I Am ME (Most Extraordinary)

I Am ME (Most Extraordinary)

“I am ME (most extraordinary)” is a photography project that uses authentic storytelling to educate, advocate, and mainstream beauty in difference. The project features the stories of special people in Dubai, with an aim to bring awareness to their challenges and what makes them extraordinary.

At present, I am ME has a home on Facebook and the project entails founder Stephanie Hamilton going around and photographing and interview families and individuals who have special challenges here in Dubai. 

"I have huge plans for this project", she says, "but am still putting foundations in place. I am building a website currently as I believe the stories are too valuable and beautiful to sit on Facebook."

Image: Stephanie Hamilton for I Am ME

 
The Facebook account for the project is www.facebook.com/iammostextraordinary and features a story every other week with the goal to educate, advocate, and  mainstream beauty in difference.
 
The goals Stephanie hopes to achieve with the project are, as she describes; 

1) Create a medical training system that medical staff can access in learning how to better deliver a diagnosis with hope, the facts, and the right resources for new parents of special children.  Currently (and I know because I was one of the many who was given a diagnosis with no hope and in a negative way) diagnosis for genetic disorders and birth defects is done in a very negative way with very little hope.  As a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, I have lived the other side of the coin and seen what an incredibly fulfilling life my daughter can lead and the potential is just as strong to develop as any other child... It just takes a lot more effort.
 
2) Create a parent support group to allow parents access to the right marital and family counselling that is necessary to help alleviate the extra pressure that goes with having a special child. I would ideally like to build a program to empower parents through coaching, exploring their creativity, and allowing them to have some form of respite.
 
3) Guinness Book of World's Record for largest "collage" or "vision board" which would be a community project where people can make smaller pieces of art, or write what their vision is for 2020. There would be local artists involved in making this collage, as well as large portraits of each of the people I have featured in my stories. It's a huge project, but here in Dubai, everything and anything is possible and I feel that it will bring the community together for a goal that is fun and meaningful.
 
4) Create a governing body for learning support teachers with ongoing training, support from KHDA, and resources to be able to allow more children to attend mainstream school. 

To find inspiration and learn more about “I am ME (most extraordinary)” please visit www.facebook.com/iammostextraordinary or check them out on Instagram @iammedubai.