Middle Classes in Africa is a project from photographer Joan Bardeletti and collaborators that aims to understand and describe the middle classes in Africa and the role they play in the continued development of the continent.
Funded in part by the French AFD and Unesco the project aims to:
* Present a new but realistic vision of Africa to the public of developed countries. Working on Middle Classes to lead the people to question themselves rather to inspire them pity about the continent.
* Explore new ways of associating photo essay and classical research work. Raise concerns on the links between this middle classes population and the african continent development. Place this issue into the agenda of public and private decision makers.
* Ease the dialogue between Africa and western countries.
Middle Classes in Africa is an ongoing project that will eventually document the middle classes in six different countries. The first two sets, on Kenya and the Ivory Coast, are available here.
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It says something doesn’t it that this picture looks so unusual?
the buildings in the background are Kibera.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibera
Indeed, Benjamin.
This isn’t the Africa of CNN or Time or the BBC. Or of NGOs pleading for money (bless their hearts, I’m not condemning the work that they do).
Or of prestigious photo festivals.
I like the way the project refuses to conform to (or to confirm) hackneyed stereotypes–broken Africa, diseased Africa, exotic Africa, safari Africa….
Absolutely … but if I can something controversial here. Racism is so entrenched that many people will read these photos as ‘those uncaring middle class Africans’.
Bizarrely I’m about to jump on a plane and will be working in Kibera on Saturday and Sunday …