Radiating with optimism, these portraits from Sierra Leone reveal one community’s courage and heroism in the face of illness.
In 2014, photographer Peter Dibdin set out to capture portraits of people building a school for young women in Kenema, Sierra Leone, as they transformed sticks and palm fronds into a six-classroom building. But shortly after his trip, Dibdin learned that an Ebola outbreak had swept through the town, and his portraits took on a somber new meaning.“I kept imagining the fear that my friends in Sierra Leone would be living in and felt powerless,” he says.
This past spring, Dibdin returned to Kenema, and he discovered the community thriving — and a new portrait of hope and strength emerged. Now, Dibdin wants to share these powerful images in a photography book showcasing the town’s tireless commitment to building a new future for their young women. Support the project and learn more here.
