Changing worlds with photography.

ECO SOAP, Cambodia - Javier de Pablos-Velez, Videographer

In November of 2016 I will be volunteering for two weeks with Eco Soap Bank in Cambodia, capturing their story and incredible work they do providing the Cambodian people with steady access to soap in order to address the critical need for hygiene found in developing nations.

A little bit about me: born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, I am a cinematographer and producer currently based in New York City with more than 7+ years of experience in the film industry. In that time I have had the pleasure and luxury of working on multiple documentaries, commercials, corporate pieces, and long/short narrative pieces. In short, I have been blessed in being able to turn my passion for filmmaking into a career.

Now that I am further along in my career I have started to look for ways to branch out and give back to world. I found out about Photographers Without Borders earlier this year when I bumped into a fellow member, a wedding photographer, who was on her way to Tanzania to help document the work being done out there for orphans and foster families. Her inspirational story opened my eyes and made me realize that there was a way that I could combine my two passions in life, film and travel, while helping make the world a better place. Needlessly to say, I signed up and became a member of Photographers Without Borders that same day.

I am ecstatic and humbled to have been accepted and made a part of this journey in conjunction with Photographers Without Borders and Eco Soap Bank. It’s a dream that I I can’t wait to fully realize. This dream however needs your help.

As a volunteer I will be donating all of my equipment along with 2 weeks of my time in order to help my organization create video/photo content so that they can continue to do the wonderful work they do. I will cover most of my fees, however getting to Cambodia and remaining there can cause expenses to rise quickly. I am raising some funds to cover things like airfare, health insurance, travel insurance, visas, and vaccinations, etc.

The good news is that all donations are tax-deductible. And the even greater news is that any of the money I raise that is left over will be donated to my charity, Eco Soap Bank, and Photographers Without Borders.

I understand that donating is not possible for all but if you can donate any money at all it would be extremely appreciated. Doing so will not only help me, but it will help my charity, Photographers Without Borders, and ultimately the Cambodian people. If successful, my goal is to continue to work with non-profits like this and volunteer to help on at least one project anywhere in the world, every year.

ឣរគុណ

"The eye of the camera records all that is true."

Last documentary I worked on: Havana Motor Club

Instagram: @javierdpvelez

Examples of work: http://staffmeup.com/profile/javierdpvelez

 "Saving, sanitizing, and supplying recycled soap for the developing world."

About Eco Soap Bank:

The Eco-Soap Bank is a humanitarian and environmental non-profit organization working to save, sanitize, and supply recycled soap to the developing world. Our work has three objectives:

1. Contribute a highly cost-effective hygiene product to improve health in Cambodia.
2. Significantly reduce the waste generated by the tourism industry.
3. Provide livelihoods to Cambodian women with no other reliable source of income.

75% of rural Cambodians still lack steady access to soap, and the Eco-Soap Bank seeks to address the critical need for hygiene. Working in Northern Cambodia since 2014, the Eco-Soap Bank has sustainably supplied over 125,000 disadvantaged Cambodians with soap for hand washing.

After collecting and sanitizing the soap, we donate it to hospitals and humanitarian organizations working in the most remote regions of the country. These organizations share our mission to improve hygiene, and they work within their communities to create a positive shift in hygiene behavior. Together, we impart the tools and skills to keep people healthy for generations.

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Donors like you have helped photographers fundraise 100% of project-related costs since 2014!

About Photographers Without Borders:

Every year, our photographers and videographers donate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of their time to document the work of grassroots initiatives that are making a real change in this world where it is most needed. By capturing, honouring and witnessing humanity at its best, we are not only inspiring many, but we are forging new narratives of what is and what is possible. 

You can help by supporting our photographers and videographers (See the side bar to the right to see fundraisers for our most recent recruits).

Each of our official photographers/videographers is assigned a GroupRev fundraising page by PWB upon acceptance. These pages are a privilege we offer that are intended to make our programs accessible to all and enable our volunteer photographers/videographers to raise their program fees and subsidize or cover these necessary project-related expenses:

• Airfare
• Visa's
• Vaccinations
• Health Insurance
• Travel Insurance

The following expenses are the sole responsibility of the photographer/videographer:

• Privately arranged travel / Equipment & Equipment Insurance / Software / Extra Baggage Fees / Donation perks / Clothing / Postage/Postcard / Prints / Etc.

Photographers Without Borders® (PWB) envisions a world where we all put ourselves in each others' shoes and work together. Our mission is to inform and inspire positive change by visually communicating the ways that grassroots initiatives are addressing problems in their communities. PWB is registered as a charity in the United States with 501(c)(3) status and is registered as a not-for-profit organization in Canada. All donations are calculated in US Dollars and are tax-deductible for Americans and Canadians with US income.

PWB is not responsible for any donations made outside of these pages.

Any overage amounts raised on GroupRev will be donated with the photographers direction, 100% to the Organization, 100% to PWB or split 50/50, between the photographer's/videographer's assigned cause and PWB, which is also a volunteer-run organization.

PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY !

Learn more about PWB.

All donations are calculated in US Dollars and are tax-deductible for Americans and Canadians with US income.