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| This is how we remember Frank, here surrounded by kids at his exhibition in Helsinki Comics festival. |
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| Anu Seppä, luokka 8A |
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| Pielisjoen koulun 8 A-luokka käy läpi sarjakuviaan kouluvierailija Sana Hukkasen ohjaamana. Kuva Niina Piispa. |
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| Mikael Lindberg, luokka 8 A |
Still relevant!
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| The many faces of Antoni Kokko. Picture: Sunday Mpanduji. |
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| I fled Iraq, when my life was in danger and came to Finland. I was safe. Soon I felt like a prisoner, I had not seen my children and wife for a long time. I miss them so much. Story and art by Yashar Abdokarim-Shakr. |
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| Musa was in Helsinki last year and tried skating. He fell on the ice and the onlookers laughed. He was ashamed. This year he wants to try skating again. Story and art by Musa Mohammadi. |
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“Indyane z'amatongo” A man hires a killer to eliminate a landowner
in order to appropriate his land.
His brother intervenes and reports it to the the court. The
criminals are sentenced to life in prison.
Story and artwork by Chris-Nathan Akimana of DH (LCUM)
Un homme engage un
tueur pour éliminer un propriétaire d’un fond de terre afin de s’en approprier.
Son frère saisit la justice pour dénoncer l’affaire et les
criminels se voient
condamner à perpétuité.
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“Indyane z'imigabwe” A man had strong negative feelings for his
political opponents. He thought they wanted him harm only. But paradoxically,
it was one of them who came to his aid when he fell into a ditch when chased by
a rabid dog.
Story and artwork by Kaze Sosthene of L.C.Club
de Muremba
Un homme voyait d’un
mauvais oeil ses opposant politiques. Il pensait qu’ils ne lui voulaient que du
mal. Mais paradoxalement, c’est l’un de ceux-là qui lui vint en aide
quant il tomba dans un fossé pourchassé par un chien enragé.
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“Ntiduturubike ibibondo” A child raised by a stepmother is unable to
attend school like other children. He is reduced to slavery and has to do all the work of the house. He
is rescued by a defender of
human rights, who pleads for
him successfully.
Story and artwork by Niyonizigiye Eddy, club APDH (LCUM)
Un enfant élevé par sa
marâtre est empêché de fréquenter l’école comme les autres enfants. Il est
réduit à l’état d’esclavage et fait tout les travaux de la maison. Il est
secouru par un défenseur des droits de l’homme qui plaide pour lui avec succès
devant ses parents.
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| René Claude Niyonkuru, Lawyer and Land Consultant, Coordinator of APDH’s Comics Project. |
APDH (Association pour la
Paix et les Droits de l’Homme) is World Comics Finland’s partner organisation
in a grassroots comics project in Burundi. The project started in 2010 and has now reached
almost completion.
A quote from a report by APDH’s Comics Project Coordinator René Claude Niyonkuru:
“Grassroots comics were
introduced in Burundi for the first time with this small project but it didn’t
take a long time to discover, both for APDH, its partners and the community,
how useful and powerful it is as a development and social change communication
tool.
In the beginning, there
was hesitation and confusion, where people, not familiar with mass education,
were sceptical that no one, among communities or decision makers, will ever
take into consideration “banal drawings” from rural women or young pupils in
schools; that the well-educated cannot “waste time” drawing to express their
views while they can use well-articulated speeches!
Other people were
afraid, stating that drawing is not an innate talent, available for everyone!” …
“As it is relevant,
especially for our rural and illiterate beneficiaries, the project needs to be
pursued.
Grassroots comics will
surely help as a communication tool in the preparation and the functioning of
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and, once again in the preparation of
the 2015 elections. We need people and communities to participate in the whole
process, and we need tools and techniques for that.”…
More samples of comics made
by clubs and groups in APDH’s network will soon be posted here.
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| Critique session at a comics workshop in Ngozi, 2011 |
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Tarmo’s own drawing
of the comics workshop with TAPOMA in Morogoro,
Tanzania, in 1996. We had
to shift from one classroom to a bigger one. One can see Katti Ka-Batembo on
his motorcycle, Gayo carrying his
light-table and in the last row, Frank Odoi and Leif Packalen. Tarmo has drawn
himself, sweating.
