5 years old and dying... Photo

Photographer’s Note

Met this young boy in a really small village in the middle of nowhere. I was shocked to hear he was 5 years old...
We spoke to his mother who also had 3 other children to raise on her own (her husband left her). This son was the weakest and was dying. The pigment has drawn completely from his hair. It was really heart breaking to watch. We ran back to the road, to a nearby shop to buy all the available babyfood we could find and also gave the mother some money, but unfortunately we were too late. When I was back in Holland and I e-mailed my hostess there to ask for the boy, she had heard he died. I was able to take this photo because the camera really does create distance. I coudn't even hug the little man afterwards, because he really was in pain. In the evening, alone in my bed, I looked back at the photo's I took and cried my eyes out.
let this kid motivate us all to do something about extreme poverty....

robertosalguero, Buin, Davids, lestans, gabrielpat, rushfan2112, vizion, vonp, jmcl trouve(nt) cette note utile

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Buin (38008) 2007-04-04 7:22

Hallo Femke!
A courageous, an important and a necessary photo! Nothing more is to say ...
Greetings!
Frank

Davids (1034) 2007-04-04 8:41 [Comment]

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gabrielpat (6551) 2007-04-04 18:00

hi Femke,
sad story,indeed.not many interest from people shooting animals in Kenia..... a sad smiley.

Hellas (5151) 2007-04-05 5:37

Hello Femke,
This is a very emotive story. I wonder how many children are dying and how many people are making war for money. Our planet has two faces. Your picture shows the bad one. I wish to you never see again something like that.
Thank you.
Athanasios.

Leo71538 (438) 2007-04-05 12:13

Apart from emotional reactions, I don't know why the governors of developed countries do not pay attention to humanity. Do not forget that thousand tons of wheat is poured to sea every year to keep the market. Really, WHAT IS HUMAN RIGHTS, MAKINGS MISSILES OR ...?

portojo (169) 2007-04-10 5:28

your photo and his story are touching. Unfortunately this is the day-after-day in Africa... A photo doesn't will change things but the silence is worst...
Thank you
Javier

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-04-21 10:47

Hi Femke, Incredible to think that we live in a so-called modern world and yet the rich nations allow (some even cause) this sort of thing to happen. If we all did a little more helping there'd be a lot less dying. It's a good photo but a tragic story. You deserve a medal for even trying to help - more than most people here will ever do. Kindest regards, Paul.

vonp (2235) 2007-05-14 17:51

Ciao Femke,
The photograph helps to know, to understand, to feel... sometime, after one shot, reality geting more real... so, thanks.
Have a good night
Paolo

jmcl (14013) 2007-06-13 23:58

Hi Femke,

Came into your gallery looking at one thing and ended up here .. such a tragic photo .. we all should have to face this child .. hard for me to type more ..
take care,

John