The image I chose to respond to is a photograph taken in 1980 Karamoja, Uganda taken by Mike Wells. This image depicts the malnourished hand of a Ugandan boy in the palm of a healthy Caucasian missionary worker. This photo shocked the world, and was not even supposed to be published. The photographer was ashamed of the photo as it represented the sad and sobering truths behind the starvation which was and still is affecting Uganda. This photograph tells a story of the inequality, despair, and hunger that many countries are still fighting, reveals the contrast in individuals who simply live in different places of the world and shows how nations can come together to support those in need.

The photo was taken in the Karamoja district of Uganda, the driest climate in the country. Which leads it often into times of starvation and drought. In 1980 the worst drought the country has ever seen hit the region, leaving it in a famine. This extreme deprivation took the lives of nearly 20% of the population and more than half of the infant population. This photograph provides an alarming truth into how dehumanizing starvation is. The hand of the boy is almost unrecognizable as human, the thin, dry skin is stretched over bone removing all identification as a human hand, and leaving in its place the hand of a dark skeleton. The Missionary’s plump, healthy white hand supports the boy in a chilling comparison of not only healthy and ill, but the extreme gap between excess and inaccessibility. 

The two people, made of the same basic materials which make up each human being and which support each and every one of us, could not be more different. The boy who has grown up, his whole life in a battle for basic survival is being held by a person who grew up in a world which catered to their needs, and led them to a life of helping. This photograph highlights the gap between societies filled with excess and waste and the ones which are just fighting to stay alive. How can these two systems coexist without creating one system which runs efficiently without pain or suffering. The balance is off and the line between functionality and destruction is broken. Over half of the infant population did not survive this 1980 famine, over half of the children who were thrown into a life of suffering and pain did not survive their battle. This boy has not even been able to be a child; his life is fully centered around trying to live to his next meal. This is what shocked the world. 

This photograph finally puts into perspective how the effects of famine and starvation really compare to the world which majority of us are a part of. The missionary’s hand represents hope and salvation for these countries in need, but in the majority of these situations survivors were rare.  The famines still occur in Uganda and neighboring countries, where thousands of people die due to lack of food and water. In a world where excess is so celebrated how is it possible that these instances are still occurring? Unfortunately, society as a whole lacks a yin yang effect to keep it in check and balanced. Which forces places in the world who are affected by these issues get forgotten about and left to fend for themselves. In the life of a missionary food, shelter, and water are typically not things which need to be struggled to find. In fact, for most people living in the US and similar countries, these basic necessities are provided or easily accessible. But in the parts of the world, like in this photograph, the lack of basic necessities stunts the societal growth never leading to an equal growth in a developed society. The helpful solution would be to equalize the extremes, bring society up to functional humanity, and the other down to a less excessive waste of resources, but this would take enormous efforts by global politicians and world leaders which will most likely never happen.

 The real work comes from people like missionaries who give up their lives of freedom and health to reach out a hand to those who need its support. This photograph became a scary reality to those who ignored the problems which those in lesser developed countries faced, and helped to create a dialogue on what could be done- no matter how small, to help those in need.. Mike Wells’ photo begs us to ask ourselves what it is that we can contribute to the world. This connection between the boy and his helper does not just show a rescue to the health of one person, it shows the motivation to be the change in the world around you. The human connection is a bond which cannot be easily broken and the pure humanity seen in this photo is a prime example of that. The un-biased unconditional love represented in this photo hopefully inspires others to not only reach out to those in need but to really try and make a difference in this world. This photo was not supposed to be published because Wells believed the photo was embarrassing and upsetting, but this image is one of the many which opened the worlds eyes to the struggles going on in the world and how these issues could not just be ignored. 
