Masai Tribe. Masai Mara. Kenya.
The Migrants. Kathmandu, Nepal. On the outlying sector of Boudhanath there is a migrant camp of people from Rajasthan, India known there as the Untouchables. This includes the two lowest "castes" - the Beggars and Garbage Pickers, They have migrated to Nepal and Boudha, specifically, because in Boudha there is the possibility for more. More work. More chance. More possibility. Especially for the girl children. Typically, young women have no hope of leaving the caste or upgrading to a better life. Here, and through the efforts of Quilts4Kids they can receive an education and begin to change the cycles of suffering.
Phulping Katti. Nepal. The villages of Phulping Katti and Citing had for centuries served as a conduit for travelers from Tibet to Nepal especially during the years of the Chinese overthrow and massacre of the Tibetan people. It became a place of physical and spiritual refuge. In 2015 both villages were decimated by an earthquake which killed 9,000 in Nepal and affected roughly 20,000. 9 people in Phulping died. Most homes and the schools which served the surrounding villages were destroyed. Luckily, because the earthquake hit in the afternoon, most people were outside. Many evacuated and walked for days to Kathmandu were they lived in IDP camps for nearly two years. Of the billions dollars of aid that were given to Nepal from other countries, I was told from the Sherpa community very little if anything was given to the people in the camps. They had to start over and over again.
Within these pictures you will see the faces of the Sherpa community. Resilient. Strong. Connected. And after spending time with them, getting to know them, the beautiful outrageous sense of mirth within them.
Coastal Kenya