7th of April 2014, Bisesero, Rwanda

Bisesero is a small community in the mountains, overlooking Lake Kivu, where more then 50000 people were killed. I am visiting with Serge Farnel and Bruno Boudiguet who have both published books on how the French military took part in the massacre that took place here during the genocide in 1994. More to come on this...

Inside the memorial in Bisesero, remains from more then 1500 bodies can be seen.
A further 50000 bodies have been prepared and and will be re-buried in the official
mass grave in June.

Serge farnel, Bisesero, Rwanda...

French journalist Serge Farnel presenting his book in Kigali, April 2014

Will be travelling with Serge Farnel and Bruno Boudiguet in Bisesero. Here is an article worth reading related to their book launch the other day in Kigali- obviously, pay attention to the photos too..

http://www.rnanews.com/component/content/article/1-latest/8440-serge-farnel-lmon-livre-doit-se-trouver-la-ou-est-susceptible-detre-initiee-une-procedurer

Carpenter at work in Kabuga, Kigali

John is starting a new tearoom. He had to relocate and have found a new location just a few minutes from the previous tea room. I am certain his spirit and enthusiasm will make this another success! The opening should be at some point next week, in the meantime, he has had some carpenters adjust his furniture to make it fit into this smaller space.

Carpenter at work in John's new tea room.

The Land of 1000 Hills

Overlooking the city of Kigali from Mount Rebero, it is pretty amazing to see this never ending view of 1000's of hills... People of Rwanda says: "God roams the world but comes to rest in Rwanda".

View from Mount Rebero, on top of Kigali

Kabuga, not too far from the centre of Kigali

20 years since the Genocide against the Tutsi- Rwanda will be hosting many visitors participating in the official commemoration, part of kwibuka20, taking place in Kigali next week.

Kubuga in the outskirts of Kigali

Rwanda- 20 years- on.

April 7th. 2014 marks 20 years since the Genocide against the Tutsis started. In this context I am visiting again- meeting people- most who witnessed and lost family members during those awful 100 days where 1000000 people were brutally killed. More to come over the coming days... from survivors and from others who resisted.

Munanira shows me his scars on the location where he was left bleeding from being cut both by machete and spears. 

London Workshop!

Workshop London: 10th and 11th of May 2014

Topic is Seeing

Location is London

Program as follows here:

The topics during this two day workshop will focus on street/ travel mixed with studio lighting techniques  Each session will involve shooting on location, processing and group critique sessions. We will also have access to a studio for certain shoots as well as critique discussions. Please bring a laptop with Lightroom (or similar) in addition to a camera with at least a basic lens and preferably a flash (Flash for Nikon will be available to borrow, if you do not own one). 

Experiences you will encounter in London:

Locations of different nature- we will visit not just Chelsea- but explore London as the multi cultural capital of the world it is. Locations like Brick Lane, Brixton, Notting Hill and Hampstead may be explored. The idea is for each one to come home with a portfolio that describes London variety of faces.

The price is CHF 950 and includes tuition. Travel and hotel is extra. If you need advice on hotel, drop me an email. The studio is located in Fulham/ Chelsea which is near Fulham Broadway or Sloane Square station. 

For reservation, contact Kristian via email kskeie@gmail.com or phone +41 (0)70 609 7537

(Location is subject to change. In case of change, location will remain in central London)

Gloriosa "Glo" Uwimpuhwe

Glo lives alone with her two children in Kigali. She works for the US Peace Corps and I was lucky enough to meet with her at her home when I last visited Rwanda. Her story is something special, although, as she says, she considers herself amongst the lucky once. I will write up her full story later, and post it here. In the meantime, here is an image where she shows me photographs of her family. Her adopted brother is missing in this photo though. But him as well as all of the central people in this photograph, 7 in total, were killed in the beginning of April 1994.

Gloriosa at her family house

8th of March, the International Women's Day & Little girl, Kigali

8th of March, the International Women's Day. It made me think of when I photographed this little girl. She was carrying water on her way home in the early evening in the outskirts of Kigali.

Girl carrying water, near Kimironko, Kigali, Rwanda. 

Crocodile in Mali

Recently, when I photographed the City Park and Zoo in Bamako, Mali, I came across this guy- a really amazing crocodile enjoying himself in the lake created for him. The zoo was totally renovated by the Aga Khan Foundation together with its adjacent city park. Recent problems in Mali have made it difficult to run this palace.

