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A group
of women from the small village of Horsley, near Nailsworth, in
Gloucestershire decided to raise money to help support the victims
of the Rwandan genocide ten years ago by producing a calendar.
They
were motivated to support the Rwandan women and in doing so they
wanted to do something creative and positive in line with many of
the hopeful projects in Rwanda today.
Naked
As
the calendar took shape it has become an important journey for the
women both individually and as a group. The decision to appear naked
was by no means a frivolous one and the photographs are not intended
to be provocative but rather, beautiful in their simplicity. The
group wanted to use their bodies in an empowered way, to show strength
and vulnerability in support of the brave, yet vulnerable Rwandan
women.
The
aim of the calendar is not just to raise money for the Rwandan survivors
but to convey feelings that are beyond words. It is done in a spirit
of love and solidarity for the women, men and children who suffered
then, and for those who are still suffering today.
Photography
Angela
Williams is a professional portrait photographer and she's responsible
for the evocative black-and-white pictures in the calendar. She
explains the motivation behind the photographs:
"Images
of war can create apathy. These photographs endeavour to create
images of empathy, defiance and solidarity."
Angela's
work is included in a permanent collection at the National Portrait
Gallery.
Rwandan
genocide
On
7th April 1994 one of the most barbaric and sustained periods of
killing in human history began. After 100 days, an estimated one
million people in Rwanda had lost their lives.
Thousands
of women were infected with HIV/AIDS when they were raped as part
of a sustained campaign to eliminate not only the women but future
generations.
Survivors
Fund has been working to improve the lives of the survivors of the
Rwandan genocide since 1998. Their work contributes to the needs
of the survivors by supporting numerous projects geared at confronting
the diversity of their needs be it shelter, livelihood assistance,
medical or psychological support.
More
information
If
you're interested in getting your hands on a copy of the Exposed
Calendar 2005, check out the Horsley Women's Calendar website:
If
you would like to comment on this story get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
or have your say on our
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A
group of women from the small village of Horsley in Gloucestershire
have created a naked calendar with a difference to raise cash for
a worthy cause...
