Dear Steemians,
As you enjoyed my first post, here are some more pictures from my trip to East Africa. All of my pics haven't been modified in post - as you may notice. I like it this way. Here I am again, then, the lost sheep waiting to capture a divine sign on camera.
This lady has 120 years old, according to my calculations and very modest math knowledge.
I met her in an 'old people house for survivors' in Rwanda when I was shooting the documentary Lands of Lost Content with Elena (find info here https://www.facebook.com/plieproject/)
I tried to bypass the basic rules of politeness and asked her about her age, but my Kinyarwanda (the main language that's spoken down there) is just as horrible as my math skills. Sister Veronique, my interpreter and dear friend, asked on my behalf. The elegant charming wonderfully wrinkly lady said with a smile: 'I stopped counting when I was 95'.
Well, later I understood that there is a reason why she did so. At that age she lost all her kids and grandkids during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Her life was over by then, and until now she can't figure out why the killers let her alive.
The way she moves her hands is hypnotic; it's so gentle that can set your soul in silence and peace. In fact, I couldn't stop looking at her hands, even because I couldn't make any sense of her words.
Now look at these girls. I met them on the way back from the well where they went to fetch about 10 gallons of water. They sway their way towards me - their hips synchronised - balancing that thing on their head, and giggling at me when they noticed I was sweating under the small weight of my equipment. They make me feel the most useless being on the planet. Then an idea lifted me out of my misery: I can do something as well, I can show them, I can take photos. And this one is one of my favourite.
Here is one of the most intense experiences I witnessed in Rwanda, the hospital. The nuns running the hospital are fighting the high child mortality rate with such an intimidating strength. Most of these early deaths are avoidable with low-cost measures such as continuous breast-feeding, vaccinations and improved nutrition.
This woman has given birth to her fourth kid. She has lost two of them already. She is waiting to see him again while the new-born is getting inspected.
When Elena got into the hospital, this was her reaction. She looks down at the few working tools that help the miracle of life to happen.
After the encouraging words of sister Veronique, Elena was persuaded to hold the baby for few seconds.
Here are some more photos from Rwanda and Zanzibar. Each of them has a story. Please ask me you are curious!
Yours, Alessandro