My trip to Mozambique was an extremely rewarding and educational trip on many levels. From a personal perspective, a global perspective, a spiritual perspective, and simply a perspective on humanity, human suffering, and a peoples amazing and endemic resilience.

First of all, my awareness of this specific orphanage and operation came through the director who spoke at a church here in Fairbanks. I found her a very compelling figure, she never asked for help and never asked for money. Just talked about their work and the personal and spiritual challenges that we all face. It struck the chord in me that had long waited to find a place to donate some time for a good cause, and I said to myself, I could easily work with these folks.

So, I did. I went with little expectation. I would have been happy to dig ditches. But it soon became apparent that due to my work in photography, I gradually grafted into that role. The directors were not interested in pictures of desperate, sad, dirty looking children. They advised me to just photograph what I saw there and capture the joy. I did not find the pictures used on many provocative “entice to donate” publications. These kids were genuinely happy and pretty well cared for in spite of things. In the end, I was able to offer some imagery for the organization to use for education and information.

I learned a lot–about a lot, which is a vague sentence that probably nips the heels of most international travel. In 2001, Mozambique was not too far off a terrible civil war that nearly decimated the country. War and aids and other socio-economic tragedies left many parent-less children, or children without parents able to care for them. The orphanage I visited was far from perfect, especially from a fresh set of American eyes. But as an organization they were just transitioning from triage in a way. As they would say, were are first trying to feed and get these people off the streets, literally, keeping them alive. All the rest will follow.

The work I enjoyed most was of course, hanging out with the children and photographing them, but more specifically, I worked a little bit in primary care, doing basic health care in the clinic. This involved language, eye contact, and a very practical way to engage in the life and needs of the people. I’ve often felt that if I was not photographing, that would be the line of work I’d be in.

Africa. It is so epic. It is a land of great sorrow and pain, almost anywhere you turn. Nearly every country has its trauma story. And many are in trauma as we speak. But, there is a great beauty and resilience there as well. I just finished a notable movie, although it is a very painful session. If your soul feels pricked about Africa, get “Triage” Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma. He is a Nobel peace prize laureate from 1999 and was in Rwanda during the genocide. He is an eloquent man who has seen things too large for any single person to witness.

To all who harbor a desire to travel and participate in a similar adventure this is my advice. Go. Be a minimalist. Be low maintenance. Travel light. Give of yourself, not your goods. Talk little, be intuitive, watch incessantly, and read as much as you can before you embark, and lastly but not at all least…learn the language to the best you can. This is the doorway to many hearts.

To learn of another is to learn of oneself. American culture can never be judged completely by another culture, but there is no doubt for me, that to go to Africa, or anywhere really, means that you can’t come back the same.