How to thank the many Congolese for the information they have given me over the last four years so I could learn about their lives, and write a dissertation? How to thank these people with whom I have lived with — sometimes for months — while conducting fieldwork in Eastern Congo? I hereby present 350 out of 420 pictures we recently took for a lab-in-the-field experiment (more here).
Via these pictures I hope to say thanks. When going through the slideshow please do two things. First, look at the backgrounds to get a glimpse into their extraordinary lives. Texts that are written on the wall and doors, the public goods in front of which the pictures are made, the election posters to decorate the livingrooms, the children that peer in via the window while the picture is taken, etc. Secondly, look into their eyes. Some show the worry and hardship the Congolese face in their daily lives. But for others the eyes also speak of the extraordinary warmth, the strength among the women and the joy I found among many of them.
I had the honor and pleasure to live closely with these people for an extended period of time, and I hope this is a good way to share these experiences. Click the following link to start the slideshow:
If you want an image in full-size, feel free to send me an email.
No comments:
Post a Comment