A Healthy World
Child Care in Kathmandu
Bhagawan Koirala is one of the most well known heart surgeons in Nepal. When I was asked to help him visualise his dream of a specialised children hospital in Kathmandu which should reform the way care is given in his country, I was more than happy to create a visual and audible story. The next year I returned to capture some of the stories of children that in the future should have a better chance. I’ll be following this process closely in the upcoming years.
Autism in Cuzco
I was invited to travel to Cuzco, Peru to capture the work of the Abrazos foundation. This Dutch initiative schools local people to work with autistic children and their families in a country where autism is even less understood then it is in ‘the Western world’. It was amazing to be with these children and to just get a glimpse of what I think is their world. The stories I documented were later exhibited in ‘t Dolhuys, a museum of the mind in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
Mental in Malawi
Back in 2011, I had the opportunity to stay with a Dutch psychiatrist, joining her while she was working in Malawi. I was allowed to photograph the life of patients and staff in the only government run mental hospital in the country, based in the city of Zomba. I was captivated by the lack of means and overwhelming bureaucracy but at the same time inspired by the unconditional care of the hospitals staff for patients who look at the world in such a different way compared to ‘us normal people’.