incorporate their suggestions, such as restricting my project proposal to elements that were reasonable to achieve in a ten-month period because I began working on my proposal so far ahead of the deadline.

As I reflect back on my Fulbright experience of almost two years ago, I realize the most rewarding aspect of it was how unexpected it was. When I was preparing my Fulbright application, I never imagined myself connecting to a creative community in the way I would end up doing largely because I didn’t know one existed. But by following a tip from a few friends, my Fulbright experience transcended my original two-page proposal in more ways than I could have imagined.

Photo: Liz Lance, 2008-2009, Nepal, interacts with students during a photojournalism workshop she taught with VENT! Magazine in June 2009

Questions for Liz about her Fulbright experinces?  Email her at LLance.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org.

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U.S. Fulbright

The Syrian Hospitality Waltz, By Antonio Tahhan, 2010-2011, Syria

December 6, 2011

Lost, I strolled up to a middle-aged gentleman standing a few feet beside me who was leisurely munching on a bag of peanuts.  I cleared my throat as I approached him.  “Marhaba,” I said in my peculiar Arabic accent, trying my best to say “Hello.”  As the man turned to me, I asked if he could direct me to the market.

There was no rush; everything in Aleppo, Syria, happens in its own time.  The man offered me some of his peanuts.  I declined politely as he extended the snack-sized bag.  I made sure to say, “Shokran,” or “Thank you,” so as to not offend, but he insisted.  Having already lived here for a few months on my Fulbright grant, I understood this was part of the intricate, Syrian hospitality waltz.  It’s a well-established, figurative dance based on a set of unspoken rules.  If you watch it take place between two locals, it can be quite beautiful.  I was still learning.  I explained how I had just eaten lunch and was absolutely stuffed.  I followed with a comment about how delicious my meal had been, and he smiled and instructed me to follow him.

We exchanged stories as we walked down the busy street.  I mentioned that I was a Fulbright Student studying food in Aleppo; he chuckled and assured me I had come to the right place.  In fact, many Arabs and food scholars consider Aleppo to be the culinary capital of the Middle East.  Historically situated along the Silk Road, Aleppo has served as the home for a myriad of cultures: Armenian, Circassian, Greek, Jewish, Kurdish, and Turkish.  They have all played a role in shaping what Aleppan food is today.

The conversation with the older gentleman went smoothly, as if I were chatting with an old friend.  Once he knew I was there to study lunch, he began to tell me of all the dishes I needed to taste.  As we passed prominent landmarks, he interjected to explain how I could find my way in case I ever got lost again.  He insisted on walking with me until he felt confident I could find the market.  When we arrived at the point where we parted ways, he extended his bag of peanuts one more time.  I couldn’t say no, not after all that we’d shared.  That would be considered, “aaeeb,” or “shameful.”

I politely grabbed a couple peanuts from the small bag and tossed them in my mouth.  They were dry-roasted and salted, and actually very tasty.  I thanked him again, “Shokran,” and repeated it a couple more times.  He responded by extending his open hand across his chest, over his heart, saying, “Ya meet ahlan w sahlan,” which roughly translates into, “Oh, you are most welcome a hundred times over.”

In Syria, and across much of the Middle East, symbolic gestures, however small, can have significant social implications.  These gestures are equivalent to the imperceptible signals exchanged between two dance partners on a dance floor.  Placing your hand over your heart is understood to be a gesture of openness and sincerity.  Numbers also play an important role in social exchange.  Many Arabic phrases can be reinforced by a quantitative amount.  For instance, if you want to congratulate someone, you can say, “Mabrook.”  But for emphasis, you would say, “Alf mabrook,” which literally means, “A thousand congratulations.”  Even ordinary exchanges can sometimes trigger the waltz.  The expression for “good morning” is “sabah al kher,” literally, “morning of goodness.”  A standard response would be “sabah al noor,” or, “morning of light,” but you might also hear, “ya meet sabah,” which translates into “one hundred beautiful mornings.”

During my stay in Syria, I met many people, like the middle-aged man, who were interested in getting to know me – and vice versa.  Conversations that started about eggplants and parsley evolved into stories of love and companionship, culture and politics. 

These exchanges, however imperceptible, are indicators of a larger dance meant to teach us about one another.  They are a means by which we can participate in each other’s cultures and form relationships based on mutual understanding.  I consider these interactions to be highlights of my Fulbright in Syria.  These are the interactions I carry in my heart and continue to share on my blog in an effort to continue the waltz I started more than a year ago.

