A world tour for a priceless package

Victoria Sousa was a beautiful child, inside and out.

When the healthy and athletic 12-year old lost her life to the H1N1 flu virus in October of 2009, it devastated her family and rocked her entire community to its core. Cathy and Louis, her parents, both eventually emerged from the intense grief of their loss with a determination to make an impact, in Victoria's name. They established the Victoria Sousa Foundation, which provides scholarships for local students to attend the St. Philhomena School, where Victoria was a student at the time of her death, and St. Mary Academy Bay View, where Cathy, and Victoria's older sisters Marguerite and Emily attended.

Eventually, Cathy threw herself into public health advocacy, speaking out to encourage people to get the flu vaccine.

For his part, Louis, in his free time, immersed himself in photography. "Photography was and remains a means to cope with grief," he says. "My eyes are always framing the world into squares and rectangles. All the world is a photograph."

More recently, Louis began shooting in film. "I like film, and the deliberate nature of it," he says. "You have to put thought into every shot."

As his interest grew, he explored internet message boards and met other film enthusiasts online. "I met this one guy, he calls himself Mr. Emulsive," Louis says. "He won't share his real name." Mr. Emulsive lives in Taiwan—and that gave Louis the kernel of an idea—why not connect with other far-flung film enthusiasts in a more tangible way?

And so the Victoria Project was born.

Victoria is a Canon Canonet camera, a small, inexpensive, fixed-lens film camera with few bells and whistles. It's named for Victoria Sousa, and it's going on a world tour.

Louis packed it up in a case along with a moleskine notebook and pen, and a very simple set of guidelines: shoot whatever you want, however much you want, color, black and white—it doesn't matter. Post your pictures and upload a blog entry to the project's website.

There is only one requirement: "Tell one person Victoria's story; spread the word about the importance of the flu vaccine."

The project is in its infancy. Victoria's first stop was in New Zealand, with Kali, a friend of Lou's from the online community who lost her son to suicide. There were two more stops in New Zealand, followed by Australia. From there, Victoria will be visiting Tasmania, China, southeast Asia, South Africa, Israel, several countries in Europe and across the United States.

There are 46 photographers in all, each taking about 2 weeks with the camera. Louis is still looking for a destination for Victoria in South America, but their dance card is otherwise full.

On Victoria's return, Louis hopes to turn the project into a book and a series of gallery exhibits. He is already in conversations with URI, AS220, and RISD locally, and one of the participating photographers is planning to mount an exhibition in Rome.

It will be two years of adventure and beauty and, the Sousas hope, educational outreach on a global scale.

"The year immediately after Victoria died the vaccination rate in Rhode Island hit 90 percent," says Cathy. "It was so high that federal health authorities thought the Rhode Island figures were fudged. But as each year passes the rate gets lower and lower.

"We just have to keep talking about it—hopefully it won't take another death to get the rates moving in the right direction."

For more information on the Victoria Project please visit victoria862.com.


Dispatches from the Victoria Project

"My thoughts went out to a young girl, who although we may never have known has become part of our lives. I thought about the places she could have been to, about the people she would have met, and the great stories she should have told us. When my friend Victoria visits this quiet little corner of the world, what would I show her that would be just that little bit different?

"I’ve lived in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand for most of my adult life, and I think I know this city fairly well. Now we could trudge the tourist trail: Parliament, the cable car, or any number of museums. But the thing is I know of this little jewel, an old lady with a grand past that’s seen better days. Cuba Street is the home to cafes, curio shops, bars, buskers, beggars, bordellos, and everything in between. Full of life and crazy people. I’m taking her there!

"Our tour, which started promptly at 7am and would not finish until 11pm that night, is chronicled here. I also introduced her to some of the locals we met along the way; some friends but mostly just good people. Every person here with a portrait met Victoria. I shared her story with them and they shared their time with us."

—Brett, Wellington, New Zealand


"With great anticipation I unpacked the parcel and got my grubby hands on this well travelled much revered little camera. What a delightful little thing she is. Instantly I got all giddy and in my excitement I loaded her with colour film thinking I was going to change the world with my artistic genius……..and then the panic kicked in…..COLOUR! what have I done? I rarely use colour film and never with success. So I sat and stared at Victoria and got all morose, self pitying and lame. Then bad weather, work , children’s activities kicked in and Victoria sat with her new chums on my analogue shelf waiting patiently of me to use her.
A week passed and she continued to sit unused. Then from out of the blue I had a free afternoon and so did my girl. The perfect opportunity to go out, get some exercise and  bond. What could be more fitting?
And so we walked and talked and I discussed this project, Victoria and her wonderful Dad and family and took some pictures.

"We talked about life, death, regrets and happiness.
We looked at the world and sang songs. We told bad jokes and stood in sheep poo.
We smiled and laughed.
We even managed to get some junk food, an ice-cream and get home late.

"All of these things we did with little Victoria. It turns out I didn’t change the world with my artistic brilliance. However that darling little camera managed to change mine."

—Caleb Spanner, Christchurch, New Zealand


I was so happy to be given the first stop in Victoria ‘s  world travels. I felt  so excited and inspired opening the box and holding this sweet little  camera in my hands.  More than anything this was a tangible link of friendship  between Louis and myself. We met on the  365 project website, Louis reached out to me and told me of the  tragic loss of his young daughter Victoria in response to my own grief in the aftermath of  the sudden death of my  son.  As parents who have lost  children we share an understanding  of  the indelible mark  such a loss leaves and the hurt we hold.  Seeing Victoria Sousa’s photograph my heart seized with sadness, such a beautiful vibrant young girl,  gone. And yet I am sure I felt her joyful, uplifting and encouraging presence during the  2 weeks I  had this camera here.

—Kali, New Zealand