What am I doing in Sudan??

I am finding that many people are wondering what brought me to Sudan & what exactly am I doing here. So here is a rundown...
In February I was getting very antsy with my work. I love my clients & taking pictures of families but I was needing a new challenge so I thought about doing something completely different as I know that in the future our family will be moving to live overseas for a few yrs. So I briefly looked into nursing school and masters in public health and found myself saying to a few friends that in 5-10 yrs I will be doing something internationally in photography (w/ no idea how I would get there). But then in May, I decided to challenge myself a different way and did the Giving Every Day in May fundraiser to benefit Soulumination. During that month and following I realized I needed to continue w/ my photography instead of looking elsewhere. It is truly my passion & I realized I can make a difference in peoples' lives so I had to continue on. Then randomly at my closing event in June to celebrate all the people who donated to Soul & hand over the funds raised a woman whose kids I had photographed for the fundraiser asked me if I would even want to travel internationally to photograph...she could have pushed me over w/ a feather. And then she went on to ask if I would be open to traveling to Sudan...I couldn't believe she said Sudan because I have been talking w/ my husband about Sudan since the late 90's. CRAZY how this world works!! We met in August to talk a little more about it and then in Sept. I met w/ Dr. Thomas Burke, who is heading this project and many others globally, while he was visiting Seattle on business. He is an ER doctor at Mass General in Boston and the director of the ER program at Harvard. We talked about me traveling to Sudan in March...I was so excited about the opportunity. And then in early Nov the dr asked if I could go in Dec. I initially said I could not do it due to my workload but then I realized I must try and make it happen. But just 3 weeks later, with the support of my family & some crazy work hours (and great clients) I am here. I am still having a hard time believing I am actually really here!
It is already an amazing trip that I have always dreamed about doing and I still have 10 days left here in Sudan. The group I am with, on behalf of the Sudan Ministry of Health & MGH(3 doctors & 1 support coordinator) are starting today w/ a training workshop to train midwives and nurses from the countryside how to train frontline village healthcare workers with the goal to provide better knowledge and tools to assist w/ maternal and infant healthcare. The infant and maternal mortality rate in S. Sudan is one of the worst in the world. The organization is also doing work w/ the Southern Sudan Medical College which is more than a bare bones status right now. Without the work that Dr. Burke and his group is doing w/ the University the students would have been without teachers for most of this year. I have been with this group for a very short time but can already tell how hard working and committed they are to this project. Their dedication is so obvious and I am hopeful their hard work will provide very positive results for women and children in S. Sudan. I am really honored to have the opportunity to see & document the work they are doing. I believe there are many unproductive development projects throughout the world and to see one that seems to be sustainable and is educating the local population instead of band-aiding their problems is so great!
The Sudanese are like no other people I have ever met. So resilient, optimistic, hardworking and stunningly beautiful. It seems that they are not looking for handouts but just a hand up. There is a monumental referendum taking place in January for people to vote to create an independent S. Sudan and separate from the north. It is a very crucial time and there is concern that civil war may break out which would be devastating to the southerners who have been through years and years of unimaginable hardship. Most have been displaced to camps in Kenya, Uganda,Ethiopia only recently returned in the last few years. They are educated and want to build their communities again. I think it is possible if they get their freedom and all remains peaceful. They so deserve it! If you have a chance go buy What is the What? by Dave Eggers. It is an incredible book that gives some insight to the plight of so many here. Even if you have never had an interest in Sudan or even Africa, the book is a great read and the timing is perfect to read it now so you will have an understanding of the importance of January's referendum.
I am hoping to continue to post images on Facebook when I have connection fast enough. Please email me or send a message to me via Facebook if you have any specific questions.

Happy and safe in Sudan

I have been in Sudan for almost a week now. It has been an amazing trip so far and I am so thankful to have gotten this opportunity. I have limited access to the web and the connection is slow so I cannot post images here but if you find me on Facebook (not my business page, just Tara Clark) you can view some of the images I am taking along the way.

It is after midnight and the snow has finally stopped. It has been a CRAZY day in Seattle, we received so much more snow than forecasted, it just wouldn't stop. The roads are covered w/ about 6" & I am hoping to be able to get to the airport for my flight just after noon. It looks like I will be hiking downtown to catch the new lightrail to the airport. Keeping fingers crossed that I make it but if not tomorrow I am sure I will get out soon. I am really having a hard time believing that I am going to be in Africa tomorrow. It has been 15 yrs since I have been there and I am beside myself with excitement and I cannot say how much I appreciate all the support I have received from everyone.

