THE PREDATOR

I just came back from a two-day conference - the National Social Works Conference that was hosted by Grace Assembly, in collaboration with CREST (Crisis Relief Services and Training). The HISG ( Humanitarian International Services Group) was the other organization that participated in this conference.

This conference has taught me the importance of being fully equipped and trained as a volunteer for relief work in a disaster/crisis. Without the proper training and preparation, a volunteer will not be effective in disaster relief work. Instead, it is disastrous for the volunteer worker. worsening the situation. Anyone can have a part in relief work after going through a basic relief handling course.

The last day of the conference, which is today, is much more interesting and informative with many video clips of relief works in recent Asian earthquakes, floods, and tsunami.

However, there is something that I would really want to share and show you! Today, one of the CREST members presented a very evocative image of a Sudanese child taken in the year 1993

This picture you see was taken by a photojournalist named Kevin Carter. He was a photojournalist to South Africa. He would travel often to South Africa to capture photos of the environment, the culture, the people, and the lifestyle of this South African natives and write about them.

So, when he was in Sudan one quiet, hot evening in March, he came across a dying, emaciated Sudanese toddler (as seen in the image). He said the girl was struggling to get to a feeding centre that was nearby. And behind her stood a hungry vulture, watching and waiting for its prey. Kevin, who was there at that moment, saw a great opportunity to gain fame and glory with this "unusual" scene. He waited 20 minutes for the vulture to spread its wings, hoping that this would make the image more dramatic. Unfortunately, it didn't. Nevertheless, he took a couple of shots.

His dream finally came true in 1994 when he received the Pulitzer Award for this image:




Now looking back at the picture, we see how totally helpless and lonely the suffering, little child was. One wonders where the rest of humanity is.... When this image was published, hundreds of calls were made to the New York Times concerning the fate of the little child.

Several months later, Kevin Carter took his own life. Many said he was overcome by guilt - when he walked away from the dying child. In his suicide note, he wrote, "I am haunted by the vivid memories of... starving and wounded children..."


Jesus said,

"...share your food with the hungry and...provide the poor wanderer with shelter -

when you see the naked......clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood..." Isaiah 58:7