Who: Shannon Ewing from Denver, CO
Where and When: At a Doctors Without Borders clinic in the Delmas 19 quarter of Port-au-Prince, Haiti sometime in March 2010 following the earthquake
What about these photos make them special? “The kids were likely living in tents, were either sick themselves or had sick parents, but still managed the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. The little girl had just been given a container of bubbles, and the little boy was bursting over his new pastels. Amid chaos, homelessness, instability, gang violence, air- and water-borne illnesses, and an unimaginable scale of death and loss, Haitians thrive. They are the most inspirational culture I have ever come across…What makes these pics special is their testament to the Haitian spirit. These kids were likely living in tent camps after their houses were destroyed; many members of their families killed; the surviving members in severe depression or being treated for subsequent illness, injury, or missing limbs; and yet they glow. Traveling across the globe on international development and humanitarian aid projects, I have seen amazing people living through amazingly challenging situations and in horrific conditions, but I have never seen anything quite like the Haitian people. Immediately after the earthquake, you could hear their voices carrying through the evening air as they held all-night gospel sessions. It was the worst humanitarian crises aid organizations have ever responded to (outside war efforts), and the Haitian people live on. They are truly inspiring.”
How do you live in the moment? “I live in the moment by taking experiences like this with me. We never know what is around the corner, what could utterly alter our lives tomorrow. I live in the moment by constantly coming back to a place of gratitude — there is learning and growth in even the seemingly darkest of places.”
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