Crossing Borders, Building Bridges- January 28th, 2010

On January 28, 2010, professor Neelam Canto-Lugo, announcing that this is the thirteenth year of the Crossing Borders, Building Bridgesseries, introduced guest speaker and Appeal Democrat photographerChris Kaufman to those in attendance within room 724 at Yuba CommunityCollege. Kaufman, an avid supporter of the Safe Blood Africa Project,spoke of the dangers concerning the lack of blood donors and bloodbanks in Africa, as well as a 2007 trip to Nigeria that he took withhis father as a personal project. Kaufman also displayed photosregarding this trip for those in attendance to view. Kaufman statedthat eight to ten thousand people die every year in Nigeria alone dueto a lack of blood. The Safe Blood Africa Project, a voluntary blooddonor program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Caramel Valley, works toinstall blood banks in Nigeria, according to Kaufman.”A blood bank isa thirty thousand dollar refrigerator that regulates the temperatureof blood inside”, said Kaufman, adding that he is no expert on thesubject. Kaufman, whose trip to Nigeria lasted one month, said thatone quarter of Africans are Nigerian and that many of them are afraidto give blood or be tested for HIV. Therefore, Kaufman maintained thata “paradigm shift” is needed in Africa, and he expressed his hope inthe concept of social awareness being brought about by the photos thathe exhibited before those present. The photos allowed the audience toview those who suffered because of a lack of blood in Nigeria, andthese photos may be seen on http://www.photophilanthropy.org/slideshow/gallery_chriskaufman.html.Kaufman is an award winning photojournalist and has worked for theAppeal-Democrat since 2000 (source:http://www.chriskaufman.com/).Professor Canto-Lugo closed the event with an announcement regardingthe next Crossing Borders, Building Bridges presentation, saying thatRosemary Nelson would be the guest speaker on February 2nd and thatthis speaker would speak concerning California Indians.