Kenyan Orphans by Will

Friday, 25th January 2008

Kenyan Orphans

by Will

Back in 2005 we spent a few weeks working for a charity in Kenya. One day we visited these orphans and brought along some colouring books and crayons as gifts. The children set upon the task of colouring in with great dedication and concentration… after a few minutes, the crayons were worn down to stubs and the walls of their small classroom were covered in their colourful creations!

Equipment: Canon EOS 1D MK II, 17-40mm f4

Will

I love travelling and I love photography. I particularly enjoy nature and wildlife photography.

Photoblog

14 Comments

Eric Joyce Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Nice shot, I visited one of your web sites as well. I would like to travel with my photography as well, I envy you and your brother.
Anurag Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Depiction of Human pathos and suffering arouses strong reactions almost unfailingly. I believe its time to walk the talk. Reiterating for the umpteenth time - The rich should do much more than what is being done. The best weapon I feel is empowerment through education. (I do feel strongly about this issue, so pl. excuse the strong wording)

The photograph is very evocative, the expression of intense concentration on the boy’s face says it all.
Technically, I particularly like the color harmony between the colors of the clothing and the colors on the drawing. The hard sidelight also adds to the atmosphere.
Reuben Chircop Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Through this moment I see the innocence of children and their natural creativity untouched by mankind. They seem as if the person taking was totally ignored as if the photo was not even being taken. this is a great human moment.
Ann Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I have spent time in this part of the world and know personally what a pencil and a piece of paper mean to these kids. It is worth mentioning that without them they can not attend school,which of course is impossible for most of them. Anurag I do not feel that you need to be excused for your views on this subject. It is a shame on us in this twenty first century and we should do more than pay lip service. It is very humbling to see an image of this sort. I have many showing the absolute delight and pleasure derived from such a simple and small gift. Highly emotive and so it should be. Anyway, it is an excellent image.
Eli Shams Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Nict to read your caption first, then see the photo : smile in my heart.Great image, thanks.
Will Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
“They seem as if the person taking was totally ignored as if the photo was not even being taken.” It’s funny you should say that Reuben! My biggest problem was that whenever I put the camera to my eye, all the kids would leap up and jostle to get in front of the lens! This photo was taken with the camera resting on the table… I just pressed the shutter button and hoped. It took a couple of attempts to get the composition right!
Pauline Jones Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I hope these kids get a chance in life. Ireland has gone from being practically third world to one of the richest countries on the planet. But the problem hasn’t gone away; it has just moved somewhere else. Irish people are very generous where charity is concerned but is it enough? Will throwing money at these people make enough of a difference? Problems of this kind rarely have a simple solution because the systems they live under are often corrupt, but that should not put us off helping where we can. If we truly loved our neighbor as ourselves how much better the world would be.
Ann Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Pauline, I am in total agreement with all of your comments on this subject. A friend of mine visited this region 7 years ago and was so affected, she returned armed with only a typewriter and a few dollars/she opened an orphanage of her own. Today she now runs 6 such organisations and all of her family have joined her.They have made a vast difference to the lives of hundreds of orphans. This inspirational story can be found on the website. www.lightinafrica.org Truely someone who loves her neighbour and puts it into practise.
Renee Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Great picture..Great comments! Thanks for sharing your photo and story!
Billy B Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
It’s neat that you were able to do this, but doesn’t this stray from an “earthshot”? I have a feeling that a photo from an American, inner city ghetto classroom would not make the cut…. The boy on the right in not in focus. Neat story, not fitting however.
Alexander Bui Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
This picture really touched my heart..

Thank you…

rgrds
Pieter -sAner- van der Horst Says:
January 26th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I like the colors of the wall, the table and the crayons but other than that this photo doesn’t really do much for me. It looks I am alone with this opinion, so it must be me.
a. Says:
January 26th, 2008 at 1:35 am
I like the wall color!
a. Says:
January 26th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Sorry, I wasn’t able to finish my comment. This photograph really touches my heart. Great work Will!