Walking For Water

• Prize
  Silver in Editorial/Photo Essay
• Photographer
  Shyamala Thilagaratnam
• Technical Info
  Nikon D810, Nikkor 28-300mm, 70-200mm. Various Iso, Shutter Speeds, Apertures. Full-frame.
• Photo Date
  Various dates in 2018

This village in the dry Turkana region had no piped water.The young women walked miles daily to the nearest watering hole to collect water for the village.They did so with much joy,the little ones imitating their sisters. Occasionally the men had to dig deep to find water;the women,often with babies in tow, then filled containers to be shared with animals & family alike.On my last evening,as the sun set,we met 3 girls returning to the village with their water. They happily posed despite their heavy load. We were returning to camp where we had to walk only a few steps for our own water supply.

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.