"Horn of Africa: Bringing dignity to drought victims through photojournalism"

  Women News Network

This article orginally appeared in its entirety here.

ETHIOPIA: An award winning photojournalist maps a journey toward dignity, empathy and understanding during the drought in the Horn of Africa

It’s been over a decade now, since I had the ‘misfortune’ to cover famine along the Ethiopian/Kenyan border in a remote desert village near Gode, called Denan.

Then, like now, I was on assignment for Food for the Hungry, a humble organization which does so much good for so many in this world. Once again, I’ve been asked to cover the drought and efforts to help ease the human condition in the same desert region I walked twelve years before.

It was a dangerous time then. I was protected by soldiers who kept me in a triangle as I was led from hut to hut of assembled twigs — to see, to document, the need where mothers sat quietly with their emaciated children gently held in their arms.

It was there where many, among the hordes of flies and strained cries, struggle to draw what would have been their last breath.

This forgotten village well beyond the tourist beat wasn’t anything special except the contrast to me was so poignant. The evening sun was simply beautiful, blood red in color. It held my attention as it dropped below the horizon.

A lovely image and yet such tragic moments were in play as some thirteen children died that day simply due to the lack of food, water and medicine used to offset measles; a disease which proves easily deadly when a child is so weak.

The images, the sounds, the silence of people pushed to the edge affected me. Inside my heart ached and I cried for a very long time.
Would I now stop in sending food back to the kitchen, or never leave food on my plate nor see a healthy child, pink and smiling which didnt make me pause?

This article orginally appeared in its entirety here.

Subscribe