from 22 Nov, 2005 At the Bolívar Hall of the Embassy of Venezuela
Labour of Love: A photographic Exhibition by J. M. Harris

Located in a populous barrio of Caracas, the Alberdi school is like many others the world over - a place where children and adults come to study on a daily basis, teachers devote their lives to the education of others and the screaming sounds of happy children reverberate in the empty classrooms while games take place in the playground.

However, The Alberdi is a school with a difference. In December 2002, the local authorithies closed it down in support of the national oil strikes, which intended to bring the country to its knees. But instead of accepting their fate, ordinary people reacted by taking charge of their own lives - workers occupied factories, bus drivers continued to offer transport and local communities began to run schools - the Juan Bautista Alberdi is one example of the latter.

In November 2004 I visited Venezuela and met some teachers from the Alberdi , who told me their story and invited me there. Greatly inspired by what I witnessed, I decided to use my experience as a photographer to document the daily life in the school.

Now back in Britain, I want to share these images with all of you, as a vibrant example of what can be achieved when communities work together for a common goal.

Jason Harris, October 2005

Words from the Ambassador

When the photographer Jason Harris contacted our Embassy, we welcomed the possibility of showing an exhibition of his Alberdi School photographs.

Jason Harris is no ordinary photographer. The empathy that in spite of language barriers, he was able to arouse in the parents, teachers and children of the school, account for the expressive shots that he made in the three months he lived among them. Fifty per cent of the Venezuelan population is young, in need of education. A closed school was simply, to a group of parents, not acceptable, and they took action.

In October 2005, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela declared itself to be 'a country free of illiteracy', having taught within two years 1.500.000 Venezuelans to read and write. Although there has been a substantial increase in the budget for education, from 2.4% to 7.1% in the last five years, one wonders whether the Misión Robinson for literacy would have been so effective had the Government not counted on 100.000 volunteers. This kind of solidarity has proved to be a significant reservoir of productive power. In the end, as Jason Harris well says: it is a labour of love.

Alfredo Toro Hardy
Ambassador