Kendal Martel, a photographer, is taking up a fight for people who struggle to survive. She is doing it her own way, one click or shutter speed at a time.
After seeing first hand the poverty and squalor faced by the people who live in the slums of Africa and their desire to rise above it all, Kendal decided to showcase her photography in an exhibit, “Until the Last Seed Grows,” which features the people of Kibera, Africa, with alternately haunting and joyful images that underscore the complexities of these resilient people.
While in Africa, Martel, a graduate of Diboll High School and student at Stephen F. Austin State University, spent time in Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa, which holds close to a million people in an area three-quarters the size of Central Park. There she met members of the Haki Self-Help Group, a grassroots organization dedicated to addressing some of the most pressing problems faced by the people of Kibera: poverty, HIV/AIDS awareness, at-risk children (including the approximately 100,000 children orphaned by parents who died of AIDS) and the unequal treatment of women.
To learn more about the exhibit (that already took place) and to inquire about hosting the exhibit elsewhere, go here (which includes Kendal’s email address).
Photo credit: “Goddess” by Kendal Martel
Posted by: Laurel Delaney
Never would I have thought the person I shared Geology notes with would be one that “WILL” change the world. Good luck and God’s speed to you Kendal!
Gary