The Pamoja Project

the

p a m o j a p r o j e c t a documentary film

directed and produced by audrey emerson underwritten by UNITE The World With Africa contact: www.thepamojaproject.org audreykemerson@gmail.com 508-404-5266

The Pamoja Project

The Pamoja Project is a series of three short documentary films that tell the incredible story of three Tanzanian women working in the areas of education, microfinance, and health.

The Swahili word “pamoja” means together. Together alongside the women in these stories, we can create real change for the people of Tanzania. In each of these shorts, we aim to tell a story of hope, humanity, and empowerment rather than the often-portrayed cliché of despair and poverty in Africa.

Too often, good intentioned “western aid” turns into potentially misinformed “western leadership.” However, we believe in supporting the powerful and inspiring leadership that already exists in Tanzania. While the goal of these films is not to make money, we believe that sharing these stories across a broad audience will help to promote cross-cultural understanding and change the perception of East Africa.

This project is being underwritten by the organization Unite the World With Africa, which works to support these women leaders in every way possible and who will be guiding us through Tanzania in June 2015.

Additionally, the Emmy Award-winning USC Media Institute for Social Change has partnered with us to promote and grow this project. The Institute’s reputation for entertainment with a meaningful and impactful message aligns closely with our goal and is an invaluable support. Emmy Award-winning production company Devlo Media, has agreed to complete all post-production of these films completely pro bono, generous beyond words. Because of the amazing people who are supporting this project there is no doubt these films will tell a beautiful story.

Upon completion we plan to host multiple screenings, distribute to schools, run a PBS special, and submit to film festivals. We are now looking for sponsors and donors who are interested in harnessing the power of media to promote social change and cross-cultural understanding. We invite you to join us and envision a world in which “us” and “them” no longer exist.

we are pamoja: together

Sister Crispina

The mornings begin early at St. Joseph’s Orphanage. The roosters start crowing around five am and the morning bell rings not long after. At 5:30 the children enter the dining hall, pick up a prayer book, and the day commences with at least half an hour or praying. All prayers are done in Swahili and there is something mesmerizing about their unison.

Sister Crispina Mnate, the energetic, Whoopi-Goldberg-like nun who founded St. Joseph’s, leads the children in a half-chant, halfsong through their morning ceremony, with a volume as if to wake God himself. Around six am the prayers come to a close and the children eat and head off to school. Just another morning at St. Josephs Orphange, home to 43 orphans all adopted and loved by Sister Crispina.

It is hard to believe that just 15 years ago, Sister Crispina was given three acres of land and the equivalent of $20 USD by a local pastor to found St. Joseph’s. With the money, she purchased concrete and began laying the foundation for the first dormitory. From there, good Samaritans began bringing abandoned babies, and — by going door-todoor asking for help — support started to trickle in. Crispina’s joy for life is infectious, and her devotion and commitment to each and every one of her now 43 children is motivating and inspiring.

Currently, Crispina runs the Heaven School, an onsite preschool and is making plans to build a primary school onsite. Sister Crispina believes that the most important thing she can give these children is an education; therefore all of the children attend private schools made possible through Unite’s continuing student sponsorship program.

Ruth

Perhaps they wouldn’t look so small and undernourished if she weren’t there amongst them. At 5’4” with strong thick legs and a slightly rounded tummy, she dwarfs the largest of the men. Today, 39-year-old Ruth Matiyas, nurse at the Bishop Hhando Health Centre in Northern Tanzania, is visiting a group of Hadza whom she calls “Makao’s Family.”

Blood relatives or not – no one could tell – this group cares for one another as any family would. Here lines of belonging are blurry and there are no absolutes.

Ruth has arrived a bit later then planned because she had trouble finding them. In search of the sustenance necessary for their survival, Makao and his “family” had recently abandoned their former home site to travel to a new one. It wasn’t the first time Ruth “misplaced” her friends.

These Hadza are a nomadic people. With no education and no interest in farming or even keeping livestock, they do what their ancestors have done for centuries… they wander. The Hadza go where there is wildlife to hunt.

They are the last known full-time hunter-gatherer people in the whole of East Africa.

Once 100% self-sustaining on bountiful lands, the displaced Hadza now face chronic hunger. Once protected by seas of uncharted bush lands from the impact and diseases of modern man, they face the grave risk of total annihilation. Ruth knows this and it scares her. She has been visiting the Mong’ola headmen and their roving families since she was 10 years old, living nearby and working her brother’s farm. At 13, Ruth left the area to complete primary, secondary, and eventually nursing school. Now, Ruth is forging a path of service to a people who are becoming exploited by a tourism industry that has just recently recognized their financial worth.

With Unite’s support, Ruth brings food relief, education about the realities of HIV/AIDS, STDs, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other diseases, treatment for day-to-day illnesses and wounds, testing, pre- and post-natal care, transport to and funds for hospital, meds, and more to the 229 Mong’ola Hadza. As their world rapidly changes, Ruth empowers these Hadza to move beyond their reliance on traditional medicine for survival.

