My Photo scholarship 2010 entry
Egypt | Monday, October 4, 2010 | 5 photos
As an independent filmmaker, photographer and world traveler, my passion is connecting people globally through storytelling. My opportunity in Cairo, Egypt started as a photography/videography internship with a medical ministry. I documented medical trips, ministry opportunities and truly experienced life with some of the most underprivileged groups. 4 months later I found myself on a flight home with enough footage to create a feature documentary on Sudanese refugees. However, these pictures tell quite a different story about local Egyptians.
Above the crowded streets, the city of Cairo stretches across the horizon in every direction. Truly a beautiful sight to behold, this city boasts around 17 million people with so much diversity that I left with cultural experiences from all over the globe.
Within the bustling metropolis of Cairo, a group of Coptic Christians live a humble existence in Duweiqa, the poorest community in the city.
The history of the community chronicles their tribulations; as a former garbage city, piles of trash still blanket open areas and open sewage trickles down neighborhood streets. In 2008 a massive rock slide demolished Duweiqa homes, burying people alive and injuring hundreds.
Despite the problems they've faced, the children who call this area home give you the impression that they live like kings with the joy and benevolence they naturally exude.
My roommate and I were the first white foreigners to visit their Sunday School, and as we returned every Friday, they became more and more interested in my camera, wanting to take photos and have their picture taken. I realized this might be the first photo ever taken of them, so I began printing and handing them out. I have never given such a simple gift to someone and watch them experience as much excitement as someone who has just won a million dollars. I realized in that moment that photography can change lives through the simplest act of giving back to those who gave so much to me.
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