My tips for Fulbright applicants:

  • If you are in a city with other Fulbright students, try not to spend most of your time with them.  The best experiences come when you form new relationships with locals from your host country.
  • If you are interested in improving your language skills, set up informal conversation sessions with someone who has similar interests.  This will make language learning more enjoyable and will be a great way to meet new people.
  • Participate in local events that align with your personal interests.  This will help you establish a network of friends you can connect with during – and after – your Fulbright grant.
  • Never stay at home by yourself.  Always reach outside of your comfort zone.  Meet new people even if it seems awkward or difficult at times.  Invite friends to share a meal, set up weekly movie nights – participate in events that are fun.  Remember that cultural exchange can happen anywhere, anytime.

Top Photo: Antonio Tahhan, 2010-2011, Syria (second from left), forming friendships with Bedouins who hosted him during a camping trip to Palmyra, Syria

Middle Photo: One of the many entrances to the interconnected labyrinths that make up the ancient markets of Aleppo

Bottom Photo:Antonio Tahhan, 2010-2011, Syria, walking through the valley in Ma’loula — a town of about 2,000 inhabitants and one of the only remaining places on earth where Aramaic is still spoken.

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U.S. Fulbright

Odysseus Landing on the Island of the Sun: How Traditional Sicilian Boat Building Fused with My Community Art Practice, By Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, 2009-2010, Italy

October 14, 2011

As I sent off an email while preparing my Fulbright application to Italy, I had no idea what kind of reception I would receive from Salvatore Rizzuti, the Sicilian sculptor who would eventually sign on as my principal Fulbright mentor.  Nor did I know that I would inhabit a dilapidated parking garage in Palermo as my studio for a year while I was building a floating sculpture out of Sicilian fruit boxes.

I did know that many “Odyssey” armchair travelers or geographers have sworn that Odysseus rode the underbelly of a sheep down the slope of a Sicilian beach to escape the Cyclops Polyphemus.  I also knew that Sicily sits as a gateway to Europe for many non-Europeans and, as such, receives an influx of immigrants either from or transiting through North Africa.

Before my Fulbright grant, my art practice had developed a distinct social element; I conducted art workshops in refugee camps and orphanages around the world while maintaining a separate studio life, producing ephemeral sculptural events that often took place on bodies of water.

While trying to reconcile the two aspects of my art practice, I arrived in Sicily with three main goals for my Fulbright grant: to study traditional boatbuilding, teach weekly art classes to underprivileged children at a center called Jus Vitae and enact a psycho-geography of Odysseus’s time on the Island of the Sun primarily through building a large-scale floating sculpture that students from my workshops would help me design and which I would build, incorporating techniques from Sicilian boat builders.

Sicily, as a Palermitan told me during my Fulbright year, is the isle of the conquered.  He rattled off a long list of conquerors – some of whom included the Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Americans and now, Mafia. I quickly found the streets of Palermo to be a riot of frenetic activity; cars jumping sidewalks, people jumping cars, a mishmash of culture, history and busy, careening, gesticulating people to be maddeningly energizing. It turned out that the isle of conquered had conquered me. 

In fact, some new Mediterranean syntax began developing in my brain; hot on the trail of old conquerors and the present inhabitants, one of whom was Pino, a master boat builder, who, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out why I offered to sweep his woodshop every week for free so I could hang around while he repaired fishing boats.  By the end of my time in Sicily, I had fused my community art practice with my studio practice by collaborating with the children with whom I volunteered, setting the stage for future projects that combined aesthetic research and volunteerism. I had also managed to float a shotgun shack sculpture down the river Tiber in a sci-fi ode to Huckleberry Finn, spend time at the American Academy in Rome as a visiting artist, and give a series of artist talks sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Naples and the German Fulbright Commission in Berlin. 

When I returned to Chicago after my Fulbright grant, I was included in a group show highlighting top emerging artists at the Hyde Park Art Center. With the help of a residency and fellowship, I am currently working on a project to enact a fictitious immigrant landing with sculpture rafts on the city’s Gold Coast, populated by my students from ChiArts, the only public arts high school in the city. In all that I am doing, I find myself talking incessantly about my Fulbright experience and how everyone should apply to be cultural ambassadors by incorporating some sort of volunteerism into their applications. My Fulbright year in Italy was a wellspring that will undoubtedly feed my art practice for years to come.  It gave me a framework in which my practice doesn’t solely mine or cannibalize history, philosophy and cultural moments, but also exists in and nurtures my hometown and host communities in sustainable ways.

Top photo: Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, 2009-2010, Italy (in hat), leading an art workshop with children from Jus Vitae in Palermo, Italy

Middle photo:Ecclesiastes Rose: Penelope my martian temple dancer, a boat installed by Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, 2009-2010, Italy, on a dry dock among the fishing boats in Mondelo, Sicily

For more images of my Fulbright work including, Penelope and the Cyclops, please visit www.jspofford.com.

