Jacob Otieno

Honourable Mention, Single Photo Professional

Jacob took this photo at the same tree planting event portrayed in his first prize photo in the professional category.  

“I took this photograph when local Maasai dancers were entertaining guests,” Jacob said. “The Maasai community has remained close and true to nature despite the lure of modernity.”

“It had rained the night before, and I was attracted to the wet earth that stubbornly clung to the dancer’s akala shoes as he jumped up and down,” he

explained, referring to the rubber sandals made of recycled tires worn by the dancers. “The earth’s resilience made me think of nature and how forgiving it is despite enduring the worst abuse man throws at it.”

 

 

Eva-Lotta Jansson

Honourable Mention, Single Photo Professional

Eva-Lotta's honourable mention photo portrays a herder-turned-farmer who is benefitting from another Oxfam America project that handles drought, as did the project depicted in her second prize photo in the professional category. In The Famous Farmer, she shows farmer Huka Balambal checking the water in an irrigation ditch he built along the Dawa River, at a small farm in southern Ethiopia. When repeated droughts made it impossible for Huka to survive as a pastoralist, he became a farmer and bought a small irrigation pump.

For years, the people of Huka's community have lived without access to schools, medical and government services, and had been on their own when it came to

coping with the effects of climate change. Last year's drought brought about a severe food crisis in the region.

With the assistance of Oxfam America and the Liben Pastoralist Development Association, Huka spearheaded an epic feat, leading his isolated and remote community in an effort to hack through 45 kilometres of bush in the creation of a road. That road will now help Huka transport his crops quickly to the market - before they spoil - and allow villagers quick access to medical help.