ORPHANED BY HIV-AIDS
A project to create a global portrait of HIV and AIDS through the eyes of the children ophaned by the disease. The Most Important Picture traveled to areas in Uganda heavily impacted by HIV and conducted workshops with teens affected by HIV and AIDS to teach them basic photography skills and empower them to tell their stories.
The images and texts from this project highlight the people who are surviving, in spite of the fear, misunderstanding and discrimination that surround their disease.
I believe I can fly.
I took this image because I know one day, one time, I will fly and travel in some countries...
I also know that I can work hard in order to get to my goals.
Even if my parents are dead, I know I will fly through photography.
STUDENT WORK
I took it when I am reading a Bible dressed in white. I was sitting on a pot and I was feeling as if I am an angel but the sad thing is that I can't change myself into an angel.
I am eleven years old and I am in p. 6 at two way primary school so I wanted to photograph this photo because we are among these people who lost our parents due to AIDS.
Here is my younger brother...demonstrating in a latrine which was destroyed by the strong heavy rainfall. Latrine in such areas are poorly built and these latrine are at high level on top of the water bodies which lead to contamination of water. So we young generations we are the ones to suffer cleaning them.
Here they were putting her in the grave...and mourners were crying that the woman should come back to life because of good work she was doing in communities, in hospital and even preaching the word of God.
This is the place where video tapes are sold...and it is near the chicken in Busia they have the lend of watching the films some of the children they steal their mother's money and so them are trained how to sing and to dance example like her they come and take the tapes to go and watch.
This is one of the animals kept in Uganda. What this animal was doing is scratching itself on the ground. The reason to why I photographed this is that I saw the style it was making and I decided to photograph it.
This is one of my happiest moments when I am socializing with young children. I love young children very much because I believe I once was also a child and if I had been hated and mistreated, I would not have been happy. Maybe I would have even died at my early age because of mistreatment. So I love them...very much and I also give them more time and care than adults.
I took this snap to show how we can fight AIDS that has took all our parents leaving us miserable. Orphans sleeping on the streets not going to school. Leaving us with sickness.
For this example, the man was very hungry without eating since morning, as you see him here, he is very serious with the journey, struggling looking for food and this is most important means of transport we have. May God bless him also. Amen.
Dear Father, I am sorry for your absence because I am missing you because you here giving me advice and to make me understanding how the world is but now I am sorry for you. May God bless you and rest in peace. Amen.
I believe I can fly. I took this image because I know one day, one time, I will fly and travel in some countries...I also know that I can work hard in order to get to my goals. Even if my parents are dead, I know I will fly through photography.
PARTNERS
Recipient of the ASMP Grant