Tips for Applicants:

  • If you are currently enrolled at an institution, make the most of working with your Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) on campus. Even if you are a recent alumnus/na, ask if your alma mater’s FPA might be willing to work with you. Attend Fulbright Information Session and webinars and always ask exhaustive questions whenever it makes sense to do so.
  • Contact and network with the Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. Ask about their projects and their experience with the application process. Look through the titles of successful projects from applicants in your field.
  • Choose a country that will stretch your comfort levels and ask: What cultural resources am I pursuing? Why is it imperative that I immerse myself there?
  • Incorporate volunteerism into your proposal. The Fulbright Program is an awesome privilege. Service in your host community will open unexpected doors for you personally and professionally.
  •  Applicants in the Arts and Writing: Take every opportunity that comes your way.  Look for residencies, speaking and collaboration opportunities with other artists, and approach local galleries and museums. The Fulbright Program puts you in a unique position to network. Be sure to contact the Fulbright Commission and/or Public Affairs Section at your local U.S. Embassy and make yourself available for artist talks and workshops. If your project is community-based and you need more funding to cover materials, apply for a Federal Assistance Award. 

 

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U.S. Fulbright

The Slow Exchange, By Annie Katsura Rollins, 2010-2011, China

October 7, 2011

Cultural exchange has a way of sneaking up and surprising you.  At times, it feels so basic: communicating in a foreign language, acclimating to the constancy of strange foods and choosing whether to use the sit or squat toilet.  In the beginning, the simple logistics and practicalities of basic exchange are all consuming.  Over time, it becomes natural to cross the street with the flow and not with the light.  But something else is happening too – and has been happening.  Slowly, very, very slowly, so as not to wake your consciousness, the real exchange starts to happen.

It’s been this way with me.  Sneaking up slowly, in miniscule increments until it rains down.

I’m spending my Fulbright year canvassing China to meet and work with the remaining traditional Chinese Shadow Puppetry artists.  On and off for the past six months, I’ve been in Xi’an under the tutelage of hand cut leather shadow puppet master Wang Tian Wen and my progress up until this point has been slow and stuttered.  Recently at the cutting studio, I finally – let me emphasize that better – finally figured it out.  It is hard to explain.  It’s also known as an Aha! moment; an instant where your brain connects with your body, your body connects with your memory and all of them converge in the present moment.  The power of all three coming together at once creates a force of realization that expands beyond the thing at hand.

I was hand-cutting my piece of translucent leather, rushing a bit here and there, pondering everything but the task itself.  Why is KFC so much better in China?  Don’t forget to add money to my bus card.  Why is my left arm aching?  What am I having for lunch?  Why can’t I ever get this cut right?  That’s when I heard myself say slow down.  I must say this a dozen or so times a day while I work.  I work fast out of habit because of deadlines, time crunches, graduate school and because it’s the accepted pace of life in the United States.  Back home, my ability to multitask, work quickly and pack the activities is a point of pride.  But there was something different about this day that came after many months of these fast-paced days.

The morning had started off slow and steady with a few genuine exchanges, first with my neighbor, then on the bus and finally with my favorite street vendor.  I flowed with the foot traffic instead of the streetlight.  When I arrived at the studio, everyone was napping, chatting or working calmly.  It all created a strange quietness.  So when I told myself to ‘slow down’ this time, I finally heard myself.

So I tried it.  I slowed down.  I glanced down at my hands and took a deep breath and moved   s   l   o   w   l   y.  To me, it looked like I was moving in slow motion.  And given my standard pace, I was.

At first, it felt so odd and silly.  But my tired mind and body insisted on persisting.  Within the space of a long minute, I was paying attention to different things.  Not how I was doing, but what I was doing: the simple act of cutting.  The cowhide determines your pace; your blade must take time to negotiate with it and your hand, the willing accomplice.

I focused on my slow motion cowhide being pushed ever so slowly onto my upturned blade.  Cut after cut after cut.   After a while, my dry eyes blinked me back into consciousness.  I looked down at my work.

Aha!  This was it.  This is what it takes to cut a puppet.  My cuts had the quality I had been looking for, something I could find sometimes by accident, but not with any consistency.  I laughed loud enough to make my friend Wang Yan look up at me.  I’d been rushing to find the key to cutting puppets and it had simply been to slow down.

The assumption I held just before I started my Fulbright grant was that I would learn about shadow puppetry.  I have, and more.  I didn’t expect to learn the larger ways in which cultural exchange can change us.  Working with artists from China has completely changed my creative process, design aesthetic, work ethic and collaborative methods…not to mention my life.  If and when you can, slow down during your Fulbright year.  Stop and take stock of the large and small ways in which your host country has changed you, and you, your host country.

