Friday, August 11, 2006

Life and death at the source...


Angel, night commuter child
Charity for Peace Camp
Gulu, Uganda



It is 4:30 AM, but my body seems to insist that it is the slothful hour of 11:30 AM,eastern Africa time, and refuses to go back to sleep. I am sorry this is the first posting in quite a while, but dependable, uploadable internet access proved quite unattainable. Let me somehow try to begin to explain the last several weeks in a few words and images. Let this serve as an introduction.

I have heard it said that the value placed on life in parts of Africa is very low.
This certainly explains the driving on the "highways" in Uganda. In fact 3 days after I travelled the same road, 30 people were killed when a taxi bus slammed into a truck when it was on the wrong side of the road, avoiding other slower moving cars and the inevitable craters in the surface of the road. (story)
Yet at the same time, I met people willing to sacrifice as they make room in their house for one more orphan. One more war widow. One more HIV positive AIDS widow.
I met a very bright young woman trained as a tailor, who abandoned her schooling to take care of her 5 siblings when, at the age of 8, she witnessed the slaughter of her parents.
I met thousands of children who walk miles barefoot to study advanced mathematics in a dirt floor schoolhouse, who desire to be doctors, nurses, engineers, artists, if they can just find the money to pay their school fees.
What is one to make of all of this?
I took photographs.
Catherine Primary School,
Kangulumira , Uganda


Sunday Morning Night Commuters
Charity for Peace Camp
Gulu, Uganda

Family working in the quarry
Acholi quarter,
Kampala, Uganda

Former Child Soldier,
Charity for Peace Camp
Gulu, Uganda




5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is fantastic that you have returned, and I look forward to future installments of your experiences.

From an outside perspective, the conditions there seem to reflect numerous hopes and sorrows, and the juxtaposition between the aesthetic beauty of the photographs and the conditions captured by the content of those pictures is compelling. After all, I'm a big fan of contrasts. If your goal was to capture the humanity of those around you, in it's various shapes and forms, I feel that you have done very well.

11:46 AM  
Blogger rosanne h said...

Vic,
You have certainly bestowed dignity upon the subjects in these beautiful photos! I love, love, LOVE the one of "Angel" at the top of the page. So much captured in one split second.... The image of the night commuters has such rich lighting -- is it only available light? The eyes of the former child soldier -- they draw you right in. Very compelling.
These are so beautiful, Vic.
Can't wait to see more.

5:23 PM  
Blogger Victor Frailing said...

Thank you.
Brent, you are exactly correct. One of my strongest impressions of the country was the contrast of high compassion in the individual, and relative indifferance in the group.

10:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Vic,
I am glad that you have safely returned and pray for your full recovery and return of strenght after your physically and emotionally draining journey. I especially enjoyed the photograph of the students sitting in the sand ( no desks, air conditioning, physical comforts). They appeared to be at rapt attention, focusing on the experience. The former soldier, who should have the innocent face of youth instead appears to be focusing on images of suffering he cannot comprehend.
Beth

10:24 AM  
Blogger Victor Frailing said...

Thank you, Beth.
Thatcher and your assistance was very helpful in assisting me in this. I have several other images of Benjamin that focus on his eyes, particularily when he is talking about his experience in the LRA...
He is a very smart and young man, and all he cares about is his family.
I hope we can help.

9:21 AM  

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