Crocodile, Bamako Zoo, Mali

#mali #zoo #agakhan #africa #photography #nikon #d810#documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #akdn #nikonpro #elephant #bamako #street

John's tearoom

John has over the last couple of years been running a tearoom or small supermarket in the suburban Kigali area of Kabuga. When I visited I got served tea- Rwandan style which is hot milk with tea. Nice! The problem is that the day I visited was John's last day at the current location. He had to move and is currently looking for a new location where he can reopen his tearoom. Anyone who has a good location, in the same area?

John's tearoom

Nadine looking at Nadine. Rwanda 1994 & 2014

Nadine was nearly 3 years old in April 1994. She escaped with her family to her local church, something many people did. She and her mother survived, despite certain injuries. Hundreds inside the church did not survive. Visiting Kigali Genocide Memorial, I met with Nadine and she showed me a picture on display where you see her as a young girl. Nadine, nearly 3, is the little girl in the background wearing a white blouse and skirt, standing slightly out from the line waiting to be served tea. 

Nadine at looking at herself in the photograph from 1994

Munanira revisiting the fields where he survived the 1994 Genocide.

Munanira is walking through the fields, next to a banana plantation, in what can only be described as rural Rwanda. 20 years ago, he was here, he was surviving in these fields, after being hacked by a spear as well as a machete. He was only 12 years old when all this happened. His cousin John was 7, also suffered a cut in his head and the two of them where left to die. They spent 1 week in the fields before they managed to walk away and eventually reach safety...more on that later.  Munanira recently got married and is planning on moving to a nearby area.

Munanira walks through the fields where he was left to die 20 years ago, at the age of 12. His scar in the head is still very much visible, even in this picture.

#rwanda  #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #bosnia #srebrenica #webster #assignment #nikonpro

John and Munanira

John and Munanira are cousins. John is 27 and Munanira is 32. That means they were 7 and 12 years old 20 years ago. They live in Rwanda. That means that 20 years ago, they experienced the worst genocide that have taken place in recent history. 1000000- that is one million- people were killed in only 100 days in what has now been defined as the "Genocide against the Tutsis". John and Munaira survived because they visited their grandmother who looked after John's little brother (who was only 2 years old) at the time. What happened to Johns little brother and grandmother is not really something I want to write about here, but they both died. As the killers, already having killed the grandmother and John's little brother, were more interested in stealing goods from the house, John and Munanira were left injured in the field. Their scars are very visible, even today (Munanira was cut on top of his head, neck and ear and on his shoulder by machete. John was cut by machete at the right side of his head, slightly back from his ear). They both, despite their physical scares, survived. 

John and Munanira

More to come on John and Munanira later. 

Stacey King from the French "the Voice" sings at the CPW company days

Some people just have charisma. Some people make you listen- in fact, they make anyone listen. Stacey King came to the "Company Days" of CPW (Cereal Partners Worldwide- (joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills). When Jeff Harmening, CEO at CPW, was asked to sing with Stacey, then he did sing with Stacey! Excellent show- and I am glad I was there to photograph it!

Stacey King in Montreux

Rural Rwanda

After getting to know certain parts of Rwanda, my friends took me to a rather remote village. We walked through the fields in order to reach the location where their house used to be in 1994. While walking, the local kids followed us and wanted me to photograph them as well.

Children helping at home, rural Rwanda

Home with water

These kids lives in what can best be described as "rural Rwanda". It is an area of absolute beauty, but also absolute hardship. Not that easy to get things going work-wise, never mind have direct access to water. Less then 50% of the population has direct access to water, although progress is being made...

Kids carrying water at the end of the day. Rwanda, February 2014.

Photographer

So, on the way to visit some more rural areas in Rwanda, I met this young man- he wanted to photograph me while I photographed him! I lent him my loupe and we were both happy!

Happy, young, shooter in Rwanda!

Kimironko Market, Kigali.

This boy, David, is helping me through the narrow lanes within the Kimironko market in the outskirts of Kigali.

Kimironko market boy, David. Kigali, Rwanda

Working the land, Rwanda, February 2nd 2014

After visiting a village out in the region, I came across these guys preparing the land in order to construct a new house.

Workers digging and preparing the foundation for the new house.

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #rural