When working on your Fulbright application, take special care to clearly form your project idea and present it in a way that shows your passion and commitment.   The clearer your proposed project, the more likely your realized project will be a success.

This article was adapted from my blog A YEAR IN SHADOWS.  To read more stories about my Fulbright research on traditional Chinese Shadow Puppetry, click here.

Photo: Annie Katsura Rollins, 2010-2011, China, cutting leather puppets at the Yutian Wenhua Company in Shaanxi Province

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U.S. Fulbright

Off the Drawing Board: Implementing Ideas on Sustainable Architecture in Igbogun Village, By Samuel Babatunde Ero-Phillips, 2010-2011, Nigeria

September 30, 2011

Being a Fulbrighter has helped me to fulfill a lifelong career goal: I have always wanted to design an artistic building made from sustainable materials which would effectively address social issues like community education.  On a personal level, being a Fulbrighter has also profoundly enhanced my knowledge of Yoruba culture.  Because I have a better understanding of exactly for whom and where I am designing, I am now able and determined to create practical proposals.  Because I was pushed to learn Yoruba, I am also much more adaptable to change.  

My Fulbright experience marked the first time I took learning another language seriously.  Learning Yoruba helped me to gain career experience because it allowed me to manage a construction site by interacting closely with workers.  By speaking Yoruba on a site, I changed people’s perceptions about Americans and helped to facilitate my acceptance into the local community.  I tried my best to assimilate as much as possible.  I prostrated to greet elders, fetched my own water, ate the same foods as locals and took public transportation instead of using a private driver.

What you choose to study on your Fulbright makes a big difference in terms of gaining acceptance within your local host community.  Researching sustainable architecture provided me with an excellent opportunity to engage a wide range of people.  From the families in Igbogun, to architecture students at Olabisi Onabanjo University, my project helped me to connect with everyone I met.  Building a school in Ibogun also allowed me to leave a lasting impression on my host community by investing in their children’s education.

An added benefit to building a school in Igbogun is that it will serve as a case study for designs I will create using brick and bamboo to address affordable housing in Lagos.  It’s a tangible example of sustainable architecture techniques that protect the environment, save money and create beautiful spaces that will connect people.  This career path feels natural to me, and I am happy that it has facilitated my growth as a leader in my communities both in the United States and in Nigeria by providing something useful for children. 

I started my Ph.D. at the University of Lagos (Unilag) during my Fulbright grant and I plan to return to Nigeria next year to continue pursuing my research until the primary school is complete.  Designing, fund-raising and building a project from start to finish is a rare opportunity that few recent architecture graduates are able to experience.  Currently, the library structure is up to the roofing level.  When I return, I will build classroom spaces using bamboo. The work I accomplished as a Fulbrighter literally laid the foundation for what I plan to do next.

Here are my tips for study/research applicants:

  • Research something practical that can affect people’s lives after you leave your host country.  Find a creative but professional approach on how to achieve it.  Is your research project about an interesting topic that only academics can discuss, or is it something that you can share with your local host community and use to engage it?  The benefit of the latter is that your host community will connect with your research immediately and will therefore appreciate both you and your work that much more.  Also, ask yourself: what impact will my research have on the larger society within my host country?  Can it be replicated?  These are considerations that will help support a good project. 
  • Describe why you are the only person who can make your project happen. Write about your personal and academic history and why they fit nicely into your proposed Fulbright project and life’s work.  Talk about your proposed local host connections and how they will help you to accomplish your research.  Also, focus on how you and those you’ll interact with will both benefit from your project.
  • Learn another language so that you can discuss your research project with those with whom you’ll interact in your host country.  Some countries in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program have language requirements, so check the Fulbright Country Summaries carefully first.  Speaking the local language is a great way to make new connections and will allow more people to give you feedback and ask questions.  And, by speaking regularly, you will become more motivated to improve your language skills as well as the research you’re conducting.  Be open about this.  Resist the temptation to stay in your comfort zone.  Loosen up and experience another way of life.

To see architectural drawings and renderings of my Fulbright project, click here.

To see construction photos of my Fulbright project click here and here.

Photo: Samuel Babatunde Ero-Phillips, 2010-2011, Nigeria, addressing the council of chiefs’ meeting in the village of Igbogun on Saturday, November 20, 2010, about his intention to build a primary school.  The model on the table shows the primary school in its completion.  A library made from adobe brick occupies the middle.  Adjacent to this structure on both sides are classroom spaces made from bamboo.  The larger model in his hand shows enlarged detail of the bamboo building construction.

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