UNICEF Photo of the Year 2009

Friendship overcomes superstition

Eva Luise Köhler honors Johan Bävman for a picture from Tanzania

17th of December 2009

Swedish photographer Johan Bävman is the winner of       the international competition “UNICEF Photo of the Year”. His photo shows two schoolgirls playing in their classroom at a school in Northern Tanzania. The visual impairment of 10-year-old Mwanaidi is not obvious at first glance. Her best friend Selina, however, stands out immediately. She suffers from albinism – a pigment disorder that causes skin, eyes and hair to be extremely light and sensitive. The school is one of the few places where Selina is safe from being discriminated against or attacked. “The photographer draws our attention to one of the weakest and most vulnerable groups of people in Africa. People with albinism are often ostracized. Again and again, they fell victim to brutal violence”, said UNICEF patroness Eva Luise Köhler at the award ceremony on Thursday in Berlin. “In contrast to these severe circumstances, the UNICEF Photo of the Year sets a positive signal. It shows that friendship can overcome prejudice and discrimination.”

The 27-year-old photographer from Malmö (Moment/ Sydsvenskan) is the 10th winner of the competition which invites entries from around the world and was first held in 2000. “His photo is a brilliant example of unusual contrasts. Through this image, the photographer adds an artistic dimension to his journalistic work”, said Jury Chairman Klaus Honnef, Professor of Photography, when asked about choosing the winner. The jury also awarded a second and third prize as well as ten honorable mentions. This year, international experts nominated 123 photographers from 33 countries, who submitted a total of 1,147 pictures. The competition is supported by GEO Magazine and Citibank Germany.

The winning photo

The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2009 is part Johan Bävman’s series “Albino – In the shadow of the sun”. Ten-year-old Selina is one of about 150,000 albinos in Tanzania. Her body does not produce enough melanin. Her skin, hair and eyes therefore need special protection against the sun. Many people with albinism suffer from skin cancer or severe visual impairment. Their average life expectancy in countries such as Tanzania is 30 years. Due to the light color of their skin, they are stared at, ridiculed and ostracized. They are called “zeru zeru” – the children of the devil. The boarding school in Mwanza, Northern Tanzania, where the UNICEF Photo of the Year was taken, is surrounded by a 2m fence. Originally built for visually impaired children, the school has become a sanctuary for more than 100 albino children. Here they are protected by the police who patrol the area also at night. This became necessary since albinos in the region near Lake Victoria became target of unprecedented brutality about three years ago. They are mutilated and killed because their body parts are traditionally regarded and sold as talismans. Superstitious locals think they will help them to catch more fish in Lake Victoria or find gold and diamonds. According to official sources, more than 40 albinos have been murdered in Tanzania; the real numbers are likely to be higher, as many cases go unreported. Meanwhile the government started taking stronger action and it now looks as if violence against albinos is declining.

Further Awards

Czech photographer Milan Jaroš (Freelance Photographer / Respekt) has won the second prize. His photo shows 5-year-old Adélka from the Czech capital, Prague. She attends a kindergarten that was especially designed for the needs of autistic children. Adélka was born with a particularly severe form of autism. Her brain cannot process information correctly. Adélka has never said a single word and lives completely in her own world. According to her parents, her world might be full of impressions and colors. Or it might not: “We just don’t know.” About 200 million children worldwide have a disability. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, they deserve special support to enable them to take part in social life as much as possible.

Edwin Koo, Singapore (Zuma Press), has won the third prize. His photo was taken in the Pakistani refugee camp Sheikh Yasin. It is tea time and the children are waiting in line with their teapots to get some of Pakistan’s national beverage. The tradition that goes along with it hopefully helps them to forget the conflict in their homeland for a few minutes every day. They are among the 2.5 million refugees from Swat valley who fled the fights between the Pakistani Army and the Taliban. UNICEF provides comprehensive emergency care for refugee children on site. In order to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, 200,000 children were vaccinated against dangerous diseases such as measles. More than 10,000 malnourished children received assistance and 230,000 people were provided with clean drinking water.

Honorable Mentions:

• Mads Nissen, Denmark, Berlingske Tidende: Child marriages, Niger
• Jacob Aue Sobol, Denmark, Magnum: Street children in Bangkok, Thailand
• A. K. Kimoto, Japan, Freelance Photographer: Opium for children, Badakshan, Afghanistan
• Irina Popova, Russia, Freelance Photographer: Endangered childhood in Russia
• Todd Krainin, USA, Freelance Photographer: Military education in the USA
• Eman Mohammed, Palestine/Jordan, Freelance Photographer: Playing – despite the war, Gaza
• Anna Jockisch, Germany, University of Applied Sciences: Rebel yell, Germany
• Christian Als, Denmark, Berlingske Tidende: Childhood in ruins, Gaza
• Thomas Lekfeldt, Denmark, Freelance Photographer, Ekstra Bladet, Moment: Children’s cancer ward, Denmark
• Daniel Berehulak, Australia, India, Getty Images: Home is somewhere else, Pakistan