The Importance of Education in Kilimanjaro is a 24-portrait photography exhibition in Moshi, Tanzania that is advocacy-based. The exhibition premiered in 2014 and was led by the Inside Out Project. The exhibition traveled from a small village in France, Rogerville, to the school of Mbokumu in Tanzania, which is located in a village by Kilimanjaro.

The Inside Out Project was created by JR, a French artist and photographer, after he received the TED Prize in 2011. Speaking about the project, JR said, “I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world…inside out.”

The goal of the project is to allow worldwide participation by taking people’s portraits and publicly displaying them in exhibitions to support certain ideas or experiences. Since 2011, Inside Out has had 260,000 participants across the globe in 129 different countries.

Each one of the 24 portraits in the Importance of Education in Kilimanjaro project is taken by a schoolchild of a different age. Additional photos in the exhibition picture the children putting the exhibition together. They are seen laughing, dancing and helping the Inside Out team paste the large-scale photographs throughout the streets.

In Moshi, Tanzania, there are many issues regarding education in the community. There are high drop-out rates, students miss school on a regular basis and there are low levels of progression. Most schools in the area face challenges such as a lack of reliable transportation, classrooms and teachers. The exhibition speaks to the necessity for children to be able to access quality education, despite their background. No matter where they are born, every child deserves equal access to education.

In addition to The Importance of Education in Kilimanjaro, many of the Inside Out Project’s exhibits speak to the significance of education across the globe

– Shannon Elder

Photo: Flickr