Ethiopian Country Side

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Ethiopia | Wednesday, October 5, 2011 | 5 photos

These are photos of the Ethiopian countryside in December before the recent famine, where agricultural and husbandry households loosely span over the terrain and where the religious culture is still based on ancient events in Christian, Muslim and Ethiopian history. It is a country with strong ties to middle eastern culture but that is distinctly different from the Middle East and North Africa. Its histories link its founding to Ancient Egypt and the Nile as well as to the Queen of Sheba and the Christian Crusaders. The modern day Ethiopian living in the countryside has developed his/her own way of survival that is distinctly adapted to the region and it's available resources. Nevertheless, many polemics of mal-nutrition, water scarcity and sanitation, education, social security, corruption and women's rights are still prominent in these areas.

I believe I should be chosen for this scholarship because of three distinct reasons. Firstly, I am a motivated photographer who is passionate about my photography work. Secondly, I am a culturally sensitive traveller who above all wants to show respect to the country and the people who share the experience (country, culture) with me. Lastly, I want to give back to the countries I visit by understanding them, helping other people understand the countries and by implementing a deeper understanding of the cultures into my work as a development research analyst and public policy advocate.

I find travelling to be more of a sociological experience than a favorite past-time, however, I am far from being able to capture the culture and "soul" of the places, rather than just the images. If I were to win this contest, I hope to be able to improve my technique and learn how to document the travel experience in a more profound way.