Wall of Courage is a large installation piece that depicts the Tchukudu Kids – orphaned children of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is called the Wall of Courage because it represents the courage within these children she depicts and calls upon her own courage to undertake a project of this magnitude, coming face to face with these children and their tragic stories every time she works on this project.
The idea for the installation project was one that happened by accident. Heather was determined to depict 80 to 100 children in individual portraits of 24×36 inches. She had finished about 20 of them and decided to take photos by laying them out on her studio floor. As she took a step back and saw the array of pieces that now had turned into one larger piece, her breath was taken away and she instantly knew the project had taken on a new life.
Heather has completed 80 portraits – the original 80 children under the care of the organization when they moved into their new home. Since this time, the Wall has inspired many people to become involved and the what has culminated is the orphanage, a women’s training centre, an agriculture project and a new school being constructed.
A videographer accompanied Heather and Cathy Cleary in 2015 when they visited the projects in Goma. Documenting each day, the finished documentary will eventually feature each project and the beauty and pain that lives there.
