Don't worry, don't mind sharing it in public... who knows it might be of some help to someone else out there. NGO's are non-gouvernmental organisations. Unless I am mistaken and it's not the correct word in English, they are, well, aid organisations. This particular NGO in Brasov, Romania, depends on funding from western europe and with those funds they go to see and try to help the streetkids; give them hot soup in winter, soap, the attention they need, etc. To acquire money to do this they depend on gifts, so they have representatives (volunteers) in other countries like Belgium who do presentations in cultural centres, schools, magazines, ... Photographs help them with this. (the thought that my photographs wil help gathering money, and not even petty amounts but quite big money, and the knowledge that it will go to the right people is... incredible and overwhelming). Small NGO's like this one can't usually afford to hire a photographer but I hope I can work for bigger ones in a few years... and make a living doing what I love to do. Well, "make a living" - I don't need a house, don't need a car, don't need any luxury as long as I can get out there.. and document, with a camera in hand. Don't know if it'll be a happy life but I do know that I cannot do anything else anymore. Even after only seeing the tip of the iceberg, just a very small and short experience I've gotten completely sucked in..
as for the practicalities... I just looked around on the internet, found NGO's with interesting projects, and mailed and called tons of them. Furthermore I've been trying to network with pretty much every local humanitary organisations that has ties to foreign projects.. trying to meet the right people, etc.
As for Romania I just got kind of lucky, I called someone and yes, they were in urgent need of photographs but could not afford a real photographer. So.. the agreement was that they can use the photographs, and I'd get a bed somewhere and mainly the experience and the possibility to build a portfolio. I know I can't afford to keep doing this so I have to build this portfolio in order to maybe, hopefully get contracts that have all my costs paid and then some more to hold me over 'till the next project.
So after I called them and we agreed on a date we just decided to meet at a railway station and I planned everything else my self, arranged a ride from belgium to north romania, then a bus to transylvanian romania (with 23 strangers in a minibus for 8 hours, driving across the carpathian mountains on horrible roads!).. and well. the experience... was amazing. I met so many people, saw so many things, intense moments of sadness and despair and yet so overwhelmed by the friendliness and hospitality of the people, no matter how poor...
oops, i'm ranting again... i hope i answered your question, I'm afraid I can't answer more precisely. my thinking is simple: if you want to do it... you just have to go ahead, and maybe it'll happen, maybe not. if you don't go ahead nothing will happen. so... start browsing the net, pick up the phone, ...😉
