The Rice Project Photography Exhibition

A photography exhibition featuring the works of 10 photographers who want to use their images to turn the spotlight back on the Asian Tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka who are still waiting for new homes, five years on.

The Rice Project started off as an idea by veteran photographers Triston Yeo and Alex Soh, who run The Red Tree, an agency that focuses on promoting fine art photography and creating public awareness on less fortunate places around the world. Using photography as a medium, they wanted to create more awareness about the beauty of Sri Lanka's natural wonders and bring attention to those who were still recovering from the tsunami.

The project kicked off with a photography competition that required participants to submit a photo essay on the theme of “Living”. Instead of cameras or cash, the prize was a 10-day all-expenses paid trip to Sri Lanka, a photo expedition to distribute rice and document the lives of its people along the east coast.

“As we distribute rice we hope that the stomachs of the tsunami victims will be momentarily filled,” says Alex. “This is just a small step towards rebuilding their lives because we believe that rice is the catalyst that will trigger off the restoration of the houses in the area.”

It was four years ago killer waves devastated a long stretch of the coast and left more than 40,000 dead and 2.5 million people displaced. Today, while most of the southern coast has seen restoration work completed, progress in the east sorely lags behind.

Working with Habitat for Humanity, a non-governmental organization that specializes in building affordable, decent housing, the team identified villages and refugee camps in the towns of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, which were two of the worst hit areas in the east. In all, a total of 16,000 kg of rice was distributed among 500 families. Canon, which was the project’s main sponsor, paid for the rice.

Having their homes wrecked by both the tsunami and civil war, it is a tough battle for the people to pick their lives up. This is why their stories need to be told, and where The Rice Project comes in to help.

The works exhibited will be used to raise funds, which will go towards restoring more houses in the areas the team visited. Donations are also welcome.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Corporate sponsorship and personal donations Companies and individuals are invited to help with the cost of building houses or contributing raw material like bricks.
2. Volunteer your skills and expertise The Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka runs a resource centre where innovative measures are developed and researched to provide affordable, practical tools of living for the people. Any new ideas are welcome and the team is encouraging those in the constructing and engineering industries to come forward and share their skills on how to build cheaper houses.
3. Give the gift of your time Volunteers are welcome to help interact with the homeowners and speak to them about their experiences and help in building the houses.
4. Travel to Sri Lanka Drop by Sri Lanka because it has so much to offer. Learn about its culture and people and take home an experience you won’t forget.

The Rice Project Team:

Triston Yeo,
Alex Soh,
Eunice Lim,
Jack Yam,
Damien Chng,
Aaron Lim,
Denice Lim,
Jean Qingwen Loo,
Tom Low and
Wong Casandra

For more information, logo onto www.thericeproject.com

Photos Courtesy of The Rice Project. All Rights Reserved.