By the stretch of her palms, the woman being served reaches not just for water but for the elimination of an inner drought. The women who sit on either side of the frame appear still by habit, fully capable of waiting interminably. I speculate and exaggerate in both cases, but this is the reach inspired by the warmth of the photograph—a warmth in the way sunlight passes into a yellow both muted and luxuriant, and in the scarf. And in the unadorned anteroom where the women sit unforced, such that the photograph becomes too small to contain the aggregate of their tender lives.
— Emmanuel Iduma
The photograph was taken in the Awramba community, Amhara region, Ethiopia.
I first went to Awramba in 2016 and was fascinated by how the community managed to build a system for itself. During my two weeks stay there, I was also able to photograph an elderly home where they assist and support the elders in the community.
I don't believe that older people are protected and treated fairly by the system in Ethiopia. They're vulnerable but less talked about in public. Being in a community that takes care of its older people was fascinating to me.
In my approach to photography, I don't think I have developed a single style. I'm always interested or distracted by different kinds of knowledge I come across and that affects my approach. I like documentary photography but not in the very traditional form.
Photographs provide information and information is knowledge, which we always say is power. It's not just about the audience but also the photographer itself. It has this influence on you, so that if you have good intentions, it makes you become a better person. It makes you see people better and helps you understand and question your surroundings.
Maheder Haileselassie (b. 1990) is a self taught Ethiopian photographer/visual artist born and based in Addis Ababa. She has won CAP Prize 2023 and has been shortlisted for Grand Prix Images Vevey 2023/24 and Phmuesum grant.Follow her work on Instagram.
