Douglas MacLellan

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How is your condition?

36 images Created 29 Nov 2010

"Kenya: How is Your Condition?" is an essay from the archive. The earliest photos are from my first trip to Africa in 1985 which whetted my appetite for sub-Saharan Africa which continues to this day. The bulk of the photos were made in 1997. I like to think of these as my hommage to Cartier-Bresson -- he was definitely on my mind. The visit to the Dadaab Refugee Camps opened my eyes to social themes which I explore to this day.
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  • Jomo Kenyetta was the first president of independent Kenya. The statue at the KANU headquarters and Convention Centre is a popular attraction as Kenyetta is still respected. KANU is the political party the held power until recently.
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  • Nairobi, Kenya.
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  • Downtown Kisumu, Kenya's second city, is busy. Public transportation, usually by taxi, is cheap. A taxi will not leave until it is full. To get a full car a 'tout' is employed to encourage people to take his car.
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  • Downtown Kisumu, Kenya's second city is bustling during the weekdays and Saturday but on Sunday things slow down.  Newspapers are very popular, are free to express various political points of view and the business is very competitive.
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  • An askari, a security guard, takes a mid-day nap in downtown Kisumu, Kenya. The askaris work long hours and are often in the blazing sun.
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  • Sunday morning and the pace of life slows down considerably in Kisumu, Kenya. The country's second city lies on the Lake Victoria shoreline, is a major port and the home base for the Luo people.
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  • Roads are for people, animals and vehicles.. Manual transportation in the form of walking or pulling a cart is a fact of life although vehicular traffic in Kenya's second city is congested some of the time
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  • People run from a sudden downpour in downtown Kisumu, Kenya. Kisumu is the country's second city and has a tropical climate. It is also the power base for the Luo people and is a major port on Lake Victoria.
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  • A man crosses a busy road in downtown Nairobi, Kenya. Polio afflicts many in Kenya but is nearing eradication.
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  • Matatus, or mini-vans, are one of the main modes of transportation in Nairobi, Kenya. They are inexpensive and colourful in driver, 'tout' and vehicle. Generally a matatu driver will leave only when the bus is full but there are many buses competing so waits in the city are reasonable.
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  • Nairobi, Kenya, is a thriving modern city with a huge traffic problem especially at rush hour. Congestion is bad but emmission controls are relaxed and many cars in operation are not road worthy.
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  • A big problem in Nairobi, Kenya, is the lack of vehicle manitenance. Supplies are often low.Many times it comes down to simple economics and the maintenance budget is cut or eliminated.
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  • Kisumu has one of the largest markets in Kenya. The main transportation hub is extremely busy during market days. The market itself is the lifeblood of commerce not only for local vendors but for the country as a whole.
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  • During the latter years of President Daniel arap Moi's reign,  protests were allowed. A nurses' strike nationwide crippled health  care and there were reports people died as a result. Eventually the nurses received a fair contract although it could be argued a fair contract comes a large cost to a relatively poor country like Kenya.
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  • Workers set up a fresh produce market in downtown Nairobi. This urban market on a busy street is very busy.
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  • Menengai Crater near Nakuru  in central Kenya is an attraction for both tourists and Kenyans. The crater is inactive although smoke can be seen in some places. The smoke inspired certain Massai legends.
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  • Elders are respected and head local villages in Nyanza Province in western Kenya. A project worker from CARE Kenya discusses new projects and other items with a local village elder.
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  • Generally speaking,about half of the Kenyan population is fifteen or under.
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  • Village elders, mostly male, play and important role in village life in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Workers from CARE Kenya discussed new and old projects with these men at an informal meeting.
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  • Help can come from unusual sources. The man, a shoemaker, received financial aid to run his shop in a large market in Kisumu, Kenya from a women's micro-business fund. Disabled persons have an even harder time supporting themselves as there is very little private or government funds available.
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  • The pharmacy serves three or four small villages. Records are kept on illnesses, prescriptions and deaths. Costs for prescriptions are relatively low but still too much for many villagers.
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  • HIV/AIDS is as a serious problem in Kenya as in the rest of Africa. CARE Kenya runs several HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs for the general public in Nyanza Province as well for their staff. The woman is holding a female condom.
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  • Drivers and other staff members of the CARE Kenya office in Kisumu attend a workshop on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Although the HIV/AIDS infection rate is lower in Kenya than in many other African countries, the Kisumu region is generally Luo tribe who practice multi-partner marriages.
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  • HIV/AIDS is a serious problem in Kenya as in most of the rest of Africa. Awareness and prevention programs for the public such as these workers of CARE Kenya in Kisumu are helping.
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  • There is pride in the medical facilities of certain villages. The villagers in this Siaya District, Nyanza Province, Kenya village went so far as to 'showcase' an interview between a medical care giver and a patient.
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  • Students and the teacher (second from bottom) watch a performance at an arts school outside of Kisumu, Kenya. The school gets funding from CARE Kenya and part of the money goes into an HIV/AIDS awareness program.
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  • Cows passing through a residential area in Kisumu, Kenya's second largest city.
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  • The Hagadera refugee camp outside of Dadaab, Kenya is home to 60,000 people. Camels are a food source. Once a week a camel is selected and slaughtered according to Muslim principles. The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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  • An elderly man crosses a flooded road at the Hagadera Refugee Camp near Dabaab, Kenya. The camp is administered by United Nation High Commission for Refugees. The area has not seen rain until recently for six years. The flooding is causing an outbreak of cholera and mosquito borne disease.
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  • The effects of 'el nino' caused rain and flooding for the first time in six years in north eastern Kenya. The water was welcome but there will also be an increase in water bourne disease. Flooding at Ifo refugee camp is severe enough to implement relocations of some of the 60,000 residents. Ifo, near Dadaab, Kenya is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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  • Hagadera refugee camp is home to 60,000 people mostly of Somali origin. The camp has its own local government, a market and many shops that offer goods and services. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees administers the camp which is near Dadaab, Kenya.
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  • The Hagadera refugee camp near Dadaab, Kenya is home for 60,000 people, most of whom are Somalis. The camp has its own local government, a thriving market and many small shops such as this shoe making enterprise. The camp is administered by the United  Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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  • Hagadera camp near Dadaab, Kenya is home to 60,000 mostly Somali refugees. The long running United Nations administered camp has all the features of a small town including local government, a market and shops and services.
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  • A master basket maker shows her products at the Hagadera Refugee Camp near Dadaab, Kenya. The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and contains people from neighboring countries such as Somalia and Sudan. It is one of three such camps in the area.
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  • Children at the Hagadera refugee camp near Dadaab, Kenya, form about half the population of 60,000 residents. Many of these children have spent their entire lives living at the camp which was established in 1992. The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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  • Children at the Hagadera refugee camp near Dadaab, Kenya, form about half the population of 60,000 residents. Many of these children have spent their entire lives living at the camp which was established in 1992. The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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