“Nobody’s Priority – The Youth of Africa”
Tom Craig
Modern-day sub-Saharan Africans have the odds of life stacked against them…
Africa, a continent littered with obstacles, all of which make old age unlikely. Issues we all know about: AIDS, famine, civil unrest, polio, unstable economies, corrupt leaders, drought, lack of drinking water, landmines, malaria, ineffective health services…
Just reading this list makes one wonder how any African can make it past the age of 35; the truth is, nearly half of them don’t.
Though that seems tough enough for a strong resourceful adult, what about the children? What chance have they really got? Millions orphaned already, millions more to come.
Preview
In these pictures, there are references to the struggle of the children of Africa. An H.I.V positive child is allowed to wear her party dress to make the hospital experience more bearable. Street kids fighting because they are so high on aviation fuel that has been sold to them by the police. A seven-year old by eating mice for his daily meal. The 13-year champion draughts player, shoves his pieces with the stumps of his arms since both his hands were cut off by soldiers. Just four examples out of 120 that set out to show how woefully neglected this nation can be by international community.
It simply seems to be that every time it looks like the West is going to seriously address Africa, something else happens to crop up, and once more it becomes shuffled to the bottom of the pile of priorities. For those Africans that expect the kind of help that they need, they must believe that they really are "Nobody’s Priority".
I am currently working hard to get back out to Africa. I really hope it is apparent in these pictures what it is that I am looking for. I sincerely believe these pictures have a great deal to say, hopefully in a voice we haven’t all heard before. I am confident that these additional trips will seriously serve to bolster and enhance the overall set of images. Now this edit has been made it has become increasingly clear what direction these pictures need to go in.
