In Why I Write, I explain my internal as well as external motivations for writing. With regards to my external motivations, I claim to write "not in a passive sense, but in an active sense. Writing to get involved." For me this means this portfolio would not be complete without providing some sort of opportunity for my readers to get involved. If you were inspired by These Are The Souls, please check out my fundraiser for Dr. Rick Hodes and help him to accomplish the impossible, one Dejene at a time.
These Are The Souls
They say one picture is worth a thousand words. But that is not always true. Many a story lies hiddin within a picture, only to be revealed in words. And so I have included the photos from my travels in Ethiopia to accompany my writing, adding perspective and depth to the messages I hope to convey.
The Ethiopian women in the photo above are nearing the end of their 18 mile march, carrying 70 pounds of wood on their tired backs, just to earn a $2 daily salary. These are the souls we walk past: their heads are bowed. Without making eyecontact we can escape unscathed, we will never see their faces, know their names, hear their narratives.
In this project, I show what happens when we pause and take the time to interact with one another. I believe that everyone has a story to share.
Inspired by Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York, I created a photo journal, Humans of Ethiopia. During my travels in Ethiopia, I approached individuals asking to photograph and interview them, with the hope of getting a glimpse into their lives to share with the world. I did my best to capture Ethiopian culture as well as display my belief that everyone has a story to share. This project provided me with the incredible opportunity to speak with, grow with, and learn from strangers.
I selected a few of the photos I had taken for my Humans of Ethiopia project and repurposed them into a travel esasy about my experiences in Ethiopia. Within Humans of Ethiopia, each photo stood alone, whereas my repurposing sought to weave these photos into the larger context of my travels. This essay is a continuation of conveying my belief that everyone has a story to share.