Esther Ruth Mbabazi Archives

Who/What Inspires You to Create and Why?

Written on 26 October 2018. Posted in Anush Babajanyan, Daniel Schwartz, Ed Kashi, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, Interview, John Stanmeyer, Journal, Linda Bournane Engelberth, News, Nichole Sobecki.

Seven VII photographers are talking about inspiration in this special edition of #7withVII. We ask one question and get 7 answers. We asked, “Who/what inspires you to create and why.” Here’s what Anush Babajanyan, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Ed Kashi, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, Daniel Schwartz, Nichole Sobecki, and John Stanmeyer had to say.

VII Weekly | September 21, 2018

Written on 21 September 2018. Posted in Anush Babajanyan, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, Exhibitions, Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Jessica Dimmock, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Maggie Steber, News, Nichole Sobecki, Sara Terry, The Seven of VII, VII Weekly.

This week’s newsletter takes a look at VII at Photoville, including “Her Take: (Re)Thinking Masculinity” by the Seven of VII, a walking tour with Maggie Steber and Sara Terry, and Esther Ruth Mbabazi’s “EmergiCube.”

VII Weekly | September 7, 2018

Written on 7 September 2018. Posted in Anush Babajanyan, Christopher Lee, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, John Stanmeyer, Maggie Steber, News, VII Weekly.

Check out recent publications from Christopher Lee, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, and Maggie Steber in this week’s newsletter.

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VII Weekly | June 8, 2018

Written on 8 June 2018. Posted in Ed Kashi, Education, Esther Ruth Mbabazi, Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Maggie Steber, News, Nichole Sobecki, Philip Blenkinsop, Seamus Murphy, Tomas Van Houtryve, VII Members, VII Weekly, Ziyah Gafic.

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Featured Story

Europe Slams its Gates

Europe’s migration crisis isn’t over — it’s just beginning. With net immigration expected to exceed 1 million per year for the next five decades and xenophobia surging, European leaders are grasping for new ways to slow the influx. So far, their efforts have included tighter rules and enforcement at home, as well as multibillion-dollar development projects and support for local militaries and governments in Africa.

This investigation was first published in Foreign Policy and received the 2018 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the New Media category.

Education

The Open Call for the VII Masterclass in Warsaw will be accepting applications now through June 14, 2018. The VII Masterclass is the most ambitious and exhaustive training program available. Aimed at developing and consolidating new talent in documentary photography and photojournalism over the course of seven months, it is only offered every other year and takes place in three sessions of four days each.

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Esther Ruth Mbabazi

Written on 24 April 2018. Posted in Esther Ruth Mbabazi.

Onduparaka Football club fans sit on a fence to get a better view of the match during the Uganda Premier League tournament in Arua, northern Uganda, on March 10, 2018. Uganda has one of the world's youngest populations, with 78 percent of Ugandans under the age of 30. With just under eight million youth aged 15-30, the country also has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A portrait of a woman hawking bananas at the Old Taxi Park in downtown Kampala, Uganda on September 22, 2017. Uganda has one of the world's youngest populations, with 78 percent of Ugandans under the age of 30. With just under eight million youth aged 15-30, the country also has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Aidah Nabwile, 15, in the mountainous region of Bududa, eastern Uganda, prepares to go to church on May 21, 2017. Uganda has one of the world's youngest populations, with 78 percent of Ugandans under the age of 30. With just under eight million youth aged 15-30, the country also has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nakefeero Eva, 62, sees Lake Victoria for the first time in her long life, together with her grandchildren, in Entebbe, Uganda, on August 18, 2017.

Portrait of Nada Sara, 25, in her home in Uganda's Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp, and the cooking pans she carried with her from South Sudan, on November 3, 2017. When asked why these were the items that she chose to carry with her when fleeing South Sudan’s ongoing conflict, Nada said: “It’s hard to survive on the road without food. I have young children.”

