Eyes of Hope

09/17/2026

Mershack Kabu Aklie — professionally known as CowrieKing — is a Ghanaian-born photographer, cultural storyteller, humanitarian, educator, and creative entrepreneur based in Portland, Oregon. The only son of his father and second born to his mother, he is originally from Ada Foah, Ghana, and draws deeply on his Ga-Dangme heritage, African spirituality, and the lived experience of building a life across two continents.

His work sits at the intersection of photography, culture, social impact, education, and human connection. As CowrieKing, he uses the camera as a bridge between people, generations, and cultures. His visual work centers on documentary photography, street portraiture, cultural events, and community life — honest, unguarded moments that reveal the deeper truth of a person or community. His approach is grounded in respect: he does not simply photograph people, he seeks to understand their humanity. His images are intended to preserve memory, challenge stereotypes, celebrate identity, and connect Africa and its diaspora. Through Adanobi Studios and his CowrieKing platform, he is building a visual platform dedicated to African culture, diaspora experience, and social-documentary storytelling.

Mershack is committed to preserving and promoting African history, culture, spirituality, language, music, and traditional knowledge. Through his storytelling he highlights the beauty of Ga-Dangme culture, Ghanaian tradition, and African festivals, and he speaks openly about present-day challenges facing African communities — including youth unemployment, substance abuse, environmental degradation, cultural loss, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. His advocacy looks forward as much as it honors the past, pairing ancestral knowledge with modern creativity, education, and technology.

He is the founder of the Eyes of Hope Global Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting dignity, restoring hope, and expanding opportunity for vulnerable individuals and communities. Its work spans support for children and young people, assistance for women facing abuse or hardship, action against child labor and trafficking, environmental responsibility, education, and the empowerment of artists and underserved communities. Community-based projects in Portland and Ghana — including African drumming and cultural education, youth mentorship, school support, beach cleanups, mangrove restoration, and diaspora travel experiences — form the foundation of a growing international network for humanitarian support and cultural exchange.

Mershack also works as an infant and toddler teacher, a role that deepened his conviction that confidence, emotional safety, cultural identity, and opportunity must be nurtured from the earliest years of life.

As a creative entrepreneur, he leads an interconnected ecosystem — Eyes of Hope LLC, Adanobi Studios, cultural education programs, and diaspora initiatives — built on the principle that creative enterprise can fund humanitarian work, employ young people, preserve culture, and build lasting institutions.

His guiding philosophy: people do not always need to be rescued — they need to be seen, supported, respected, and reminded of their own strength.

Seeing humanity. Preserving culture. Restoring hope.

# # Optional first-person statement (his own words, verified)

"I use photography, culture, education, and humanitarian service to help people feel seen and to preserve stories that deserve to survive. My mission is to connect Africa and its diaspora, protect human dignity, empower the next generation, and transform personal experience into meaningful work that serves others."

— Mershack Kabu Aklie, CowrieKing

05/31/2026

05/27/2026

Some of the deepest forms of love happen in silence.

No luxury. No perfect conditions. No promises that tomorrow will be easier. Yet somehow, life continues. A caregiver sitting quietly. Children beside them. A simple meal. A shared moment. Survival wrapped inside love.

This image reminds me of the kind of strength many people never post about — the quiet strength of those who carry families through storms while hiding their own exhaustion.

In many parts of the world, especially where we come from, struggle and love often live in the same house. You may not have much, but somehow there is always space to share food, protect one another, laugh through pain, and keep hope alive.

What touches me most is this: children still find ways to be children, even in difficult circumstances. A sweet in the hand. A football jersey worn with pride. Small joys that quietly fight against hard realities.

As someone who believes deeply in humanity, culture, and dignity, this is why I tell stories through photography. Because behind moments like this are untold sacrifices. Sleepless nights. Silent prayers. Dreams delayed so others can survive.

The truth is, many of the strongest people you know are carrying burdens you cannot see — and still showing up for the people they love.

May we never become so distracted by success that we forget the beauty of simple moments, shared struggles, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things just to keep life moving.

Because sometimes, love is simply staying… even when life becomes heavy. ❤️

📸 Studios
Photography with Purpose
Culture People Storytelling AfricanResilience Love SeeTheHuman

05/27/2026

Some of the deepest forms of love happen in silence.

No luxury. No perfect conditions. No promises that tomorrow will be easier. Yet somehow, life continues. A caregiver sitting quietly. Children beside them. A simple meal. A shared moment. Survival wrapped inside love.

This image reminds me of the kind of strength many people never post about — the quiet strength of those who carry families through storms while hiding their own exhaustion.

In many parts of the world, especially where we come from, struggle and love often live in the same house. You may not have much, but somehow there is always space to share food, protect one another, laugh through pain, and keep hope alive.

