KARIBU NYAMBANI – NEAR HOME, Johanna Salmi

Near Home tells the story of the lives of children and young people at the Praisegate Children’s Home through photographs taken by the children themselves. Where is home? Who belongs to the family when 37 children live under the same roof?

Near Home is a photography project produced by Johanna Salmi, which was carried out at the Praisegate Children’s Home in Kenya in August 2013. The goal of the project was to give a voice to children and young people who are typically not heard in their community or beyond. The workshop involved 37 children and young people of various ages, from preschoolers to high school students.

“Karibu Nyambani” is Swahili and means both “near home” and “welcome home.” Karibu is a familiar word to many travelers, as it is commonly heard while moving around East Africa. Near Home delves into the concept of home and family: what remains when neither exists in the traditional sense? At least joy and laughter! Incredible community spirit and care, even though there is work and tasks for everyone.

Johanna Salmi volunteered at the Praisegate Children’s Home for 6 months in 2009. Since then, she has returned to the home three more times. The exhibition and related project are part of Johanna Salmi’s Master’s thesis in Fine Arts at Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design, and Architecture.

Translated with ChatGPT