Portrait of Kideni Mary, 16, in her home in Uganda's Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp, and the bible and graduation card she carried with her from South Sudan, on November 2, 2017. When asked why these were the items – both gifts from her father – that she chose to carry with her when fleeing South Sudan’s ongoing conflict, Kideni said: “My father was a hardworking man, and having evidence of his success encourages me to work hard and achieve mine.”

Portrait of George Thaban, 64, in his home in Uganda's Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp, and the photos of his wife he carried with him from South Sudan, on November 3, 2017. When asked why these were the items – photos of his wife on a solar educational trip to India – that he chose to carry with him when fleeing South Sudan’s ongoing conflict, George said: “For my wife, going to India was a big achievement in her life. I couldn’t leave the memories behind.”

Job Nandala, 10, plays in the shade of his home in Iganga District, Uganda, on October 12, 2017. Job was born with albinism, a rare genetic condition where the body is unable, or is limited in its ability to produce melanin, the substance responsible for the coloring in skin, hair and eyes. In Uganda many people with albinism suffer from daily discrimination and lack of support from the government. Children can be bullied, and an inability to see well, which afflicts many with albinism, can be a major handicap in the classroom. In spending time with Job I saw not only his tremendous courage, but also the isolation that albinism had imposed on his young, active life.

At home Job Nandala, 10, spreads his laundry to dry in Iganga District, Uganda, on October 12, 2017. Job was born with albinism, a rare genetic condition where the body is unable, or is limited in its ability to produce melanin, the substance responsible for the coloring in skin, hair and eyes. In Uganda many people with albinism suffer from daily discrimination and lack of support from the government. Children can be bullied, and an inability to see well, which afflicts many with albinism, can be a major handicap in the classroom. In spending time with Job I saw not only his tremendous courage, but also the isolation that albinism had imposed on his young, active life.

As night falls Job Nandala, 10, sleeps on his bed at home in Iganga District, Uganda, on October 12, 2017. Job was born with albinism, a rare genetic condition where the body is unable, or is limited in its ability to produce melanin, the substance responsible for the coloring in skin, hair and eyes. In Uganda many people with albinism suffer from daily discrimination and lack of support from the government. Children can be bullied, and an inability to see well, which afflicts many with albinism, can be a major handicap in the classroom. In spending time with Job I saw not only his tremendous courage, but also the isolation that albinism had imposed on his young, active life.

"Shadowed" is collaboration with four Ugandan contemporary dancers; Robert Ssempijja, Zawedde Sarah, Daphne Tumwebaze and Ssenyonga Oscar, to create images that interpret stories of rape using dance as a medium of communication, photographed in Kampala, Uganda, in June 2016. Here, Robert Ssempijja performs a piece that reflects on the psychological torture that comes after someone is raped. Rape is the first sexual experience of almost a quarter of Ugandan women aged 15-49, and 39 percent of women in this age group have been subjected to sexual violence, according to Uganda’s 2006 Demographic and Health Survey.

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Esther Ruth Mbabazi

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Biography

Esther Ruth Mbabazi is a Ugandan photographer whose work focuses on the social, physical, and emotional aspects of daily life, especially in rural areas and amongst minority groups.

In 2017, she was a Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice fellow. The year before, Esther was selected for the 2016 World Press Photo Masterclass East Africa and won the inaugural Young Photographer Award presented by the Uganda Press Photo Award. She has completed assignments for international publications such as TIME Magazine, The Observer and El Pais, and she frequently collaborates with organizations such as Comic Relief, Farm Africa and Let There Be Light International, among others.

Recognized for her nuanced approach to social issues, Esther’s work draws on her own experiences to reflect more varied and underrepresented stories from the African continent and beyond.

Esther is mentored by Nichole Sobecki.

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Category: Esther Ruth Mbabazi

Who/What Inspires You to Create and Why?

VII Weekly | September 21, 2018

VII Weekly | September 7, 2018

VII Weekly | June 8, 2018

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