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Post Tagged with: "photojournalist"

Back to the Farm

February 27, 2013

Get this: 80% of Burkina Faso’s population attempts to make it’s living in subsistence agriculture while only 19% of land is arable. That makes farming kind of like a guy getting a date in a country where men outnumber women four to one. Poor soil qualities, fluctuations in rainfall, and topsoil erosion all contribute to the country’s crop production woes. Recent work is displayed here from the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s agricultural programs in Burkina Faso. MCC, a humanitarian arm of the US State Department, is boosting production and access to markets for small farmers in this West African country, however. The programs shown here document the organization’s efforts in sustainable agriculture, livestock vaccination, fertilizers, and agro-forestry, as well as ground-breaking, innovative initiatives. In the Market Information Systems program, agents use cell phone technology to publish regional market prices for a variety of commodities. Farmers who subscribe to the database can[…]

The Big Picture

January 27, 2013

This is big-picture stuff. No, I’m not talking about the number of megapixels on my Canon 5D Mark III, I’m talking about the work of US development organization, MCC. The Millennium Challenge Corporation works to impact developing nations and their economies on a macro scale. Part of this work means renovating the infrastructure on which a nation operates. While certainly not the most emotionally gripping topic, infrastructure is key to any country’s economic development. Build a solid enough foundation, and a nation will have the tools it needs to provide for its own citizens. Above, a main artery stretches through the city of Nampula, in Mozambique, where MCC is rehabilitating roads and renovating the city’s municipal water system. The country’s grueling civil war ended in 1992, but much of its infrastructure has yet to recover, even now. Below, workers construct the Nacala Dam in northern Mozambique, which will supply water[…]

A Pat on the Back

January 11, 2013

A couple of times in the past I’ve gotten flack for giving credit to former US President George W. Bush here my blog, though it’s not because of any particular political persuasion I hold. On the continent of Africa, no other leader’s legacy endures more so than that of President Bush–trust me, I live here. From the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Program (PEPFAR) to his efforts to combat cervical cancer on the continent, Mr. Bush’s initiatives have saved millions, yes, millions of lives here. So, just as I always ask for a photo by-line from my clients, I won’t refuse to give credit where credit is due when talking about another Bush-founded agency dedicated to aid in the developing world, the Millennium Challenge Corporation. My most recent work with the Millennium Challenge Corporation has so far taken me to the African countries of Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Many[…]

Solar for Your Health

November 26, 2012

How does an NGO combine sustainable energy with family planning and reproductive health services? It can only happen in Africa, where there’s serious demand for both. Pathfinder International’s integrated programs in Uganda are helping to kill two giant birds with one stone. Remote Bussi Island, in Lake Victoria, is home to a number of small fishing communities. The island has little infrastructure and is not connected to the national grid. Most people use small paraffin (kerosene) lamps to see at night, provided they can afford to buy the paraffin. Pathfinder, who has been working to improve maternal health and increase access to family planning services on the island for several years, knew that nurses and other health care workers struggled to carry out essential services once the sun set. Solar-generated electricity became the solution for Bussi’s Health Center as well as other health centers in the country. Above, a woman[…]

Off-Duty Shots

November 16, 2012

I find that most photographers fall into one of two categories: those that carry their camera around everywhere they go, and those whose camera is packed safely away in the cupboard when not on assignment. I generally fall into the category of the latter. When I’m on assignment I’m in the zone. Creating interesting photographs of everyday subject matter consumes a great deal of energy, so most of the time I use it sparingly. Most of the time, that is. Time spent with good friends in one of my favorite corners on the planet, the Soroti area of Uganda, calls for an impromptu breakout of the camera. My friends Boas and Annet make for most of the subject matter herein, save for John Simon Okiror, below, who died a few days after this photo was taken.

Dam That River

October 29, 2012

How can a family earn income when most of their time is spent meeting the most essential of needs? How can an entire village or town develop if all its inhabitants face this same problem? As with other things, water does not grow on proverbial trees, but neither does it run through municipal pipelines in much of the East African nation of Kenya. Consequently, families are at the mercy of rainfall and river water to ensure the ability to drink, cook, bathe, and wash clothing. Unlike much of the West, rainfall in Kenya usually occurs only during a certain few months out of the year. The later in the dry season it is, the harder it becomes to find a water source. On one of my latest assignments with ChildFund, I documented the lengths to which people go to find water in Kenya’s Migwani District, just four hours north-west of[…]

Where There Is No Doctor

October 13, 2012

Pathfinder International’s mobile health care camps bring family planning services, HIV testing, ante-natal care, and immunizations to isolated communities that otherwise would not have access to health services. The following were taken on a rainy day in Kyanjojo and Kasese, in Western Uganda. “The hospital is very far and there are no midwives to attend to them in case a woman goes into labor at night… We are losing very many mothers. You never know which pregnancy will not be proper or which pregnancy will lead to death,” says midwife Harriet Kegonzi, shown above. Pathfinder also emphasizes contraception as a principal method of bringing down high maternal mortality rates. With more than six children per mother on average, Uganda consistently ranks among the highest fertility rates in the world.

Forging New Paths in Asia

September 22, 2012

I recently returned from a whirlwind assignment through Indonesia and the Philippines where I shot three video pieces for ChildFund. Footage in the above piece was combined with coverage I shot earlier this year in Sri Lanka in order to give a broad overview of ChildFund‘s Early Childhood Development programs funded by Fonterra Dairy in Asia. ChildFund is rebuilding schools and community centers that were damaged or destroyed during Sri Lanka’s decades-long conflict and opening new centers in remote areas of Indonesia and the Philippines, working in-step with parents and community members along the way. The new centers foster social and cognitive development for children and provide a venue where parents can learn about proper sanitation and nutrition for their families. The work impacts the very future of these countries by helping to raise a generation of bright, educated, and healthy children.

Fair, Green, & Happy

May 19, 2012

Next time you take a sip of the world’s most popular beverage, think of the hands that harvested it from a hill far away. Many that work on tea plantations around the world are children forced into labor or adults earning deplorable wages. Not so, however, in the fields of Mpanga Tea Growers Factory outside Fort Portal, Uganda. Mpanga is different from the dozens of other growers in the country because it grows Fair Trade tea and is solely owned by small holder farmers. One of my recent clients, Shared Interest, is a UK-based ethical investment cooperative that provided $250,000 worth of capital to Mpanga in the form of a loan. This allowed the Fair Trade growers to expand their business and land on which they farm. Shared Interest is the world’s only 100% fair trade lender. The land surrounding the factory is host to clean, modern schools, health care[…]

Selfless Optimism

April 25, 2012

Both of my most recent videos feature individuals who have made a difference in the lives of others in East Africa by giving their time and resources to assist in the causes of education and women’s empowerment. The above video was shot in Kibera, which is known for being East Africa’s largest slum. I had to keep well on my toes while shooting here, as the neighborhood can be dicey. We hired guides and watchmen to look out for us and to help control the curious crowds. There’s a bit of male-bashing in this piece, but it appears to be well-deserved. For anyone looking to begin a new NGO in Kenya, may I suggest addressing absentee fathers and the break-up of the family. On the whole, women in Sub-Saharan Africa face more challenges than men. Care for Kenya works with women in Kibera and Kisumu, most of whom are HIV[…]