It is rare for me to have pictures of myself but today I figured I needed one to take with me of my boys. From snow one day to 90 degree weather the next. I think I am in for one amazing ride! And I cannot wait to share it with my favorites guys!
Hopefully I will have a chance or two to post here or on Facebook from the road. So check back! And enjoy this wonderful winter weather!

I have been MIA here because for the past 2+ weeks I have been working day & night, literally...even weekends, because I am leaving for Sudan TOMORROW!! The timing of the trip couldn't really be worse as the last quarter of every year is always my busiest, most demanding time and then there is Thanksgiving that my family was planning on spending w/ my parents on the Oregon Coast...I feel so lucky to have all their support in making my trip a reality. I will write a little more on that later but I have been telling myself for wks that before I left I would share with you pictures I took of one amazing young man. But there is so much more than just pictures to share so buckle up for a long post.

In September, I was with my boys at the University St. Starbucks waiting in line. Oscar, my youngest, pointed out the super strong leg belonging to the guy in front of us. He mentioned it a second time and as I was leaning down to ask him if he wanted to ask the guy about his leg the guy turned around and opened himself up to questions. We talked briefly about how he lost his leg, a drunk driver hit him while he was standing next to his car. We talked a little about the driver who had 2 DUIs on his record and only received 2.5 yrs in jail. I was so impressed with this young man, I assumed the accident had happened years ago but I was shocked when he told me it had happened within the last year. And then I asked how long his recovery had taken...my jaw must have dropped to the floor when he said he had been bedridden until just 3 month ago. I just couldn't believe it because he carried himself with such strength. To have gone through what he had so recently and to be sharing his story so openly was almost incomprehensible to me and I just thought that he must be one amazing young man. I am not shy so I asked a few more questions and found out he had graduated from UW just last year w/ an aerospace (or maybe aeronautical) engineering degree but was unemployed given the current state of the economy jobs were scarce. I learned all this while in line and then we said our goodbyes and I got my coffee and snacks for the boys. We went outside & I talked more w/ my boys about what an incredible person we had just met. He inspired me and I just couldn't let it pass so I went in and got a coffee sleeve, jotted down my contact information and decided I was going to give it to him because I wanted to photograph him & maybe others who inspire me. But as we went to walk across the street he was with friends and I didn't want to impose so we walked on by. Then a half block later I just had to take one more look back and I saw he was walking our way all alone. So as he caught up I told him I wasn't a stalker and we exchanged names & I told him if he was ever up for it I would love to photograph him and learn more about him. He said there were some news articles that I could find online and I said I would look them up but I wanted to do more than just a news piece on him but that I completely understood if he never contacted me as I appeared to be a bit of a crazy lady (good thing my kids looked normal).
Anyway, I shared my story of meeting him with quite a few friends. I felt so lucky to have crossed paths with him that even if we never met again he made my day that day and inspired me for sure. I went home and read the news articles and learned that the accident was even worse than he had shared. His dad was also severely injured and the rehabilitation for both was extreme and the impact the accident had on his family was unimaginable. Jason had mentioned that he was unemployed, I learned from the article that he had just been interviewing before the accident and received a job offer but had been in a coma when the offer came.
I really expected he wouldn't think twice about contacting me so when I saw an email in my inbox from Jason Wong my heart skipped a beat! He was up for meeting again and letting me take his pictures. Then the weather turned bad and my workload was crazy. I just wasn't sure it was going to happen before the new year. And then there was a window in the forecast for a few days of sun so I emailed him to see if he was free, he was and he showed up on my doorstep a few days later.
And I just can't say enough about how lucky I feel that he was open enough to take me up on my offer. He arrived without any expectations and was up for just walking the neighborhood with me while I photographed and we talked. One of the first things I learned as we walked away from my house was that he had been interviewing in DC, LA & locally w/ Boeing, had received multiple job offers and was starting a new job the following week with Boeing. So exciting! He shared with me how you learn to walk with a prosthetic leg and after 2 hours on it how it takes so much strength and concentration to focus on walking. But he has only been walking on his new leg for 4 months...I'm sure most people would not be near as proficient as he is and he did confirm that his doctors & therapists have all been amazed with his progress, he is so far ahead of the curve. But I can tell that is just who Jason as always been. A very hard worker that does not let the words difficult or can't slow him down. When I asked Jason if he would crouch down for a few pictures he said sure and as he was about to get up he told me that was the first time he had tried that position with his leg. He made it look so easy and yet it was a first that I was lucky enough to get to see. There are other positives that have resulted from his tragic accident and I am sure his life could have taken a very different path but Jason continually makes a choice to put his head down and take things on as they come instead of turn away and play the victim card. I am sure friends and family will be reading this and I am sure I am barely scratching the surface of the Jason they know and love. I look forward to learning more about this amazing young man in the future. Meeting Jason Wong is on the top of my highlight list for 2010. Jason, thank you for being so amazing and sharing yourself with me. I hope you see these pictures and you can see what an amazing person you are because you embody something very special and I consider myself so lucky to have crossed paths with you that day in September!!
One note, this is how incredible he is at pictures, these are all straight out of the camera as I just haven't had time to work any. I don't think they need much work!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Another beautiful fall day with fabulous kids. I know the 3 pictures of them altogether are similar but I love what is going on in each of them that I wanted to share them all. Their mom just ROCKED her first marathon in NYC...they must be so proud of her, way to go Shannon!!

