PERSONAL STATEMENT

For the last ten years I have worked almost every year in Eastern Congo. This project allows me to express in more depth and with more intimacy many of the issues I have touched on with my journalistic assignments. The African continent in general, has for a long time, been misrepresented. The image most of the people in the Western World have of the African continent, and at the same of Congo, is a very dramatic and stereotypical one: one of hunger, war and misery. Following in the footsteps of Che is a vehicle to tell the story of Congo in a different way. My aim is to let the encounter happen on the way, and to give the Congolese a voice to reflect on their own country in their own way. At the same time, the project can attract an audience fascinated by the icon of Che Guevara, to a country they may never have considered before. The project will raise questions about the condition of Congo now and over the years, and allow reflection on ways for a better future.

During one of my journeys in Congo, I met someone who was listening to an audiobook about Che Guevara in Congo. Intrigued by this episode of the life of Che Guevara, I read Che Guevara's diary in Congo "African Dream". Unknown to many, this diary was kept secret until the late 90's by Cuba because the mission was considered to be a failure by the Cuban regime. What surprised me is that a lot of things described by Che in his diary of the Congo mission from the 1960's are still valid today. Many people know the journey Che Guevara took in South America, the famous Motorcycle diaries and many read his Bolivian diary. But very few people are aware of the fact that Che also travelled to Congo to try to start the revolution there. Che in his Congo diary describes the period from April 1965 to December 1965. From my own experience, I could identify with some of his descriptions. Why a country like this has been exploited for decades, why the Congolese have been victims – and survivors - of different occupations and discoveries, which instead of being their blessing became a curse.

BIOGRAPHY

Jan-Joseph Stok (40) is a Dutch photojournalist who grew up in France.

After obtaining a Master in Photojournalism and Documentary photography at the London College of Communication, he specialised in background stories about conflict and post-conflict zones. For more than 15 years, he has been working on the African continent in more than 26 countries such as DR Congo, Somalia, Darfur (Sudan) and Mali. He has worked extensively in Congo since 2005, he has been more than 30 times to DR Congo and worked nearly in every province and covered a

wide range of topics for the Dutch and international press. He has trained local photographers in Nigeria, Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. He is co-author of two journalistic books: Bloodmobiles, Coltan in Congo (with Seada-Nourhussen) and Welcome to Darfur, this is our life; (with Elwin Verheggen). He has received several awards, such as Best Photojournalist of the Year under 30 in 2006 (canon prize) at the Zilveren Camera. In 2008, his picture of Laurent N'kunda dressed in his

suit taken at his home was awarded best foreign picture of the year in the Netherlands (at the Zilveren Camera). He is a member of the photo agency Hans Lucas ( in France ) and De Beeldunie (in the Netherlands).