Join us at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center this Thursday, June 2nd from 7-9pm for travel photographs from Kenya and Cape Verde. Last year, I spent two months with the Non-Governmental Organization ICROSS / NWI (International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering / New World International) documenting their health and aid programs throughout central and southern Kenya.

In most of Africa people are so poor they have no health services. ICROSS provides essential medical and health programs in many extremely large and remote areas. They ensure that vital medical care is accessible by people living in absolute poverty by setting up dispensaries and training community health workers. For over 25 years, ICROSS has been fighting HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Africa has over 70% of the world’s HIV cases and Kenya has over 1.4 million of the world’s 34 million people living with the virus. Every day more than 6,000 people die of AIDS, most in Sub Saharan Africa. We cannot fight disease and poverty closing our eyes to basic human rights. Public health and the right of children to eat is not only a nutritional question, it is about our shared responsibility to guarantee children’s rights. ICROSS is providing basic health care to thousands in remote areas. Following the post-election violence in Kenya beginning in January 2008, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes, been displaced and have been victims of widespread violence. ICROSS is working with communities to protect their rights and ensure that the vulnerable are protected.

The photographs showcase my two months of documenting their various and diverse projects where I learned of their hugely valuable free healthcare clinics for the Maasai, their home-based HIV/AIDS support, their research and teaching of the solar disinfection of water, and much more.

25% of the photograph sales will go directly back to supporting the healthcare programs I was introduced to in central and southern Kenya though ICROSS / NWI. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

For the blog coverage of my time in Kenya, please view the Feb – Mar 2010 archives or choose Volunteering / Aid Work from the Categories above.