Aja Project

This organization was recommended by a teacher & she encouraged us to do an internship with them. I interviewed with them & got the internship. We had our first meeting and I was blown away on what a life changing wonderful organization this really is!
I’ve heard some of the students speak & saw their photography which was so inspirational. I wish I had a program like this when I was in my teens/​youth. It would have helped me channel my energy into something positive and impactful. I always liked photography and had different types of film cameras. I wish I could review or even showcase it. They are lost now but I’m recollecting, creating more photography & motivating others to do as well.
And that’s what this organization is helping one to do, especially those from various backgrounds. They help identify their passions, grow their leadership and pursue goals in life through creating art in photography.
Thanks for letting me be a part of it!

Creativity is truly transformative!
I’m particularly a fan of their recent In/​Grain project, which I have seen around town. I love seeing the photos that these kids took. To see things though someone else’s eyes was a wonderful experience for me.
The In/​Grain project prompted me to learn more about the AjA Project here in San Diego, and I have been really impressed with what I learned. Providing the tools to create art out of tumultuous and difficult experiences can only help the children they serve to assimilate and understand those experiences. Their process of reflection not only helps them as individuals, but has a ripple effect on the urban display space, the viewer and on the children’s communities. And as an alumna of AmeriCorps*VISTA, I was thrilled to see that the organization employs VISTA volunteers — thus increasing the ripple effect.
I wish their website had more information on how donations are used (what percentage of every dollar donated goes to overhead, and how much to project work, etc), and what kinds of successes and challenges they are having. That being said, I love that they provide for «wish list» donations, and are set up to take online donations — and in addition to their San Diego project, they also have projects around the world.
I suppose it goes without saying that I have donated to them, but in the interests of full disclosure, I figure I had better say it anyway.
This is an out-​of-​the-​box kind of non-​profit, but that is a part of its strength and charm. All in all, I’m a fan, and I can’t wait to see what they display next!

Mid-​city is not only a great place to get your car stereo stolen, it’s the modern day Ellis Island for many of San Diego’s more vibrant immigrant communities. The AjA Project is a local nonprofit organization that runs an after school participatory photography program for refugee and displaced kids. Basically, these kids arrive off the boat, in some cases from war-​torn developing countries, without the ability to speak English, and they find themselves in bizarroland east and southeast San Diego. AjA gives these kids a camera, a little self-​reflection and empowerment, and we get to see the pictures in art shows. Think «Born into Brothels» in a slightly different context.
The photos these kids take are amazing. A lot of the kids are talented, but every one of them has an interesting story to tell. My favorite part is being able to see inside these local communities I can’t otherwise see from my vantage point of walking down the street or eating their food. But the fact is that many of the kids stick with the AjA program for a long time because it plays a big role in their lives in helping them cope and acculturate to life here in the US. It just so happens that their creative outlet can be brought into view of a broader public (me and you) as well. And we’re not talking about a classroom of kids from Tijuana. AjA works with teenagers who have been resettled here from Somalia, the Sudan, Colombia, Afghanistan, and so forth.
AjA is an acronym for «Autosuficiencia Juntada con Apoyo,» which is Spanish for «supporting self-​sufficiency.»
This has been a public service message. Thank you for listening. Now you may go read more reviews about bars and restaurants.