NORTHERN CHAD: WIND, SAND, WATER, NEEDS AND REFLECTIONS

It could be said that Chad is formed by three great zones: one to the south that would be the fertile one, the savannah; another central one that would be the sahel, and the north that would be the desert, the arid zone.

In November 2016 I visited the country. And we were heading north, on the way to Ennedi, when we stopped in a small town called Kouba Oulanga to stock up on food, gas, etc … Taking advantage of the moment, I went to inspect the land in search of some frame that I would liked. I could see a few scattered adobe houses and a water pit. Men with their camels entered the desert on their way to their destinations, others who came home loaded with their belongings.

Soon after being there the wind began to blow, it was a sandstorm approaching. It struck so hard that on more than one occasion I had to turn around. The people of the village were undoubtedly accustomed to this kind of inclemency, not enough reason to stop doing their tasks. I knew that my gear would suffer with the sand, and so it was, because my auto-focus was spoiled. But I didn´t care, I could not avoid photographing those scenes that were special to me.

There was a moment when I saw three children riding on a donkey. They were going for water. And I thought that they and I had to make an effort to fill a need. They had to go for water, despite the bad weather, to be able to survive in such an inhospitable environment; and I was willing to suffer in order to convey the beauty, the emotion I felt at that moment.

I know that it is not fair to compare the two situations, the two efforts. I was simply reflecting that both, children and I, had some needs: theirs were physicals and mine were not. And I thought that somehow I managed to unit both in the same space and at the same time. Sometimes, in the distance and with some regret, when I see the photos, I wonder about those children and if they will continue with the same routine. [Official Website]