NIGER, MICHAEL KAMBER
text and photos by Michael Kamber
This was a tough story to work on.
There were kids dying every day, women were crowding thronging the MSF clinics each morning, skeletal children with skins falling in folds.
For several months MSF (Doctors Without Borders) had been sending me emails
warning that the food shortages in Niger were becoming critical.
There was little interest in the west.
Stories about looming shortages are hard to sell,
Stories about starving babies write and sell themselves.
When the babies started dying, the press showed up en masse and something got done. I wonder what the threshold is to get the wheels turning--how many sacrificial kids does it take.
Is five hundred
enough, one thousand, ten thousand?
In Niger, in “normal years” one child in four dies before his fifth birthday. Clearly the threshold is pretty high.
We just had the G8 conference. Billions in aid was pledged to Africa.
We shall see what it brings.
c Michael Kamber
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text and photos c Michael Kamber
posted by AMY at 10:13 PM
5 Comments:
omg i cry wen i read the kids that die in niger i feel realy srry am srry for da family who lots they children in this issues about food
I feel so moved by those photo's...but it kills me, just knowing that I can't do anything at this very moment for them, instead I'm sitting in front of this computer (something maybe they never seen before)..Pictures are great but no offense just put the camera down and help! EVERYONE should! even ME! That sort of living has had years of exposure through a simple everyday life photo and you are right..."How long will it take? ..how many babies and people must die in order for the best change to happen" well maybe most of the fortunate beings will continue to live their ignorant lives but the people in Africa, Cambodia and other countries undergoing the same struggle will Still have hope! they will still try and live a life..I don't consider them to be worth less than anyone else! Not even a celebrity because they are braver and better heroes than we could ever be for our children..Forget if Genocide exists in some areas, there are villain everywhere and those guys won't stop being angry with the world until a change come!..I know it. I don't know who I'm talking to but I hope who ever reads this is someone with higher power...someone who can gather other people with power to make that change. I know there are Good will ambassadors out there but it means nothing to me when I'm still looking at these photo's of starving babies.
I apologize if anyone would be offended by what I write, I angry more than just sad so expressing my feelings is the best way I know how to let it out than let the tears fall. I'm doing research on Niger because of an upcoming off-off Broadway show I will be doing. In order for me to get into character, it was best if I understood the reason of my monologue (Written by Rachida from Niger). We are also donating school supplies to them that same day, show your support in anyway possible! If you would like more information about the show please check out the flyer at this link: http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i74/Talented100/clip_image001.jpg
I am very sad to hear about the deaths of the children and families in niger,i hope everyone will help and so will i, so i hope people don't waste food because people in niger as shown here are starving so BE GRATEFUL for what you get in this life. Never say can't,in this world there are only can's. :)
I cried when I look at all of these pictures. Im about the age of these children and I decided to do something about it. Im starting a charity fund and donating clothes to Nigerians.
im sad now :(
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