It is 1:30am & my head is SPINNING!! It started early this morning and has slowed some throughout the day but I think this is just going to be a state of being for a while. But it is ALL good because this afternoon I booked my flight that will be taking me to Sudan. I am over the moon with excitement!! It is really a place I have dreamed of visiting for so many years and I just cannot believe that I am actually going...in just TWO weeks. Yes, that is part of the head spin. The trip dates came earlier and are longer than what I was planning and my stomach was in knots all morning trying to figure out if I can make it work. Thanks to the incredibly understanding & support loved ones in my life (husband, mom & dad to be specific) I will now be away for almost 3 weeks...CRAZY!! It has been almost 15 yrs since I have been on the continent of Africa & that a return is 14 days away is boggling my mind!! And the work that needs to be completed between now and then is almost as mind boggling but I know it will get done!

Loved photographing this family w/ all the fall colors last week. Happy kids equal very happy photographer! And the bonus is that I get to reconnect w/ their great parents who are some of my favorite clients. Always great to catch up with them!

Lots of work going on here...I just feel the time slipping away so I am keeping this very brief. It was fun chasing these boys around with the stunning fall colors providing the perfect backdrop...why doesn't autumn last longer and why isn't it drier so we can really enjoy the colors & crisp air? Wouldn't it be fun to have this stick around longer???

It is late Friday & I am trying to keep my head from spinning off...so I am going to keep this short and you will see that I am too busy to narrow down my favorites. Decided it was going to take too much time & I think they are all worthy of being shared. So, short and sweet it is!! Have a wonderful weekend!

I have always been a big believer that if you work hard, take risks that may result in failure and allow yourself to dream great things can happen. This year I feel like I am constantly being amazed at how true this is & today one of my big dreams became a reality & my head is spinning just a little.
I have always had a HUGE passion for 3rd world travel & documenting the amazing people who live there. Early this spring I said to more than a few people that in 5-10 yrs I would be doing international work. I had no idea how I was going to get there but I just knew I would get there some how, some way. Then Giving Every Day in May happened, I worked harder than I had in so long & that month impacted me in so many ways that I had not anticipated, it was truly special & it continually reminded me that it is essential to try new things, work hard & believe that you can achieve your goals. What I could never have imagined was that through my work that month a connection would be made that would open the door to work abroad. It is CRAZY how this world works! Today I found out that I will be traveling with an wonderful organization (I will share more about them in a future post) to Southern Sudan in December. I have talked about traveling to Sudan since the late 90's. And now I am going there to work in just 4 weeks!! It is mind boggling to me how it has all come together & I am just so thankful & over the moon excited!!

And now to another great connection I made from GEDIM. I photographed these little ones in May & I was excited they wanted to meet up at the EMP so I could photograph the whole family. Kids can't help but have tons of fun running around the EMP & I couldn't just pick a few so here are the handful that I really love.