Women in the rural areas often have little in terms of material resources, yet they find a way to present beauty and individuality through a hundred small personal touches each day.
Even little children in torn rags evoke this impression.
Babies are dressed and wrapped in cloth that often matches with a mother's outfit. Even the young children seem able to clap in unison with melodic chants and songs. Five and six year old girls sing with voices that are light, elevated, "in tune."
If one looks beyond poverty and stress of daily life, one finds warmth and richness.
As a photographer and filmmaker, I am often swept away with the color, motion, and sense of beauty African women and children bring to life.
If I wish to create deep laughter among a large group of African moms, I just need to provide a few steps of bouncy motion while they are in the midst of a morning celebration.
Fortunately, my camera is focused away from my own pale, sweaty, fashion statements and my not-so-finely-tuned capacity to sing and dance. I can use some consultation!
Jeff, your writing clarifies something I have experienced in my own much more limited travels: People suffer in large part because of the colonial history of places that used to be self-sustaining and have been robbed of their birthright by international corporations.
ReplyDeleteIf Mansanto succeeds in patenting all of the world's important crop seeds, which they appear determined to do, the already enormous chasm between rich and poor will widen drastically.
Thank you for keeping us all aware and inspired.