Success

I met Margaret late in the afternoon while taking a walk through the slums behind my accommodations in Kenya.  I was with a group of three or four others and she was preparing an evening meal for her grandchildren.  It was the only meal for the day, hot cocoa prepared over an open fire in the street.  The mugs were not clean, they were chipped – not the kind of thing you want to serve to a guest.  But there was no place for pride here as Margaret filled our mugs with hot cocoa, to the brim and overflowing. 

It can be amazing how the little things can have the most impact and measuring the success of our lives can be a precarious thing.  The fact is that the best thing we ever do could be quite insignificant in our own eyes.  It may be that we reached out to another at just the right time, perhaps we wrote a card to someone and this simple act made all the difference.  It may be that we sacrificed to ensure our child went to a good school and had the opportunity we could never experience, which led them to a great act.  My money is on taking hold of the opportunities, at least with the intent to make the best of every one.  And on this day it was Margaret who took hold of an opportunity.  She became my teacher and gave me an object lesson in generosity, faith and the importance of being connected.    

© Copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

The Antidote, Part II

As a photojournalist I want my images to help us bridge the gap, make a connection and understand the diversity of other cultures.  And I want to get beneath the skin of my subject, bringing back images that reflect how people really feel about their daily lives and not merely to record their meeting with a westerner. 

My approach is to ask myself questions and seek out images that answer these questions.  How do these people feel about their predicament?  What are their hopes?  How do they think they are going to move forward?

My travels have taken me to many parts of the world with hard hitting subject matter.  There have been many adventures and many lessons learned.  That we all share so many of the same struggles and joys.  Love for our children, the need for work and an education, the need for peace.  Observing suffering creates a unique blend of reactions – it has for me anyway.  Guilt is in there but mostly it is a sense of responsibility to do justice to the stories of those I have photographed.  I hope my images inspire us all to work toward a better future for everyone in the world.  Like it or not, our futures are linked, surely we know this after experiencing the failure of the world economy, we all suffer. 

The antidote may be hard but it is often simple – a helping hand to those who are doing everything in their power to help themselves.   The chance of an education where there is no access to education.  The chance of work where there is no work.  Safeguarding the supply of food where there is no food.  Access to healthcare where there is no healthcare.  Clean water to places that have no supply of clean water.  You get the picture – but really it needs more than words, and more than photos.  It needs a touch of the heart before we can really make a difference.  And making a difference is the thing I am most interested in.  Reaching the point where there is genuine connection that changes the way we think and the way we act.  

 © Copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

© Photo copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

The Antidote Part One

Shotgun Wedding

Shotgun Wedding The story and thoughts behind one photo

A pile of empty shells by a deserted window, a snipers window.  We are on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and the window is in a school, it looks out across no man’s land.  It is eerie; contradictory... schools should represent hope, the next generation, freedom, possibility, life.  But not here, this school has been blown to pieces.  It is exposed to the elements with the pages of schoolbooks flapping as the wind howls through deserted corridors.  One book shows the face of Ghandi.  It is strange to find the photo of a pregnant bride by a pile of empty shells.  The cigarette butts evoke a story.  Long hours waiting, wondering, and then I wonder why on earth would someone own and then discard such a photo.  This picture is full of contradictions.   

But then war is full of contradictions.  War on the ground is so personal – often more personal than political.  If it were my bride, unborn child, sister, brother, mother, father, it would be personal.  And those living in conflict grasp the delicate balance between life and death.  Tomorrow may never come and if you want something you take it today. 

We often see war in the abstract, detached from personal stories.  But the political stories are personal, they always impact real people like you and me.         

Back in 1995, when Bosnian ethnic cleansing was at its height, the US intervened.  A fragile peace followed and still holds.  Thank God for the intervention and for those that stand on the line.  But then let’s not forget that war is a hideous thing.  I may not be the pacifist I would like to be, but surely we should fight for peace with all our strength before we march to war.    

