TIFA 2022 Editorial / Photo Essay

Totos of Turkana

  • Prize
    Silver in Editorial/Photo Essay
  • Jury Top 5 Selection

    Timothy B. Anderson Joy and magnificent color is rampant in this story of the Totos of Turkana.

  • Photographer
    Shyamala Thilagaratnam
  • Technical Info
    Nikon D810 / Nikkor 28-300mm, Various Iso, F-stops, Shutter Speeds
  • Photo Date
    February 2018

The totos (children) of Turkana exuded an infectious joy,whether lolling in mum's lap, playing, or herding the family's livestock. In my week off the grid at Lake Turkana, I came across many of the same children daily...in school, delighted over new pencils...fishing at the lake after school...running over the dry plains with friends or with a rubber tyre. Most impressive were the little boys who did men's jobs, herding goats, donkeys and caravans of camels. The little girls too started young, expertly balancing water containers on their heads, taking great pride in imitating their sisters.

I'm based in Singapore, a medical doctor by training; photography and my day job at Singapore's Health Promotion Board keep me happy in equal measure. I love travelling - especially to off-the-grid places, where the wifi is weak.