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| Tarmo teaching at our first workshop in India, in Tamil Nadu in 1997 with VCDS. This was where we
discovered the idea of grassroots comics.
MATTI HAGELBERG and KATJA TUKIAINEN
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Katja and Matti in a workshop with WCI, in 2004, in Aizawl, Mizoram,
India.
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| Katja’s drawing from the VCDS’ workshop in 2001 in Tamil Nadu, India. |
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| Matti’s drawing from the VCDS’ workshop in 2001, in Tamil Nadu, India |
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In the story, we see three mothers cuddling their children
who are unwell. One of the women says that she will give her child some
traditional medicine she was given by her mother. Later, we see her lamenting
because her child is dead. The story ends with the women seeking treatment from
the local clinic having realized that the traditional medicines do not work.
Story and artwork
by Mercy Njoki of KAPLET (Kamukunji Paralegal Trust).
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This comic shows effectively the consequences of drinking
and driving.
Story and artwork
by Victor of KAPLET (Kamukunji Paralegal Trust).
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The story is about a young girl who is sexually abused at home
by her father. Her mother takes her to the police station to report the
incident and they go for some tests in hospital. The doctor confirms that the
girl has been raped. In the last panel the father is arrested by the police due
to defilement.
Story and artwork
by Pinchez Shizzle, a member of one of the association groups from Undugu
Society of Kenya.
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| Kaisa Leka listens to the award speech by Otto Sinisalo, Chairman of the Finnish Comics Society. The ceremony took place 19.1.2012 in the Helsinki University Library. |
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| Kaisa Leka in Rajasthan with Lobsang Tzering, a participant in the workshop where she was a trainer in 2009. The workshop was part of World Comics Finland's India Programme. |
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| A sample page from Aisha. |
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| The police officer solisicts a bribe. |
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| The cover of the booklet. |
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| A sample page fom Chacha. |
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| The cover of Hagelberg's album. |
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| The cover of Tietäväinen's book. |
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Frank shares reminiscences from Tanzania,
where he and Tarmo Koivisto trained comics artists in the Nineties. Henry’s
Pub, the official watering hole for the festival, was of course decorated with
comics.
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Frank took time to come to visit
us in Vantaa. Here with Birgit
Packalen in front of the two local sights: the plastic petrol station and the
water tower. LP.
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Frank visited the library in
Tapulinkaupunki, Helsinki, where
his exhibition was on display. The exhibition showed the great variety of
comics and cartoons that Frank has done, from adventure and fantasy comics,
political satire comics, children’s comics to editorial cartoons, caricatures,
gag cartoons, illustrations, etc.
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| The poster for Frank's exhibition. |
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| A group of kids from the neighbourhood had arrived to see Frank at the exhibition. Frank spent an hour drawing and joking with them. He got rock-star treatment from the kids. Drawing: LP. |
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One of the 18 ToT-workshop participants Buthaina Ibrahim of
Undugu Society of Kenya, showed her wallposter comics to people in the Limuru market. Especially
the kids were mesmerized. Photo Hanna Arvela.
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| Hanna Arvela and Leif Packalen of World Comics Finland were trainers at the workshop. Drawing: LP. |
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| Group photograph from the trainers' workshop in Limuru. |
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Immediately after the ToT-workshop, the new trainers
practised their skills in a three-day test workshop in Pumwani Social Hall in
Kamkunji. Here Festus Mwiti (left) and Michael Oduor (right) instruct social
activists from different organisations in the Kamukunji area.
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To get feedback to the comics from ordinary people in the
community, is always important. Interaction with people gives insight into how
the comics are actually understood, and what could be made in a different way. Drawing: L.P.
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| Ms. Mildred Aiwso of KAPLET (Kamukunji Paralegal Trust) made the story about violence against women. The husband beats his wife and she reports it to the Police Chief, who calls a meeting of the elders. At the meeting the chief speaks against the violence. |
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Festus Mwiti of Gay Kenya Trust made this strip about a gay
person who was harassed by a couple. The police intervened and arrested the
couple. The strip is called “Gay rights are human rights”. Being homosexual was
only very recently decriminalised in Kenya,
so this information needs to be spread.
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