© Photo copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

© All other photos copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

Six hours from coke

Six hours from coke The story and thoughts behind one photo

When travelling in some of the most remote areas we would try to figure out how far we were from a coke.  We made six hours on one occasion.  The time was cut short due to the fact that two locals overheard us joking and decided to buy us a coke and walk for several hours to keep the time down. 



Let’s face it, we are all an arm’s length from a coke, all connected in some way. 

The world has become a small place and our history is not that far away either. 

On the west coast of Africa, where this photo was taken, two countries sit side by side.   The British sent their free slaves back to Sierra Leone and the American’s sent theirs to Liberia. 

The return of former slaves has caused violence with the locals ever since.

It has been said that time is a great healer but reality most often proves this saying is wrong and reconciliation that leads to freedom demands more. 

In 2002, a group of women in Liberia formed a group and stood up against the violence.  Their statement read, “In the past we were silent, but after being killed, raped, dehumanized, and infected with diseases, and watching our children and families destroyed, war has taught us that the future lies in saying ‘no’ to violence and ‘yes’ to peace.  We will not relent until peace prevails.”   

There have been other brave examples such as the South African style truth and reconciliation commission.  The perpetrators of political crimes were brought face to face with their victims, and here with the offer of amnesty, the truth was brought to bear.  No magic formulas, much pain and many critics, but none the less new foundations can be built on the truth and there is the chance to start over. 

Perhaps we have no responsibility for the decisions of those who act on our behalf either in the past or today.  And nations taking responsibility, with declarations of apology, is a hugely controversial issue.  But none the less there is tremendous power in speaking the truth - it brings the chance to start over. 

© Photo copyright Jim Loring/Tearfund.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

© All other photos copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

You Will Do Your Chores

You Will Do Your Chores The story and thoughts behind one photo

This family live in the rift valley of Ethiopia, it is a five hour hike to the nearest road.  They were too poor to send their children to school, not because it cost anything, they simply needed the entire family to pull together, work the land and grow enough to eat.  Direbe is just five years old and surely this is another face of extreme poverty, where even the hope of a better life is stripped away before anyone gets a chance. 

Education is one of those key areas that create opportunities for the next generation.  It addresses one of the root causes of extreme poverty.  It is ironic that in this community a groundbreaking education project was under way.  With donated land the people had pulled together to clear the ground for the simple school building.  The teachers were volunteers.   School materials were kept to a minimum favoring the use of natural products to ensure sustainability, and classrooms were packed.  These kids want to learn, they understand the alternative.      

© Photo copyright Jim Loring/Tearfund.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

© All other photos copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

The Road to Hope

The Road to Hope The story and thoughts behind one photo

Jacques is nine and lives in Haiti.  His mother was twelve when he was born and just a few years later her husband died.  She now lives with a man, ‘old enough to be my father’.  She has three children, lives in poverty and is in no position to care for Jacques.  But Jacques was noticed by someone who cared enough to go meet with his mother and offer help.  He goes home to sleep with his mother and she is glad for the help.  Jacques now has clean clothes, somewhere to play and is receiving an education.  He has a long way to go and needs financial support, but surely these are the things that every child should have.  The UN has a list of child rights... each child should have an adequate standard of living, a right to healthcare, education and a right to play. 

I once met an eleven year old child in Colombia who spoke about her rights.  Her right to an education, she said, was something she had to take responsibility for.  It was up to her to take hold of her rights and so she sought out the smartest person in her community to make her claim.

And in Africa the classrooms are full, sixty kids sitting behind desks – tightly packed and silent as they listen with intent.  Somehow they know how important it is to claim their rights.  Without an education the future is clear.  Lack of education leads the road to poverty but choosing to learn leads to hope.             

© Photo copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.

This blog is a response to the needs I see.  My plan is to find grassroots projects that are addressing both the root causes and immediate needs of those living in extreme poverty.  I will pass on 100% of any gift given to help.

Checks should be made payable to ‘Community Partnership of Rabun’, marked ‘MyWorld/Haiti’ and sent to Community Partnership/MyWorld, 196 Ridgecrest Circle, Clayton, GA 30525, USA 

Thanks!   

© Photo copyright Jim Loring.  No reproduction without permission.