About
AcehCamera is an application that has been designed for the Nokia N80 mobile phone. The project was developed for the children of Aceh as a medium of communicating their stories to one another and the rest of the world. By sharing and manipulating photos they are able to create unique art pieces that evolve over time.
Aceh is a 'special territory' of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. It is a patriarchal society that has been well known for its political independence and has fought Indonesian authorities in efforts to achieve this. Its western coastal cities were among the areas hardest-hit by the December 26, 2004 tsunami resulting from an Indian Ocean earthquake.
Many of the children of Aceh lost their family, homes and friends in the tsunami disaster. There has been ongoing reconstruction of homes, schools and facilities as well as the placing of orphaned children with families or relatives. However there have been lingering psychological effects on the children. Many have had fears of the ocean or were too traumatised to speak. Many children have been unable to go to school because they have to work to help support their family.
AcehCamera is designed for these children to have fun, be creative and share their thoughts with others like them.