Walk of the Immigrants – The Next Step

In 2010 Saul Flores (above) walked across ten countries to raise awareness about the issues facing people living in South America.  The Mexican-American student did this by creating a photographic record of his journey – which came to be known as The Walk of the Immigrants. The pictures you see here are all from Saul’s immense walk.

Saul captured his journey on camera to show the commonalities that we all have as people. His aim was not to simply record the lives of these people but by doing so to raise money to rebuild the dilapidated elementary school in his mother’s home town of Atencingo in Mexico. His journey inspired many people to help out – and enough money was raised to rebuild the school. Yet much more needs to be done.

Yet reconstruction is only the first part of the story if the town’s children are to be given the tools to realise not just their dreams but simply their potential. On his return Saul spent a year giving presentations around his home state of North Carolina where his travels provoked a lot of interest and made him think about how he could extend the project even further.

Another year was spent curating the photographs he took on his immense journey and preparing for that next stage – to create a national traveling exhibit to display the photographs from the Walk of the Immigrants throughout the USA – and of course to raise even more money. This part of the project is known as Footprints.

Saul needs sponsors to help in packaging, storing, managing and duplicating the exhibit so that it can begin traveling across the United States. It is hoped that once enough money is raised to fund the exhibition then much greater funds will be generated as interest grows and people purchase their favorite prints from the exhibition.

Sometimes, it is best to hear from the person! So, here is Saul explaining the project.

If you have a few minutes, please check out Saul’s website. You can buy prints from there. Alternatively, if you would like to help fund the exhibition (and every cent you give will go towards that aim) then click on any of the pictures above or visit Saul’s Kickstarter page.