The two and a half extra hours it took Ruth to find Makao’s family this morning has messed up her schedule. Classes must be shorter today as the rice and maize still needs to be distributed and Nyanza, Hamisi and baby Sumuni taken to hospital. “Let’s begin,” she calls out in Hadza, a language that resembles more the ancient click language of the Khoisan than Ruth’s native tongue of Swahili. Makao nods, and his family gathers round. There is important work to be done.

Astridah

“Good morning mama, I have sent the project plan, I had to go to the internet café. Pole.” writes Astridah. She has just sent an email to Unite with a detailed proposal of her farm expansion. “Pole” means slowly in Swahili.

Everything in Africa is “pole,” but there is nothing “pole” about Astridah. She graduated from the Univeristy of Zambia and currently has over 34 years of teaching experience in Math and Geography. As a board member to the Secondary Education for Girls Advancement School (SEGA) she has experience in school management, budgeting, strategic planning, and student counseling. Though she has known success, Astridah has had her fair share of struggles. She currently resides on her 15 acre Ilondola Farm overlooking the Uluguru mountains.

Ilondola farm is home to chickens, vegetables, bees, orange trees, and the list goes on. There is much work to be done and many places to improve. When her husband passed away, many of the plans he had to develop the land slowed down. To this day, Astirdah is fighting to retain ownership of the land since it legally belonged to her late husband. In Tanzania, female land ownership is a rare and tricky process. However, Astridah still remains one of strongest leaders in her community.

With Unite’s support, Astridah has big plans for her farm. In her own words, “Ilondola Farm endeavors to become a model farm in empowering our local community in microfinance through various farming activities by using modern technology. Ilondola farm is set out to provide opportunities for economic and social development of the Mzumbe local community.” Her firsthand knowledge of her communities inform her realistic vision for vocational training and microfinance programs.

Astridah is a powerful leader, incredible woman, and a visionary.

She is the definition of pamoja: together. Her emails are short yet her hope is palpable in every word as she concludes “my love and prayers to you, Astridah”

Meet the Team Director/Producer

Audrey Emerson

A student at the University of Southern California studying Film Critical Studies, Audrey is interested in how film can be used as a medium for social impact. As a board member to Unite the World With Africa, Audrey learned the complexities of working for change overseas and became driven to use media to create real change. As a high school student at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Audrey was surrounded by the arts and feels strongly about arts education. In theater Audrey’s background began as an actor and then transitioned to stagemanagement and directing for the theater. In the summer of 2013, she co-founded Camp Kickst(Art), a free arts camp for kids in Rhode Island funded by grants, crowdfunding, and corporate sponsorships. Moving on to bigger and better things, she began to dabble in the film industry.

Her experience has always been hands on, from the ground up. After working on countless student and independent films, Audrey has always taken an interest in the finance and production side of the business. As an intern at 1984 Private Defense Contractors and later, Devlo Media, she quickly learned more about the prodution side and became driven to use her skills. Audrey is driven, passionate, and inherently optimistic and is excited about working in film and the nonprofit sector.

www.thepamojaproject.org

Meet the Team Founder, Executive Director Unite The World With Africa (underwriter)

A global social entrepreneur, Anne Wells is Founder and Executive Director of Unite The World With Africa. In May 2014 Anne was recognized for her work to empower youth at home and in Africa and to advance grassroots women’s health, education and microfinance initiatives throughout Tanzania by being named a “Local Defender” by the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Anne leads annual global service tours and facilitates multidisciplinary life skills, healthcare and business development programs in collaboration with her NGO partners throughout East Africa. In 2014 Anne is enrolling in a MFA program for creative nonfiction writing for social justice at Antioch University in Southern California to use her voice to further impact change for women and children in Africa.

Anne Wells

Anne is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience working with corporations and notfor-profits — including Safe Water Network in Westport, CT; The Center of Contemporary Arts in St. Louis; and Haystack Toys in St. Louis. Anne is also the author and publisher of the two non-fiction books: Raising Babies in St. Louis and Raising Kids in St. Louis, which sold and distributed nearly 30,000 copies. She has worked as a writer and editor for a number of national publications, including BabyTalk and Parenting Magazines.

Anne received her BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College in 1993 (and was awarded the Margaret Mead Award). She attended the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 1995/1996. Anne is married to David Wells, and together they have three daughters — ages 9, 11 and 13.

www.unitenz.org

Devlo Media Devlo Media (partner)

Devlo Media was started in 1997 by John Lavall, an EMMY® Award-winning producer and director from Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

His work has been broadcast nationally on PBS and his documentary films have shown in festivals throughout the US and internationally.

John Lavall

In 2012, Kate Kelley, a photographer and cinematographer from Boston, MA, joined the team. Devlo Media is a full service multimedia production company, producing award-winning documentary films, public service announcements, iPad multimedia projects and broadcast television commercials. They are a skilled film, video and production team with location credits worldwide and can handle any project, large or small, from preproduction to post.