What touches me most is this: children still find ways to be children, even in difficult circumstances. A sweet in the hand. A football jersey worn with pride. Small joys that quietly fight against hard realities.

As someone who believes deeply in humanity, culture, and dignity, this is why I tell stories through photography. Because behind moments like this are untold sacrifices. Sleepless nights. Silent prayers. Dreams delayed so others can survive.

The truth is, many of the strongest people you know are carrying burdens you cannot see — and still showing up for the people they love.

May we never become so distracted by success that we forget the beauty of simple moments, shared struggles, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things just to keep life moving.

Because sometimes, love is simply staying… even when life becomes heavy. ❤️

📸 Studios
Photography with Purpose

05/26/2026

Childhood should be filled with play, not pressure… yet somehow, our children still find joy even inside responsibility.

This image touched my soul. One child holding a broom, another quietly watching from the shadows — a reminder that many children grow up learning survival before they fully experience childhood.

But look deeper… I do not only see struggle. I see resilience. I see imagination. I see the spirit of a people who learn strength early, yet still carry innocence in their eyes.

Growing up in communities like ours teaches something powerful: we may not always have much, but we learn responsibility, togetherness, and how to turn little into enough. Still, every child deserves time to dream, laugh, learn, and simply be a child.

As someone who stands for humanity and the dignity of people, I believe this deeply: children are not just the future — they are the present we are responsible for protecting today.

May we build a world where no child’s light is dimmed by hardship. A world where they are seen, loved, educated, protected, and given every chance to become who they were born to be.
❤️🌍

Sometimes the smallest hands carry the biggest lessons.

📸 Studios
Photography with Purpose
PhotographyWithPurpose Storytelling Ada ProtectChildhood People

05/25/2026

🇬🇭❤️🇳🇬 A Message of Unity, Humanity & Hope 🌍

From Eyes of Hope Foundation

At Eyes of Hope Foundation, we believe that humanity must always be greater than hate, and love must always be louder than division.

To our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, know this truth: Ghana and Nigeria are family. Our bond is deeper than borders — built through shared history, culture, music, resilience, trade, friendship, and dreams for a better Africa. And to our Zambian family and every African nation, we remain one people under one sky. ❤️🌍

As reports continue to emerge of Ghanaians and Nigerians facing xenophobic tensions, discrimination, and painful experiences in South Africa, we choose to respond not with hate, but with humanity.

We call on all Africans: Do not let pain turn into division. Do not let fear become hatred. Do not allow xenophobia to define who we are as a people.

At Eyes of Hope Foundation, our mission has always been rooted in human dignity, unity, justice, compassion, and healing communities through understanding. We believe Africa cannot heal if Africans become enemies to one another.

To our Ghanaian and Nigerian communities affected by these challenges: We see you. We hear you. We stand with you. Your pain matters, your dignity matters, and your humanity matters.

And to our fellow Ghanaians, let us once again remind the world of the values Ghana is known for — peace, hospitality, maturity, dignity, and love. Let wisdom guide us. Let leadership and diplomacy handle political matters while we, the people, protect the spirit of African brotherhood.

This is not the time to divide Africa.

This is the time to unite Africa.

Because:

✊🏾 No African nation rises by humiliating another.
❤️ No people become stronger through hate.
🌍 We are one people carrying different flags, but sharing one destiny.

May love heal what anger is trying to destroy.

One Africa. One Humanity. One Hope.

– Eyes of Hope Foundation
Healing Humanity Through Love, Culture & Compassion ❤️🌍

08/15/2025

Behind the Door: The Eyes That Speak Without Words

Some photographs don’t just show you an image — they hold you by the soul and refuse to let go.
This is one of them.

A child, standing silently in the doorway, holding onto a weathered piece of wood as if it’s the only anchor in their small world. No smile, no playful mischief — just eyes. Eyes that have already seen more than they should. Eyes that are both fragile and unbreakable.

When I look at this picture, I don’t see “poverty.”
I see presence.
I see the weight of unspoken stories.
I see the quiet strength of a soul learning to survive before they’ve even had a chance to simply be a child.

We often scroll past images like this, thinking, “It’s sad, but the world is full of it.”
But what if — just this once — we didn’t scroll past?
What if this face became the reason you decided to do something — anything?
Donate. Volunteer. Tell their story. Share their image. Help keep hope alive in places where it is constantly under threat.

Because this child’s eyes aren’t just looking at a camera — they are looking at you.
And maybe… just maybe… they are waiting for you to answer back.

"Some eyes don't just look at you - they reach inside you and ask, 'Will you see me?" This is not just a photograph. It's a question.
And your answer could change a life.