The project and exhibition was named “Future Presidents” presuming that those with continuous access to studies can become whatever they wish, even President of the Republic.
Future Presidents is a project by the NGO Helpo, featuring photography by Luis Mileu and texts by Ricardo Henriques, created by the advertising agency BIG FISH.
This project was based on a powerful premise: to expose the reality in which thousands of children in Mozambique live.
Without access to educational support, they can never dream of becoming future presidents of their country.
The Futuros Presidentes (Future Presidents) project was developed in two phases. The first phase took the form of a daily photo and story diary, published and shared in partnership with our media collaborator, Visão magazine. We traveled to northern Mozambique to document the lives of children and their communities, focusing on how their futures are shaped by education.
Our meeting point was the direct impact of the work carried out by Helpo, a Portuguese NGO actively supporting education in the region.
In the second phase, a selection of portraits and stories was curated and presented in an exhibition at the Portuguese Parliament (Assembleia da República), held under the High Patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic.
The solidarity work of Helpo supports 37 intervention centers in Mozambique, helping 16,000 children and young people access education—from preschool and primary school to educational play centers, high school (through scholarships), and a provincial daycare center. Between February 16th and 28th, 2018, Ricardo Henriques and I visited several school communities across the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula in northern Mozambique to learn what local students aspire to become and achieve when they grow up.
Our common ground was the direct impact that Helpo, a Portuguese NGO, has on their education. In early April, we shared these stories in an exhibition at the Portuguese Parliament, held under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic.
Future Presidents is a Big Fish project created for Helpo NGO. The project was commissioned and produced by Helpo, Ricardo Henriques, Luis Mileu, and Big Fish, with the support of Canon Portugal.
