Brent Kee with B+R Photography out of Nashville, TN. Brent is a self-taught photographer who specializes in family and senior portraiture. He discovered a passion for photography after purchasing a fancy-schmancy camera to take pictures of his first son, Fisher. Brent has learned the art of photography and post-processing through practice, research, and intense sessions of osmosis. Brent loves Jesus and has a heart for orphans. This is Brent’s first trip to Ethiopia and he is working this week to capture Ethiopia and the ministry of The Forsaken Children from a first time perspective.
Thank you for reading along with my blog posts over this past week. My trip to Ethiopia has brought up many questions and challenges in my life, and I’m praying that these questions change the trajectory of my life and the life of my family. I’ll be forever grateful for the impact that this trip has had on me, and I’d like to thank The Forsaken Children and Onesimus for entrusting me with the important mission of capturing these stories. I’ll leave you guys with a handful of my favorite images from last week. I can’t wait for my second trip to Ethiopia.
Mission board found in the TFC/Onesimus Drop-In Center where much of the ministry occurs. "Call them by name. Listen to them. See them as precious. Love them." We should all live our lives according to that mission, right?
While in Ethiopia, I heard more than one story of street kids being hit by passing cars, but this sight is not unusual. Most native drivers are fully aware of their surroundings, and that includes pedestrians walking in front of moving traffic at any given time. Kids gather around busy places like this because they are less likely to be harassed by police or government officials.Although most of my photos during this trip were photo journalistic in nature, I did have time to squeeze in a portrait session, with these rockstars. The Bridges are doing amazing work in reclaiming hearts for God in Ethiopia.
This is Yedinikacho, working on homework at the boys’ halfway home. Education is so important to gearing these kids for success.
This is Binyam. In an attempt to “clean up” the streets, Ethiopian police officers chased this homeless man from his nightly resting place, armed with batons. He fell from an overhead walkway and injured his head. This shot was taken as we transported him to a medical clinic.
This shot is from an Orthodox church in Addis. Homeless men gather to beg outside the gates of this church. If they whisper the name of the saint to whom you are praying, the expectation is that you will provide the beggar with money.
This is Edalewit. She is a TFC/Onesimus halfway home girl and the ministry’s unofficial cheerleader… She has sooooo much energy and is clearly the life of the party everywhere she goes. Want to play a part in the stories of these kids? You can. If you’ve got an email address,a couple bucks in your pocket, and/or a heart for people, you can. Email kmcgugan@theforsakenchildren.org to get started or follow the link below to find more ways for YOU to Make A Difference!