poverty – Season Images

Dealing with demons – Introduction

I am not sure this is very wise – putting it all out there in a blog. I think that Blogging is somewhat pretentious, the assumption that you have something useful to say to the whole wide world that anybody would be interested in reading. It reminds me of a radio talk show I listened to in South Africa some years ago – a listener had phoned in and explained in intimate detail her gynecological condition. When asked by the talk-show host if she had spoken to her doctor she said that she was too embarrassed. . . ! There is a point at which mass anonymity is easier to cope with than one-on-one intimacy. In a series of articles I will be writing about the experiences of the long-term development worker and depression. Dealing with demons. Each article will be a work in progress – I will probably go back to each multiple times and edit them substantially over time.

I have decided to do this in the hopes that the exercise may be of help to others if this is not too vain or presumptuous. It may also be cathartic for me, if this is not too indulgent – boy do we have hangups sufficient to stop anyone from writing anything!

The initial set of topics will be as follows:-

1. Development work – the realities of the long haul.
2. The dark hole – dealing with the demons of depression
3. The myth of “Making a difference”
4. Footprints – the impacts of development
5. Large or small – the dilemma of scale in development
6. Travel – the Temptress and the Slave Driver

Its in the Eyes – Images of degradation

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

Whilst on a development mission in Mozambique, in the relatively remote Sofala Province, I was struck again by the immense impact of the practice of charcoaling. All around was a haphazard devastation which no doubt grew insidiously, tree by tree. The challenge is how to capture the underlying tragedy of what was happening. I took a number of images but decided that the mood is best conveyed in sombre monotones. The starkness of the landscape is captured in high contrast – the drama of what is happening is reflected in the eyes of the children of Metuchira.

For information on charcoaling, see the Blog Post entitled Charcoal and deforestation

The images can be seen in the Season Images Gallery.

Children of Metichura — Children of Metuchira

Charcoal and deforestation

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

If you travel virtually anywhere in rural Africa you cannot fail to notice a growing environmental crisis – deforestation caused by charcoaling. All households have basic energy needs which have to be met in the preparation of food, heating, boiling of water and other requirements. Traditionally these needs have been met with the use of fuelwood. With ever growing urbanization throughout Africa, fuelwood is not an option – the vegetation is just not available in urban fringe areas. Other options of electricity, kerosine and LPG gas are beyond the affordability of the vast majority of the poverty stricken urban fringe populations across the continent and so charcoal has become the only possible choice. Continue reading “Charcoal and deforestation”