A traditional hut with a thatched roof, lit from inside with a warm glow, under a clear, starry night sky with visible stars and a bright planet or star.
A dark-skinned woman sitting on a fallen tree trunk holding a young child, with a tree and dry leaves in the background.
A woman standing in a field of scattered dry leaves, wearing a long dress and headwrap, with a large tree and more trees in the background at sunset or sunrise.
Firefighting scene with logs stacked to form a firebreak, water being sprinkled on the logs, and foam containers hanging over the logs.
A dried broom made of straw lying on a dusty ground, cast in shadow with a metal fence nearby.
A rustic outdoor seating area with benches and a small shelter surrounded by trees in a dry, rural landscape.
A man holding a young bird with wings extended, with two other people in the background.
A young child with dark skin lying in a makeshift bed made of dried leaves, wrapped in colorful blankets, looking up with an expression of curiosity or concern. A mobile phone is placed next to the child's bed on the dirt ground.
A smiling young boy lying on the ground, wearing a blue shirt, with dirt on his arms and face, on a dirt surface.
A young man sitting on a log outdoors, with a rifle standing upright next to him, in a dry, rural landscape with sparse trees and fallen wood in the background.
A farm field with rows of green leafy crops, surrounded by trees and some fallen branches, under an overcast sky.
Young girl holding a plastic container on her head outdoors.
A herd of cattle with long horns stands near a traditional round hut during a sunset, with warm golden light and silhouettes of trees in the background.
A young boy in a black and orange striped shirt and yellow shorts standing in a maize field at sunset, with another child visible in the background.
Close-up of a person's hand holding a pill bottle with a few pills spilling out, water dripping from the fingers.
Seven metal stakes lying on brown dirt ground with small rocks and yellow flower petals scattered around.
Aerial view of a desert landscape with multiple small structures and scattered trees connected by dirt roads.
A person with dark skin, dark eyes, and braided hair, peeking through the gap in a tree trunk, surrounded by multiple trees and a blurred natural background.
Group of six people, including children and adults, sitting in a field of green plants on a sunny day with blue sky and white clouds
A teacher standing by a blackboard with African students sitting in a classroom, watching and listening to the lesson.
A young girl with short, curly hair and dark skin, wearing a pink shirt, looking directly at the camera. Blurred background with an adult carrying a load on their shoulder.
A person with dark skin wearing a patterned blue and white dress, carrying two green watering cans, standing in a garden at sunset.
A group of African women outdoors in traditional clothing, dancing and celebrating under the sun.
Close-up of a smiling Maasai woman wearing a red hooded garment, standing next to a tree with a blurred wooden bow in the background.
A close-up portrait of an older Black man with a serious expression, gray beard, and bald head, wearing a dark brown shirt.
Two small traditional mud huts with thatched roofs, separated by a narrow path, with trees in the background.
A child walking through a field of tall, dry corn stalks in a rural setting, carrying a yellow container on their head.
A woman standing outdoors with her arms outstretched, holding a cloth behind her back, surrounded by trees with green and yellow leaves. She wears a brown dress with intricate gold embroidery.
Child carrying a large clay pot on their head, walking behind wooden logs with a woman and other children in the background
Group of African women outdoors, dancing and clapping, illuminated by sunlight, wearing traditional colorful dresses.
A group of women and men standing in a circle outdoors, with some holding their hands on their chests and others clasping their hands together, under a large tree.
People outdoors with dry tree branches in the foreground, one woman carrying a yellow container on her head, under a cloudy sky.
A group of children with dark skin reaching onto the hood of a dark-colored car. They are writing or drawing with markers on the car's hood. The scene appears to be outdoors, possibly in a village or rural area.
A group of people in traditional clothing gather outdoors around a makeshift table with containers, with one person in the foreground holding a rifle, during an outdoor community event.
African men and boys gathered around water containers in an outdoor setting, with one boy drinking water from a bottle and a cow's horn visible on the left side.
Silhouette of a person wearing a red garment, standing by a body of water, holding a container in one hand and a stick in the other, with trees and the sun in the background.
South Sudan
If there’s anywhere i’ve been that has unexpectedly stole my heart, it’s South Sudan. It’s wild, brash and dangerous. It consumes you when you’re there, and follows you when you leave. And it’s unabashedly itself. I’ve never met people like the South Sudanese. The phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” comes to mind. They’re strikingly tall, and gorgeous, inside and out.
I’ll admit that I was afraid of going there the first time. It’s consistently in the top 5 dangerous countries in the world, but who are making these lists anyway? Some office bound UN reporter probably. Whenever I see a South Sudanese person anywhere, I am always interested in them and their story, because more often than not, it’s an interesting one.
The Obakki Foundation has been drilling water wells in multiple regions in South Sudan since 2010. They’ve put millions of dollars into donor funding straight into the ground. I’ve seen drastic political change in this time since my first trip in 2011 where the country was coming off a peaceful split from northern Sudan 6 months prior. Since then it’s been engulfed in civil war stemming between tribal feuds that have been perpetually in vengeance for generations.