Giving love with my Charity project

I have been thinking for many months about a project I am calling Giving Clicks & Giving Love, that captured my heart as a photographer. Then, last weekend I went to Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, Mexico. There, I finally found my inspiration, and her name is Maggie. 

Margarita, known to her family and friends as Maggie, is a little girl who is three years old. She has a lovely character, an amazing personality and is very talented. I decided to take some pictures of her, and to entertain her and get her excited, I gave her a camera and showed her how to use it. She immediately grabbed my attention- the way she followed all of my directions, and how intrigued she was by the camera. This was her first time with a camera, taking pictures. 

Maggie gave me so much inspiration! She lives with her grandparents, Noemi and Leo, who work for my friend's family, at their home near the Valle de Guadalupe, which is known as Baja’s wine country region, where 85% of Mexican wines are produced. 

My project is pretty simple, I want to teach photography to kids like Maggie. Most of these kids don't have the resources for photography, which usually (in this digital age) means a camera and maybe a printer, computer or tablet, too.

My idea was: why not give them the tools to learn and help them find their skills and develop their passion for a wonderful form of art, like photography. After our session, I reviewed Maggie’s photos, and was amazed at how she saw the world through that camera lens, and how beautiful the final product was.

What is Giving Clicks & Giving Love?

Giving Clicks & Giving Love is a project which gives kids under the age of 18 who live in the northern Baja California region the opportunity to enjoy the art of photography and develop their creativity through this medium. We all know the benefits of giving a young person an avenue through which they can express themselves, develop their critical thinking skills, and grow- emotionally and intellectually. 

Who can participate in Giving Clicks & Giving Love?

It is my hope that people who like photography, kids, and/or Mexico’s northern Baja region can help me make this project a success. 

How can you participate in Giving Clicks & Giving Love?

Well, many of us have one small camera that we don't use, maybe one extra memory card, or those cameras with film that we don't use anymore. Maybe you even have an extra computer or tablet, onto which photos can be downloaded.  

What is the next step for Giving Clicks & Giving Love?

Once I can have enough donated equipment, I will start the photography courses with kids in Valle de Guadalupe. My dream is to host a weekend class that is free to local kids, and I plan on sharing their progress in their journey with you and the readers of my blog. 

You can send me your contribution to: 

Cintia Soto 

PO Box 531643 

San Diego Ca. 92153 

Contact me if you want to contribute in different way. I can be reached via email at: info (at) cintiasoto (dot) com or contact me trough my Facebook. 

Cintia Soto