I am happy to announce that I have recently won the grand prize in the
PhotoPhilanthropy Activist Awards for my work documenting the Kenian Famine. For those of you that are not yet aware of PhotoPhilanthropy please follow the link and enjoy all the wonderful work they showcase. I usually do not spend my time and money entering contests, but since PhotoPhilanthropy does not charge photographers to enter photographs and has a really wonderful mission statement, it was the one and only contest I entered in this year.From PhotoPhilanthropy:
PhotoPhilanthropy received 219 photo stories from 187 photographers residing in 30 countries around the world. "(Zoriah's) work stood out for its beauty, story telling and image quality. Each and every one of (his) photos came together to beautifully capture the essence of the story and depict the subject in a way that is honest and inspirational."
I would like to thank all of the refugees who are pictured in this photo series, and the millions who are not. I hope this work will do something to alleviate your suffering or prevent these situations from happening to others in the future. My thanks to the IRC for their work to help mitigate the suffering of refugees and for granting me access and logistical support to do my work in their camps.
Suffering from drought and famine, a mother holds her severely malnourished infant during treatment in the IRC's Kakuma Main Hospital
Refugees reach for one of the few remaining food aid vouchers being handed out by IRC staff.
IRC staff process food aid for distribution to hungry refugees.
A malnourished child is measured in a make-shift, wooden measuring device.
Workers mix grains and oil, a food staple given in emergency situations, in a feeding center's back room
Despite the IRC's best efforts and with a limited budget, there is often not enough food to go around and refugees must buy rice from local shops who divide large bags of it into small, daily portions that are easier for them to afford.
An IRC staff member helps a mother lower her baby into a weighing harness, allowing them to keep track of the childs weight and provide properly for his/her nutritional needs.
A young boy cries in front of a feeding center as food rations are given out to refugees suffering from famine and drought.
A refugee walks through an IRC Camp during an unexpected rain storm which broke up months of drought.
Grass breaks through the dry, cracked earth after the regions first rainstorm in several months, giving hope to refugees and IRC staff that better times will come.
Congratulations! Truly stunning and powerful photographs.
Posted by: jarek | December 23, 2009 at 01:07
Congrats my friend.
Well deserved award!
Stay safe and see you soon.
Earl B
Posted by: Earl B | December 23, 2009 at 21:17
Zoriah, congratulations! Your work is powerful and important! Thank you for all you do to raise awareness!
Posted by: Helen Bascom | December 23, 2009 at 21:25
Powerful works! Congratulations! There's many many Grand Prize to come!
Posted by: Teresa P. Pelaez | December 23, 2009 at 21:46
Well done and congratulation , Zoriah ! Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year 2010 !
Nhat Le (from Vietnam)
Posted by: Nhat Le | December 23, 2009 at 21:51
Congratulations.
Posted by: Richard Seipp | December 23, 2009 at 22:56
Congratulations, your powerful works deserve more than a prize.
Alieh from Iran
Posted by: Alieh | December 24, 2009 at 12:30
Congratulations, I hope your work and the stories you cover get some more attention by winning this.
Posted by: Cristoffer | December 28, 2009 at 21:34
What a well deserved award. I'm sure there will be more forthcoming, whether You choose to enter or not. Thanks for continuing to speak up for we, the disenfranchised ones, who haven't the power of the lens, You possess.
mark aleshnick
(american military dominated) Okinawa. Japan
Posted by: mark aleshnick | December 30, 2009 at 14:22
Amazing!
Posted by: Prosens | January 04, 2010 at 09:04
Congratulations, and well-deserved. Remarkable photos.
Posted by: Lisa | January 05, 2010 at 19:48
Congratulations, these pictures are simply amazing!
These powerful images are need to be seen so that the rest of the world can understand the REAL sueffering.
I hope your work gets the world's attention.
Posted by: amuse | January 06, 2010 at 03:25
Thats true story behind poverty in many country of the world who still not have started growing and you have captured all moments of there life well. Thanks for showing and we must do something for it.
Posted by: R4i卡 | January 12, 2010 at 04:54