ProjectFocus Hawai’i presents...
SHINE
Inspiring Joy Through Their Eyes
Remember what it was like to be a child? The world was yours to conquer and even the most mundane discovery brought a silly smile to your face. In other words, life was good and for the most part, you were happy. As you meet our participants and read their stories, we hope their photography will bring joy to your life and reawaken the child in all of us.
This year’s ProjectFocus Hawai’i participants are children with Down syndrome who are part of Down Syndome Ohana of Hawai’i, a newly formed organization whose mission is to unite and support families of children with Down syndrome.
Society has labeled these children as “special needs” but nothing could be further from the truth. They are kind, loving and capable individuals who have dreams and aspirations, as all children should.
Throughout the 12-week internship, our participants have shown us time and again that life should be lived to the fullest. As they learned the basics of photography, they taught us to see their world through their eyes. And what a wonderful world they see. A world filled with love, happiness and most importantly, acceptance.
ProjectFocus Hawai’i is blessed to have worked with these extraordinary children who have taught us that all children are precious and deserve to be loved for their individuality and not what is expected by society.
