My past year photography journey

Being a communication specialist

Working as a communication specialist on HIV program at non-governmental organization takes me to different places and people with various stories. Since the project am working focuses on Tigray and Amhara regions, most of my job based travel is to these two regions. I met so many people, went to different places, some I will never forget. 

Ashengae lake, photo by Genaye Eshetu

Ashengae Lake is my favorite spot in Tigray. I always see the glory of God in the Chain Mountains of Tigray. Something which I always found funny traveling in these regions is actually looking at the famous towns and places either through local books or music. The drivers often show me when we reach to the famous places and since I often had such an image of these places in my mind, actually looking at those places is an interesting experience; because it always turns out to be the exact opposite of what I imagined.

Tigray landscape Photo by Genaye Eshetu

I went to different towns in these regions to document the stories of the beneficiaries of the program. You can find some of the stories in this link.  One of the stories I did was in a small town in Tigray, called Korem. I wrote a story on 4 HIV positive women, who are making great impact in their community as volunteer health workers. They teach other HIV positive mothers on healthy positive living at the coffee ceremony they organize in the health center three times a week. I recently nominate their story for an international health award competition (Real Awards http://www.therealawards.com/), and they are got selected  for it. Letting stories of such women known and recognized is what gives me pleasure. Read their story on: http://www.msh.org/news-events/stories/so-that-no-child-be-born-with-hiv-ethiopia

The korem mother mentors at a coffee ceremony Photo by Genaye Eshetu

As you might already tell photography is not just about the images for me, but also the stories with the images. Without the story they carry, images have a risk of being impotent. Though I believe images can sometimes have more power to tell stories than words and vice verse; putting the two together (images and words) can have a greater impact.

A child taking care of a child! Photo by Genaye Eshetu

One of the other women I met in this journey, who is close to my heart, is Abeba. Abeba is an HIV positive single mother of two. I wrote a success story and did a short documentary on Abeba's story. But as I was interviewing her, shooting her for the documentary, at the background of all these, the life of her daughter remained engraved in my heart. She is only 5, HIV positive, and she tirelessly takes care of her little brother who is a year old. She warms his milk, feeds him, carries him around on her back, she puts him to sleep; while somebody else needs to do all these for this little girl.

It didn't take me more than half a day to find another young girl, taking care of her younger brother that way. 

          I hope for a world where every child has the right and opportunity to be a child.