Devlo Media’s projects have garnered several national awards, including seven Telly Awards, ten EMMY® Nominations and four EMMY® Awards. Recently completed projects include Le Wi Tok (Let Us Talk) the story of a Sierra Leone community’s transformation through radio, from war and poverty to peace and prosperity; Home Across Lands, a documentary that explores how a small group of resettled Kunama refugees find support and reestablish their sense of community in a small New England state; and a short film documenting the work of the Africa Teacher Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.

www.devlomedia.com

Kate Kelley

USC Media Institute for Social Change USC MISC (partner)

The Media Institute for Social Change (MISC) is a not-for-profit organization focused exclusively on promoting the use of media for positive social change through the provision of scholarships, education and research to present and future media content creators. MISC is based at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.

With the addition of the Media Institute for Social Change, SCA continues to build upon its legacy by redefining its curriculum and programming to fit the changing spectrum of media arts and technology and strives to lead the way in every aspect of motion picture, television and emerging media education and scholarly study.

Michael Taylor

Michael Taylor has 35 years experience in the media and entertainment industry, served as Chair of Film and Television Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts for 10 years, and currently serves as Executive Director of USC’s Media Institute for Social Change.

Taylor also maintains an active career as a producer of theatrical and television films. He produces within the studio system as well as in the independent film arena. Mr. Taylor’s credits include Last Embrace, Bottle Rocket, Phenomenon, The Hi-Line, Instinct, The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, Mrs. Munck, Princess of Thieves, Phenomenon II, The Commuters, and Copying Beethoven.

Among other honors, Taylor is the recipient of the National Board of Review Award, the Fourteenth Annual Genesis Award for Outstanding Feature Film, the Santa Clarita International Film Award for best Tele-Feature, the Variety/EDI $100 Million Award and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

www.uscmisc.org

Audiovisual Director of Photography

Born in Colorado and raised in Kansas, Brandon recently graduated from USC始s School of Cinematic Arts with an emphasis in Cinematography and Directing. Brandon started his college career at Texas Christian University, where he studied film, photography, and theatre. While there, he studied abroad in Italy where he polished his photography through classes and competitions. Transferring to USC as a Film and Television Production major, he quickly began shooting and directing projects of his own.

Brandon Sommerhalder

After a summer apprenticing cinematographers at Disney-ABC Television Group, he began freelancing as a cinematographer and camera operator with the network and other music video production companies. At the same time, he was chosen along with nine others to co-direct a feature film in a USC class taught by James Franco. While finishing that film, he was hired as cinematographer on an independent feature documentary entitled Making the American Man that focused on American-made goods and the makers behind them, taking him to every corner of the country. After graduating,vv he is traveling -- with a camera -- to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, because nothing excites him more than exploring and documenting different people and cultures for others to see and experience.

Composer

Emmett Cooke is an Irish film & TV composer whose work can be heard around the world on TV channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, Bravo, ESPN, The History Channel, The Science Channel and many more. He works with national and international advertising agencies, production studios and film studios to create custom scores for their projects and has a unique style of instrumental music that is instantly recognizable. You can learn more about Emmett and hear his work on his website: www.soundtrack.ie

Emmett Cooke

Budget Item

Quantity

Cost

Subtotal

Pre-Produciton Costs Film Permit required by consulate

1

$1,000.00

$1,000.00

Production Costs Flights NYC/LAX to Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam to Arusha -Roundtrip

3 3

$2,000.00 $300.00

$6,000.00 $900.00

3 3

$100.00 $2,000.00

$300.00 $6,000.00

3 3

$2,000.00 $250.00

$6,000.00 $750.00 $0.00

Travel Costs Visas Vehicals and Drivers/Translators (2-3 weeks) per person cost Lodging and Food per person National Park Fees Equipment Post Production (pro bono/in-kind) Editing/Music/etc

$0.00

Distribution - To be funded by grants after rough cut is completed Emergency/Misc. Expenses Grand Total

$1,000.00

Total

$1,000.00

$6,900

$14,050.00

$0.00

$1,000.00 $22,950.00

Support The Pamoja Project

If you or your company/organization would be interested in becoming an official sponsor or partner of the Pamoja Project we would love to talk to you about how to make this possible. Whether you are able to donate equipment, flights, or lodging; sponsor a crew member; provide marketing, fundraising, publicity, or distribution assistance; or just want to help we would love to hear from you. Your donation goes directly to the production of these films via our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions. From the Heart Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting films that are unique and make a contribution to society.

Your donation is 100% tax deductible and will go directly to The Pamoja Project.

Level 1: Associate Producer, $500 Associate Producers will receive their name/logo on all promotional materials for the film including website, flyers, posters, trailers, etc. They will also receive social media shoutouts and credit in the film.

Level 2: Co-Producer, $1000 Co-Producers will receive all of the above in addition to a featured blog post about your company/organization/group, and access to preliminary footage and clips upon our return from Tanzania.

Level 3: Executive Producer, $2,500+ Executive Producers will receive all of the above in addition to access to the final cut of the film before it is released.

Contact: Audrey Emerson US: (508) 404-5266 audreykemerson@gmail.com www.thepamojaproject.org

Many Thanks to Our Supporters

Images used with permission from Unite the World With Africa. All text used with permission by Anne Wells, Unite the World With Africa, USC Media Institute for Social Change and Andrew Wells.

Logo designed by Cyrus Dahmubed | IQubed design.

(C) 2014 by Audrey Emerson.