Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/12/09

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Philip from Nankhunda
From: ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter)
Date: Sun Dec 9 07:09:00 2007
References: <a2f8f4470712090443p355e6332k126ebf23ea8cff11@mail.gmail.com>

Wonderful picture story. Now, if we could just get you to squat down  
when you photograph kids and people sitting on the ground;^)

ric


--------------------------------------------
WARNING: All electronic communications in this country are monitored  
for content by the government. Speak truth at your own risk.


On Dec 9, 2007, at 7:43 AM, Daniel Ridings wrote:

> Travelling to and working in Africa means meeting people, for me. The
> work we do is important in the long run, but there are plenty of
> people whose lives you can play a role in, in the short run. You can't
> save the world. You learn to say no.
>
> Meet Philip Tambala:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0276_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0278_large.html
>
> He wasn't a beggar. I bought his "calendar elephants" of wood (12
> elephants, from large to small). I paid too much for them so he could
> buy seed (too much = I didn't haggle). I even bought 6 more in order
> to make a down-payment on fertilizer.
>
> My only request was that I wanted to see the receipts.
>
> We met on the first day.
>
> Two days later he was back with a long story about why he didn't have
> the receipts with him (bought on the black-market). But he needed a
> lot more for fertilizer.
>
> I explained that I had done my part. I appreciated his situation, but
> I wasn't made of money. I still wanted proof of what he had done.
>
> He was a fast talker. His command of English was amazing, but his
> mastery of logic and disposition was somewhat confusing.
>
> He came back more and more. I was firm. Not a penny more.
>
> But his story made sense.
>
> After 10 days I put him together with the Chief Exectutive Officer:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0561_large.html
>
> All I wanted to know was if his story was straight or not. You really
> need fertilizer after planting corn (once knee-high and once again as
> "top dressing"). Each bag cost, subsidized, around 6 USD. But the
> coupons for claiming the subsidized price were not getting
> distributed. The market price was about 5 times more, per bag (50 kg),
> and he needed 4 bags. That's starting to look like 120 USD and I
> wanted assurance.
>
> The CEO and him had a long talk. After two hours I came in. I asked if
> I could see the fields and we agreed on Friday (the last day of my
> visit).
>
> We had had a long running discussion and our agreement felt like a  
> resolution.
>
> The day before they, my colleagues, started hesitating about taking me
> there. The CEO more or less made sure I would be safe, but there were
> other security aspects.
>
> Blood-suckers.
>
> It was well-known that blood-suckers were attacking the people.
> Ripping up holes in roofs, sneaking in at night and sucking out blood.
> Anyone coming in a vehicle might be seen as coming to negotiate with
> the chief about when they could come and suck blood. They would then
> stone the car and us before asking why we were there.
>
> But on Friday morning I came to work early, 7 am, and Philip was
> waiting for me. He was for real.
>
> We bought the fertilizer and headed off. The kids greeted us:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0510_large.html
>
> The girl on the left took a liking to me:
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0511_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0513_large.html
>
> That's her in the background, disappearing into the hills with my
> green camera back (and all my cameras) on her back:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0515_large.html
>
> I called her back.
>
> Told these guys to keep trying, I used to work the streets of East  
> St. Louis:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0517_large.html
>
> Philip is a gentleman and helped his wife pick up the 100 pound bag:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0518_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0519_large.html
>
> He took the next one:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0520_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0521_large.html
>
> And his oldest son took the last one (the fourth one I had sent out in
> good faith days before):
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0523_large.html
>
> And there goes my camera bag again:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0526_large.html
>
> The village:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0528_large.html
>
> Philip's sister-in-law died and in a matriarchy her husband was
> required to move out of the house, but also required to leave the
> children behind. There were four.
>
> Philip is now responsible for 8 children, one wife, two grandmothers
> and himself.
>
> The property is still owned by the mother's family, but they are not
> there anymore:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0530_large.html
>
> He was telling the truth. He had planted the seed and he did need
> fertilizer (I had already come to trust him so I had brought the
> fertilizer sight unseen):
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0536_large.html
>
> His youngest son is sick with malaria, the deadliest kind:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0538_large.html
>
> This is where they live. The outer room is about as big as a coffee
> table and the inner room is about as big as two coffee tables:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0540_large.html
>
> No pictures. I was invited in but had to tactfully leave after a
> minute of fighting off the mosquitoes and holding back puke.
>
> The grandmothers:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0542_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0543_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0545_large.html
>
> The 3-bedroom house he is building.
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0551_large.html
>
> He can't afford a roof yet (I think I see some work cut out for me in
> January when I go back).
>
> He paid about 85 USD to have others build the house for him (he baked
> the bricks himself right there in the front). You didn't need to ask
> what they were smoking:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0553_large.html
>
> Neighbors:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0554_large.html
>
> Our departure:
>
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0558_large.html
> http://www.dlridings.se/lightroom/PhilipTambala/content/ 
> _DSC0560_large.html
>
> I was privileged to be allowed such a personal tour of his family, but
> the trust is there now. Africa is about people and you don't dump each
> other.
>
> Daniel
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from dlridings at gmail.com (Daniel Ridings) ([Leica] Philip from Nankhunda)
In reply to: Message from dlridings at gmail.com (Daniel Ridings) ([Leica] Philip from Nankhunda)