I have always been a huge fan of comics, from my childhood days – when I used to treasure the occasional delivery of 2000AD, that great British institution, to my home in Argentina.
Seeing as my two countries were at war, those comics used to arrive with nasty scrawls on them, denigrating me as an Argie-Bargie and worse. A curious sensation being Anglo-Argentine back then. My teachers in Argentina decried me as a British imperialist. The British postal service attacked me for being Argentine. I suppose it informed my world view.
Anyhow, I stumbled across this nice webcomic about Haiti, which hopes to raise money for an education NGO.
A page from Starthrower in Haiti
On the site – Starthrower in Haiti – Daniel Lafrance says he hopes the webcomic will raise funds to sponsor young Haitians adults for high school education. “$600 gives one Haitian the chance to go to high school for a year. This sponsorship is provided by the Starthrower Foundation and includes school fees, school supplies, uniforms including shoes, socks, underwear, transportation if necessary,tutoring, drop in centre, hygiene products, medical and dental support, potable water and when available food sacks,” he writes.
I cannot say much about the NGO itself yet: I have not visited it. But I love the use of the webcomic, and commend people to have a peek.
I always knew this day would come; when my two great lifelong loves – comics and video games – would lose their “for children only” tag and be recognised as the extraordinary communications tools they are. If only I could draw! (Or make video games for that matter).
Dispatches from a fragile island 