A Bungoma based photojournalist has earned a global award in an international photo competition.
Dishon Amanya’s photo titled “Community Resilience –Water Access Solutions in Times of Drought” was named winner in the Governance Solutions category of the international photo competition.
This is a joint initiative by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCDD), the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA).
The competition drew 135 entries from 59 countries with the participants taking photographs on strategies of dealing with water scarcity, land degradation and drought through recording of events using a camera.
Amanya’s photo captures a scene common in the rural areas, where all ages of residents gather at a communal water source to draw the precious commodity during the dry season.
The photo was captured in Kimilili in Bungoma County at an event organized by an NGO for the launching of a water project in the area during a severe dry spell.
Talking to KNA in Bungoma, Amanya said that the photo shows a communal water source where the young, the old go and meet with one thing in common to fetch water.
He said that while taking the photo, he saw the strength of people and a result of good governance and co-operation between the government and non-governmental organizations.
Amanya said that while growing up in Western Kenya he experienced how challenges in the environment like drought impacted negatively on the residents and used his camera to sensitize the community and leadership on what was going on in the area.
He said that the power of images would inform the public, initiate dialogue and bring around change on issues like human self-esteem, governance and climate change.
Amanya says that the international recognition has amplified his work on a world platform and would go a long way in opening opportunities for working with a wider scope of organizations.
He says that his wish is that that the photo informs policy makers that climate resilience starts at the grass root level. “The photo is a call to prioritize inclusive, community led solutions and to support systems that reach the grass roots.”
The photojournalist said that he plans to expand coverage of climate governance across more regions in east Africa and to continue to use photography to improve on policy making and to also to mentor young journalists.
By Catherine Nyongesa
